Above: Shea Connors celebrates after scoring her second goal to seal the win for the Roar. Photo: Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar pulled off an exciting upset win over league leaders, Western United, on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Perry Park.
The Roar were desperate for the three points – the only option to keep their finals hopes alive. Western were also eager for a win to cement their place at the top with Sydney FC nipping at their heels.
The match started out quite passive, with both teams testing the waters a little, but not committing too much to building attacks. Western United had the first big chance of the match, following a defensive mistake by the Roar, which gave possession to Hannah Keane within shooting distance. She got a little too excited and took the shot too early though. It forced a good save from the Roar goalkeeper, Hensley Hancuff, but it wasn’t a clean save, as it spilled onto the ground and had to be cleared by Jamilla Rankin.
Just before the 20-minute mark, Katrina Gorry played a magnificent long ball from about 30 yards behind the halfway line all the way up to Shea Connors, who had timed her run to perfection.
Connors used her pace to beat the Western defenders to the ball and took a sensational first-time shot at the goal, stunning Hilary Beall who was off her line, and curling it into the side netting in the top right corner. It was Connors’ fourth goal of the season, and it could not have come at a better time for the Roar.
Brisbane Roar had plenty more opportunities in the rest of the first half, thanks to good build-up play and also sub-par defending from Western, however, the Roar couldn’t convert on any of those opportunities. On the flip side, when Western had spells of good possession they found themselves unable to break down the solid Roar defence so they resorted to taking very ambitious long shots at the Brisbane goals, much to the delight of Hancuff.
The home side started the second half playing confidently, maintaining possession, and patiently building their attacks on the visitors’ goal. Western had a few good chances on the counter as well. Just after the hour mark, Angie Beard made a great run into the box and crossed it in for Keane who had an opportunity to slot it into the open net but mistimed her run.
The Brisbane Roar defence was definitely not as compact or organised in the second half, often exposing themselves to danger, which an in-form Western United would probably have punished them for. But, after suffering a heavy defeat to Sydney FC last weekend, Western looked far from their best, and could not convert on any of their chances.
A couple of minutes into stoppage time, Connors struck again, keen to continue riding the high of her first goal an hour before. Tamar Levin assisted her with an excellent, well-measured pass past the defensive line that set Connors up beautifully. Connors kept the ball close to her feet and tucked it past Beall with precision and pace to the bottom right corner of the goal.
All round it was a fantastic win for Brisbane. They managed to exact the perfect revenge, beating Western United 2-0, the same scoreline they were beaten by the last time the two sides met in January. It will still be difficult from here, but this win keeps their finals hopes alive.
Shea Connors produced her best performance of the season, scoring two goals, twice getting the better of the two-time A-League Women’s player of the month, Beall. Connors’ high-energy football, pace, and intent to win the ball and shoot at goals paid off big time today.
Gorry was magnificent in the midfield as always. Not only did she have an assist to her name and create several more goalscoring opportunities up front, but she was also frequently tracking back to produce some world-class defending as well.
She blocked two shots from going in and made two vital interceptions in the box, which was more than the entire defensive line combined. Of course, that’s not the only measure of a good defence, but it shows how involved Gorry was all over the pitch. Finally, Hancuff made some fantastic saves to keep the Roar in the match and prevent any potential momentum swings.
On the other side of the pitch, Western United put in a sub-par performance by comparison to their lofty standards. Their defence was a little too disorganised and sometimes slow to react to the changing dynamics of the match.
There was also a real lack of aggression from Mark Torcaso’s side. They looked like a completely different team to the giant slayers of the first half of the season. To be fair, Keane found herself in dangerous positions a few times but this didn’t result in goals. This was due to either not having anyone else from Western up to support her attacks, not receiving the ball she needed to score a goal, or just being a bit off on the day and lacking her usual finishing touch.
Brisbane Roar play Western Sydney Wanders next Sunday and Western United will have a week to regroup before facing Canberra United on Saturday March 25th.
