By Kieran Yap 23/4/26
Above: Mia Bailey of Heidelberg United. Photo: Adrian Geremia
South Melbourne halt Bulleen’s winning streak, Box Hill climb into first and Heidelberg return to winning ways in Round Nine of Victoria’s NPLW.
The action began in Caroline Springs as Spring Hills FC hosted the perennially strong Boroondara Eagles. The home side have had mixed results of late and were looking to bounce back from a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Box Hill United.
The visitors were also in the unfamiliar position of needing to respond to a loss. Their last game was an entertaining but frustrating 1-0 defeat to South Melbourne.
Tom Markovski’s side got off to a great start. Spring Hills captain Aleks Sinclair’s free kick was whipped in and deceived the Boroondara defence. Suzu Murakami got the decisive touch, but the delivery only needed to be directed goalward, such was the quality.
That lead lasted less than two minutes. Priya Savarirayan’s looping ball to the back post was scrambled home with a desperate lunge from Kanako Higuchi to make it 1-1 in the seventh minute.
Neither side could really claim to have controlled the match in a see-sawing first half, but Spring Hills went into the break with the lead. It was another set piece that did the damage. A corner kick was only half cleared by Boroondara and Aurbie Labno’s hooked finish restored the lead.
Boroondara responded in the second half. a move of real quality involving Emma Vane, Sarah Brunner set up Geneieve Fontes for a volleyed finish at the back post to level the scores in the 56th minute.
Savarirayan’s late winner settled the result. Vane was crucial once again, her pass took the Spring Hills defence out of it, but Savarirayan still had plenty to do and reached the ball before Jenna Ibrahim. Her first effort deflected up, but the decisive finish was composed and class to hit it over the sliding Box Hill defender.
The loss came at a considerable cost for Spring Hill’s. Before the final goal, Sinclair went down behind play after an apparent collision. Play stopped for an extended period as Spring Hills players circled around her and she could walk off.
Sinclair is a legend of this league and a star for her team and we wish her a quick recovery.
The win puts Boroondara back into second place and still with a game in hand over first placed Box Hill and second placed Bulleen Lions.
Box Hill United travelled to Dorothy Laver Reserve to face the always tricky Alamein FC. The home side are one of the more consistent clubs in the league and a good test for any club with premiership ambitions. Box Hill won comfortably 2-0 to se3nd them to the summit of the table.
Their wingers did the damage on the scoresheet. Sofia Palywoda supplied the pass to open the scoring. The captain’s long ball was perfectly placed for Kiara Bercelli to run onto, and her lobbed effort on the half volley was probably the goal of the round. A moment of real quality from two in-form players.
The floodgates did not open for Box Hill in the way they have this season, but substitute Gabrielle Simpson sealed the win with a goal in the 81st minute. It was a victory made all the more impressive following Erin Keyt’s removal in the 66th minute. The star forward collided with a defender and had to be withdrawn from the match.
Keilor Park SC and Preston Lions FC played an entertaining and dramatic 2-2 draw. Abby Holmes opened the scoring for Keilor Park with an excellent volleyed effort across her body in the 17th minute.
Preston made a change at half time that would turn out to be decisive. Natalie Olsen entered the match, but the home side still doubled their advantage. A long range missile from Marguerite Lena left Charlotte Hrehoresin with an almost unsavable effort to deal with, but Preston’s defenders might rue the space given in front of goal, even at that distance.
The three points looked secure for Keilor Park as the clock ticked into the final ten minute, but Olsen had other ideas. The forward flicked the ball in from a tight angle in the 83rd minute to pull one back and then scored the equaliser with a minute left on the clock. It was another close range effort, and first time shot. The goalkeeper jumped but the strike was scuffed and crawled across the line under her.
It was an unfortunate and slightly unlucky end for the home side but a credit to Preston’s determination to scrounge a point from the jaws of defeat.
After a 6-1 thrashing at home to Bulleen last week, Heidelberg United faced the star-studded Avondale FC and some of their former stars in the shape of Cameron Barreiro and Asuka Miyata.
There was only one goal in it, and that was due largely to the effort of talismanic goalkeeper Mia Bailey. The Warriors skipper was outstanding between the sticks against one of the more dangerous attacks in the league.
Avondale controlled much of the game, and Elise Kellond-Knight in dominant form in the middle of the park, but a moment of quality from Heidelberg decided the result.
Hayley Guerts got the ball on the counter-attack and threaded a perfect pass into the path of Jiyoun Seo. The calm finish did the pass justice and it was all the separated the teams at the final whistle.
Bulleen Lions have been on an enviable winning streak of late, but that was halted by the in-form and still improving South Melbourne.
