By Kieran Yap 20/6/23
Above: Kurea Okino for Boroondara-Carey Eagles. Image: Kurea Okino Instagram
Bayside United climbed into the top four, Heidelberg suffered another setback, and Bulleen overcame a tough FV Emerging in the Victorian NPLW.
Boroondara-Carey Eagles 7-0 Box Hill United
After two consecutive league defeats and one in the Nike FC Cup, The Boroondara-Carey Eagles sent the competition a reminder of what they are capable of.
The Eagles faced a recently resurgent Box Hill United, who were on a run of four consecutive and convincing wins. The form of Sofia Sakalis had been one catalyst behind Box Hill’s rise up the ladder. She has registered either a goal or an assist in every game since her return, but Anais Josefski has been one of their best players since round one. The lethal winger was missing for Round 14.
Box Hill began the game on the front foot. They pressure every Boroondara pass and looked the more dangerous on the ball. Only a marginal offside call prevented an early Sakalis chance.
In spite of the opening minutes, Boroondara were unfazed and responded by hitting the back of the net. In th 17th minute, Emily Heijden lofted a pass into the box with precision, and after a flicked-on header, Kurea Okino tucked away her 18th goal of the season.
Okino returned the favour for the second. She was the target of a high, long ball forward and her presence drew two defenders to her. She used a faint touch to nod the ball into the path of Ellen Turner, and the fullback made no mistake in the 34th minute.
Box Hill were still playing some good football, and at 2-0 were not out of the game. Emma Langley had the best chance to pull one back, but hit her effort over the bar from close range. It was not the turning point of the game. There was no single “Sliding Door” moment that evening, but it things only got harder when Boroondara made it 3-0 in the second half.
Box Hill were on the attack again, but Arina Takunaga intercepted a pass in the middle. She did not hesitate, and surged forward with the ball. Okino’s run off the last defender was perfectly timed, and Takunaga’s pass found her amid numerous Box Hill shirts. Okino calmly brought up her 19th goal of an increasingly ridiculous campaign.
The evening’s fourth goal was the most spectacular. Margot Robbine’s effort from the edge of the box was blocked, but the ball fell to Emily Sutcliffe who was even further out. The former Wrexham and Geelong Galaxy midfielder curled an effort into the top corner. It was 4-0 and not yet over.
Ellen Turner brought up her brace with Boroondara’s fifth. Like her first goal, she arrived late in the box and finished well. Rebecca Lim was the supplier with a strong run and clever cross that bypassed the defenders who were distracted by Okino.
Boroondara’s sixth was Okino’s third. An end-to end move from The Eagles was completed by Sutcliffe’s lofted pass into Okino’s direction. One touch to control and another to bury it into the net means that the Japanese striker now had 20 goals in 13 appearances.
Sutcliffe’s second was as incredible as her first. Lim’s initial cross put the midfielder on the opposite flank with her back to goal, but a quick turn and clever nutmeg by Sutcliffe forged the space for a cross. At least that was the option most would have expected her to take. Instead, she went for the shot directly. Slamming it into goal at the near post to make it 7-0.
Box Hill were soundly defeated, but outplayed only for patches of this game, poor finishing and some timely turnovers cost them, and once Boroondara’s confidence is up, they are a difficult team to stop. The Eagles score heavily, that is their main identifier this season. Although Okino is the headline act, and Robbine the star signing, they have players all over the ground that can punish a side.
Sutcliffe and Turner both scored braces in this game, but the skill and pace of Lim on the right unlocks many chances, while her work rate was crucial to making life difficult for the Box Hill wingers.
Boroondara are back, and Box Hill face Heidelberg next week in what is a massive game for both sides.
Southern United 1-1 Alamein
Southern United gained a much-needed point against an Alamein side that needed a win to keep their finals hopes alive.
Rachel Binning gave Southern United an early lead. Her header from a corner put them 1-0 in the second minute of play. It was a promising opening sequence, but although Alamein have struggled for wins, they remains dangerous and one goal was never going to be enough to win this game.
When Sidney Allen gets on the ball, good things happen for Alamein. She is well known for her pace but is also capable of knitting play together. When she got on the ball deep in the 13th minute, a quick interchange of passes resulted in a dangerous through ball for Molly Burke.
Burke swept the ball across goal and although Ashleigh Lefevre’s effort was blocked at close range, Burke was on hand to tap into the empty net.
It was Burke’s second goal of the season, and one that might keep Alamein’s alive. They are in seventh spot, but with seven games left to play, there is still time to recapture their early season form.
Bulleen Lions 2-1 FV Emerging
Caitlin Friend’s Bulleen rose to top spot on the ladder, but they were made to earn it against an FV Emerging side that only grew more dangerous the longer the match went on.
