By Kieran Yap (13/6/23)
Above: Melinda Barbieri on the ball for Box Hill United against Southern United. Photo: Passion Creations.
There was a big reshuffle in the top four, Calder United went on a scoring spree, and Box Hill won their fourth game in a row. The Victorian NPLW is into the second half of the season now, and things are as unpredictable as ever.
Southern United 2-4 Box Hill United
In a month of football, Box Hill United has gone from entertaining but ineffective cellar dwellers to one of the form teams of the season. Since the arrival of their star duo from last season, Sofia Sakalis and Melinda Barbieri among others, they have risen from 10th to seventh and seen an improvement across the squad.
Southern United has continued to struggle. They were winless going into this game and things looked difficult when Sakalis found the net before fans had found their seats.
The third-minute goal got the visitors off to the best possible start, and some tricky footwork from Sakalis in the penalty area eventually opened up the space for Asuka Doi to lash home from close range and make it 2-0 in the 17th minute.
Southern United worked their way back into the contest by the second half, and in the 50th minute, Rhiannon Kelleher’s powerful strike from the edge of the box pulled a goal back.
The home side were level soon after. Alyssa Rose’s long pass split the Box Hill defence and sent the goalkeeper scrambling to stop Kelleher. The striker was clipped and a penalty was awarded, which Yuka Sato had no problems scoring from.
Box Hill retook the lead almost immediately. Young playmaker Sienna Techera remained patient on the wing and took on her defender before sending in a cross that bounced off the bar. Anais Josefski was on hand to nod the ball over, although the copped a boot to the head for her trouble. After a pause in play, the Box Hill winger was eventually subbed off.
Box Hill’s winning streak was confirmed when Emma Langley scored in the 90th minute. Techera was the architect once again. It was another example of clever, composed, and skilful wing play from the attacker. This time her cross came from the right wing, and it evaded everybody for Langley to meet with perfect timing at the back post and unmarked.
The win moves Box Hill up the ladder and within striking distance of the top four, they will likely need to rely on other results going their way each week, but nobody will relish playing them in this form.
South Melbourne 2-1 FV Emerging
What was that from Brianna Reed? We might as well get the most talked about moment of the week out of the way first because it is not something that you see every day.
With scores level and the clock seconds away from injury time, Reed took a throw-in to put South Melbourne into attack. Looking to get extra momentum behind the ball, Reed produced a somersault throw. The spectacular feat of athleticism (and showmanship) did not result in a goal, but it did not hurt. The attack resulted in a corner which Reed finished off at the back post to give South Melbourne an important win.
Now back to the start. South Melbourne were humbled by Heidelberg last round. In the derby, the team from Lakeside were well defended and lost 2-0 to the hosts. A response was needed against FV Emerging, and a win would put them into top spot on the ladder, finally unseating the Boroondara-Carey Eagles at the summit.
The first half saw chances created by both sides, yet remain goalless. The score did not change until the 72nd minute when South eventually found the net. Danielle Wise’s through ball found Janna Lawson. The low cross to the near post caused a scramble that Miesha Westland was on hand to tap home. It was a first goal of the season for the recruit from Adelaide United.
Anika Doveston levelled the scores for the visitors. A swift counterattack ended up with a spilled shot that Doveston bundled home to set up a dramatic finish.
Reed’s eventual winner was as important as it was dramatic. It was a spectacular end to an entertaining game, and South Melbourne end Round 13 in top spot.
Bulleen Lions 2-0 Heidelberg United
A tough contest between Bulleen and Heidelberg United ended the weekend, and a win for either side would put solidify their top-four position. Both teams arrived at The Vento club in form, with Heidelberg’s win over South Melbourne in Round 12 being one of their most convincing outings of the season.
Conditions were perfect, although cold, and with both defences standing strong, the battle was mostly fought in midfield. A mix of pressure and the bounce created by the artificial turf made possession vital, and at times difficult to maintain.
Paige Zois was Bulleen’s best option for directing play and Kathryn Vlahopoulos was Heidelberg’s. the pair’s ball control stood out in a half where clear-cut chances felt rare but both teams tried to attack.