South Melbourne captain Francesca Iermano opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a well struck effort from the edge of the box. Meisha Westland’s penalty in the 81st minute appeared to have settled the result.
However, Bulleen continued to push, and gave themselves a lifeline. Emily Bunnell attacked a loose ball from a free kick to force the ball home in the 87th minute.
An equaliser never arrived, and South Melbourne held on for a crucial victory in a win that showcased some growing depth in the squad. combined with a determined win over Boroondara and a convincing one over Alamein FC, South now have three big scalps in seven days of football.
Melbourne City secured their second win of the season with a 5-1 thrashing of Bentleigh Greens. It was a fantastic display by the young City side, with Junior Matilda Kaya Jugovic opening the scoring in the 15th minute.
The striker was well positioned to turn a corner kick into the net for her first of the season.
Karina Tolios finished a good team move in the 35th minute to give Bentleigh hope of a rare win, but City clicked into gear and scored four unanswered goals for an emphatic win.
Maya Capitanio restored City’s lead with an excellent finish one-on-one against an onrushing Ruby Samild in the 67th minute
Jugovic scored her second and City’s third with a looping finish from 18 yards just four minute later.
The scoreline remained respectable until late in the game, before City scored twice in as many minutes. Chelsea Bigg’s scored their fourth in the 82nd minute with a close range strike. Jami Marandola made it 5-1 with another effort from the six yard box. Samild’s initial save was excellent, but the Bentleigh defence did not act quickly enough to clear the danger and Marandola was able to score from the second attempt.
Sunday’s only match was between Melbourne Victory and Essendon Royals at The Home of The Matildas.
With Victory’s A-League side preparing for a final against Canberra United, several stars were missing from their lineup, including striker’s Ella O’Grady and Fiorina Iaria and deep plying playmaker Poppy-O’Keeffe.
Essendon could care less for their opponents misfortune though and scored three goals to push them into fourth on the table. ‘
Bronte Peels was exceptional for the visitors, The Essendon winger was dangerous every time she got on the ball.
The Royals opened the scoring through a well hit corner that Victory’s Anika Dovaston was unable to do much about. It will go down as a 30th minute own-goal, but it was awkward to deal with and almost any touch would have sent in goal bound.
Peel doubled the lead three minutes later. Kelli McGoarty’s run behind the defence forced a good save from Chloe Mckenzie, but Peel was on hand to hammer home the rebound.
McGroarty goals feel inevitable at this point in the season, and she scored off a rebound herself to make it 3-0 in the 82nd minute.
The win was huge for Essendon’s ladder position and another good result after an inconsistent opening month to the season. Victory will feel disappointed with the result, but showed real character to put in a determined performance against a strong side while being significantly under-strength.
In Appreciation of Heidelberg’s defence
Heidelberg United were coming off a 6-1 thrashing and facing a side that had scored 14 in the last four games. On paper, this had the potential to get ugly.
But the Warriors defence were locked in, in truth the whole team was, and while the late winner feels like a smash and grab, the counter-attacking game could easily have delivered at least two more goals.
But a win like this starts from the back, and Heidelberg’s back four with goalkeeper Mia Bailey were desperate, disciplined and organised.
Avondale were expected to be creative, and threw a bit of a curveball into the match with Elise Kellond-Knight drifting wide with regularity to whip in dangerous crosses. Sloane Young was typically inventive on the opposite flank while Hannah Wilkinson provided a good target up front.
But the Bergers were prepared and impossible to break down.
They sat relatively deep, but on the occasion that Avondale did break throug, desperate lunging blocks by Nali Plant and Alyssa Sallese denied what looked like certain goals.
In possession they were good as well. Heidelberg’s game plan required them to pass quickly from the back, make quick decisions and no errors to create chances and beat Avondale’s press. Led by Bailey and Maiya Haysen on the ball they were able to accomplish this with only the crossbar and some impressive goalkeeping at the other end denying them earlier goals.
Bailey was fantastic. At anywhere near her best she is one of the top goalkeepers in this league.
A frightening concussion in Round four stalled Bailey’s season, but she has lone none of the magic or fearlessness that has made her a key figure in Heidelberg’s most successful NPLW era.
A brave, low save at the feet of Young in the 22nd minute, kept the score at 0-0 against the odds. Bailey put herself in harms way and for a while it looked like she may have suffered another injury but was able to continue.
Two two more crucial saves in the 60th and 63rd minute were the highlights, but it was also a controlled, confident display from the Queenslander.
Heidelberg’s response to last week’s big loss is admirable, and the team defence was a huge part of setting up the win.
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