Bulleen had the upper hand early, but were frustrated by FV Emerging’s disciplined defence. despite keeping most of the possession in their attacking half, Bulleen struggled to create clear but chances.
One of the Lions’ main strengths this season has been their press. The forwards stalk the opposition defenders and try and capitalize on any errors, especially from goal kicks.
Faith Stephenson drifted wide and read the clearance well. She knocked it back into to penalty area where Maja Markovski and Alana Jancevski were already waiting. There were calls for a Bulleen penalty after a suggestion of handball, but Jancevski did not wait for the referee to agree. She thrashed home the opening goal from close range.
Bulleen’s second goal came in similar fashion. The midfield and strikers pressed high, and a forced a hurried clearance. Claudia Mihocic read it first and put the ball back into the direction of Markovski. A combination of physical tenacity and quick footwork created an opening for the shot, and Tyla Jay Vlajnic finished from the rebound.
Emerging were not cowed by going two goals down. They created chances of their own, Candice Kilderry’s strong run down the flank and dangerous cross would have ended in a goal with even the lightest touch. Alana Cortellino’s pace makes her a constant menace for even the most experienced defenders, but Emerging still went into the break 2-0 down. They had only made two errors for the half, but against Bulleen, that is all it takes.
When they did pull one back it was spectacular. Kiera Meyers raced down the left wing and waited for support. Her inboard pass found Anika Doveston who shifted her body to create space at the edge of the box. The strike flew past Gaby Garton and gave FV Emerging a lifeline in the 39th minute.
The final 50 minutes of play were tightly contested, with FV Emerging bringing the best out of Bulleen’s defence, but they held firm.
FV Emerging will have only gained more admirers from this performance. However Bulleen are now able to win games playing below their best, and it will be encouraging for them that their defence was resolute in the face of some pace, talent and momentum.
Calder United 2-1 Preston Lions
Calder United’s form continues to steadily improve along with their ladder position. This win against Preston has them in sixth place and given this was achieved without Raquel Derales it was as impressive as it was surprising.
Ava Groba was the hero for the home side. Last season’s quicksilver winger has developed into a more mobile attacking threat and added polish to her pace.
Preston needed to be at their best to get a result here, and although Calder established an upper hand early, Emma Checker was in vintage form to keep them at bay. Some early corners gave Preston hope, but they were unable to convert in attack.
It is difficult to stop 2023 Groba though, and once she gets goal side there are few that can catch her.
Her clipped finish in the 39th minute was a classy way for the captain for make the most of Alexis Mitchell’s threaded through ball.
Preston drew level before halftime. A long ball forward found Belinda Stojcevski who unleashed a rocket of a shot from outside of the area. It curled in off her left foot in unstoppable fashion, and Preston finally had some reward for their persistence.
It was the Calder captain who decided the result again. This time she drifted in from the right side and finished into an open net after Keiwa Hieda’s strong run along the left.
It was a goal that felt like it had come out of nothing. Preston were in possession one second, then the next they were walking the ball back to the centre.
Calder’s win felt slightly lucky on the surface. But they made their own luck and defended solidly with their all-star back four. Scoring once against them is difficult, scoring twice is a huge ask, and with Groba’s continued growth in attack. Many top four teams could be hoping that the defending champions do not make it in at season’s end.
Heidelberg United 0-3 Bayside United
There are two stories to come out of this game. First is Heidelberg’s form slump. After convincingly defeating South Melbourne, they have succumbed to consecutive losses in the league and one in the Nike FC Cup.
That’s last result, the 5-2 defeat to Calder United on Tuesday night, sounds bad on paper, but it was an unlucky loss and for most of the game, they looked back to their best. In that context, the Round 14 loss to Bayside looks more like a momentary blip, and the loss of Bella Wallhead to an ACL injury cannot be overstated as a factor that they are working their way through. They will be back.
The other story of this game is that Bayside are starting to look like the real deal. Without the suspended Kayla Deaver, they were achieve a comprehensive win.
Although technically this was a Heidelberg home game, the match was played at Bayside’s ground as Olympic Village is undergoing upgrades, and Bayside looked comfortable from the outset.
A single bad touch when playing out from the back gifted the ball for Bayside’s Julia Budiongo. The striker took full advantage with a dipping shot from 18 yards.
Budiongo added her second in the 31st minute. Racing onto a bouncing long ball behind the defence and nodding it past the onrushing Melissa Maizels.
Bayside was playing with confidence and their star striker was irrepressible. Budiongo turned creator in the second half. She looked to be trapped by Tijan Mckenna in the corner but turned the young midfielder and cut the ball back to Miwa Sasaki.
The strike that followed was the best of the bunch. It flew into the net at the far post, it was hit an unsavable pace and trajectory.
The result means that Bayside United climb into the top four. A win against FV Emerging next week will mean that other could be playing catchup for the rest of the season.
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