Tyla Jay Vlajnic was deployed at fullback to limit the impact of Steph Galea, and Heidelberg’s best chance was Nicole Blackett’s long-range free kick, but although Bulleen had plenty of the ball in attack, only Tiff Eliadis was able to trouble Melissa Maizel’s in goal who was forced into a brilliant close-range stop.
The game was fought in midfield but won by two set pieces. In the tight contest, two Paige Zois corners resulted in two goals.
The first was a thing of beauty. The ball landed with Claudia Mihocic at the back post, unmarked but still with plenty to do. The centre-back controlled it with one touch and then struck viciously at the near post into the roof of the net.
Before she signed for Bulleen, Mihocic had not taken the field for almost a year. She missed the last A-League Season after being injured against the same opposition while playing for South Melbourne in 2022. Heidelberg United must be sick of her by now.
The second goal was one that The Bergers would have been disappointed to concede. This time Zois whipped it in at the near post and the header was flicked on by Katie Beck in the 88th minute. It went in at ground level by the back post and was a great header, but from Heidelberg’s perspective, it was an unfortunate way for the result to be sealed.
The win saw Bulleen Jump to second on the ladder. Those hard-fought points in the first half of the season have provided them with a good foundation to launch into the run home. Heidelberg sit in fifth, they were leapfrogged by Bayside United.
Bayside United 2-1 Boroondara-Carey Eagles
In the least surprising news from this game, Kurea Okino scored. The Japanese striker has been a revelation this season and appears impossible to stop. Her 17th goal of the season was another stunner. Boroondara won possession in attack and Okino did not hesitate to pull the trigger, adding another goal to her ever-growing 2023 highlight reel.
Bayside have been steadily climbing the ladder, and are capable of some spectacular play themselves. Julia Budiungo’s driving run on the right won a corner and it was played short to Olivia Bomford in the 71st minute.
She drew two defenders to her, with them shaping to close down a cross, she cut between them and was brought down to earn a penalty which the number 10 converted herself.
Boroondara have Okino and Bayside have Kayla Deaver. Both are capable of the spectacular and both have been extremely productive and consistent this season. As regular time neared its end, Deaver sent in a long deep cross/shot that the goalkeeper could not reach.
It looked to be bundled over the line, but the winning goal was credited to Deaver for her eighth of the season.
Despite conceding the goal, it was a terrific display from Deanna Bottalico otherwise. The Boroondara goalkeeper’s performance amid Bayside’s attacking surges in the second half was a standout feature of this game.
Up the other end, Coco Majstorovic was also in fine form against a side that usually relies on scoring heavily. This was a game where both goalkeepers had to be in top form.
Boroondara-Carey suffered their second consecutive loss for the year, and Bayside continue their rise from last season’s strugglers to this season’s dark horse.
Alamein 0-5 Calder United
The big winners in this round were Calder United. This was a pretty dominant performance over Alamein, with Ava Groba and Raquel Derales once again showing their dominance and A-League Women potential.
Derales opened the scoring in the 14th minute with the first of her three goals of the afternoon. The Calder striker controlled a bouncing ball quickest and shot across goal to put the visitors one goal up.
Groba got in on the action next. Montana Matthews got on the end of Julia Sardo’s switch of play. The fullback created the space and Groba hit the cutback first time to make it 2-0 in the 19th minute.
The winger in the armband created a third. Interplay between Groba and Alexis Mitchell resulted in a low cross from the captain. Ashleigh Lefevre had little choice but to try and intercept, but was caught in an awkward position. She could only deflect it in for an almost unavoidable own goal.
The Derales show continued when the inaugural Western United player poked home a corner from close range. The delivery was low and hard across the face of goal, and Derales responsed quickest once again for her second and Calder’s fourth.
By the later stages of the match, Calder’s midfield were just getting the ball in her direction and the third was her best. Derales finished a move she helped start by hitting a half-volley low and into the bottom corner. In windy conditions, it was a terrific piece of skill to track and finish the looped pass into the box. Calder had five and made the most of their dominance.
The big win means that although Calder United sit in mid-table, they are only four points behind Bayside United, with a far better goal difference. Their best is good enough for any opponent and in Derales and Groba they have the weapons to trouble any defence.
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