Above: Australia have announced a second international in London next month. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Australia have added a second match to April’s FIFA Women’s International Window against Scotland on Good Friday, 7th April at Cherry Red Records Stadium – the home of AFC Wimbledon.
The Matildas will host the Scots in a second London ‘home’ encounter in six months with the match kicking off at 1.15pm (local) / 10.15pm (AEST).
Four days later Australia will complete the European-based window with a clash against reingning European champions at Brentford, in the city’s west.
Matildas’ Head Coach Tony Gustavsson said: “For preparation purposes, it was important to have secured a team with the quality and character of Scotland.”
“While they narrowly missed out on qualification for the World Cup, Scotland are a well organised and physical team with some world-class individual players, including Caroline Weir and Erin Cuthbert, whom our players know what they are capable of from playing with them in clubland.”
Australia come into these London matches on a seven-match winning streak and are looking to continue building during the final phase ahead of the World Cup 2023.
Gustavsson highlighted how the matches in this window will provide major tests, but with the advantage of having his squad together for a longer period than usual with the vast majority of the players based close by.
“The recent Cup of Nations tournament was another positive step forward with the team ticking off many objectives, but it also highlighted areas that we need to continue improving.
“We are looking forward to having another match in a city that is for many of our players a home away from home. The match against South Africa last October showed the local support the team has in London, and we are looking forward to seeing many of those proud Australian fans again before the FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
Battle of the Sam Kerrs:
Above: Scotland’s Sam Kerr. Photo: Rangers FC.
Whilst Australia’s Sam Kerr needs no introduction, Scotland are also likely to field a midfielder with the exact same name who is in arguably the form of her life.
The ‘Scottish Sam’ is a 23-year-old who plays for Rangers in the top flight (SWPL) of Scottish women’s football. Having represented her country at U16, U17, and U19 level, this Kerr has eight senior caps to her name and was voted into the SWPL team of the season last year after helping her team win their first-ever league championship.
The Rangers midfielder has a place in history as the first goalscorer for the club in a match played at the men’s team’s famous 50,817-capacity Ibrox Stadium.
Kerr joined Rangers in 2021 from Glasgow City, Scotland’s historically most successful side. City are a female-only club with no affiliations to the pro game and continue to rack up major trophies to this day at the top level. The Falkirk-born player represented Glasgow City in several Champions League campaigns, including a sensational run to the Quarter-Finals in 2021 which saw their fairytale ended by a VfL Wolfsburg side containing Pernille Harder among other stars.
Scotland’s Sam Kerr will provide a major link-up role with the dangerous Erin Cuthbert who also just happens to be Australia’s Sam Kerr’s best buddy at Chelsea.
Having one Sam Kerr on the pitch is thrilling enough. On Good Friday there will be two. And it will be quite a battle.
The Venue:
Above: AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane Stadium – venue for the Matildas game with Scotland on Good Friday. Photo: Ben Gilby.
AFC Wimbledon are a historic club in England, and their new home stadium at Plough Lane which will host the match, opened during the COVID pandemic, is one of the best of its size in the country.
With a capacity of just over 9,000 seats, the stadium was largely paid for by the club’s fans. Indeed the club was formed by fans 20 years ago, and has been run by them ever since.
Wimbledon FC were formed in 1889 and remained outside the professional ranks of the game in England until 1977. They were famous for some sensational FA Cup runs when, as a non-professional side, defeated top tier side Burnley away, and then drew with reigning top-tier champions Leeds United way from home – a sensational achievement which also included a saved penalty.
Wimbledon were elected into the professional leagues as a result, and within eight years reached the top tier and in 1988 won the FA Cup at Wembley as they spent 14 years in the top flight of English football.
All of this was achieved despite the club being watched by minuscule crowds, and after the club was sold in 2002, the new owners gained permission from the game’s governing body to move the club 90km north to Milton Keynes and change its name to Milton Keynes Dons. The move remains hugely unpopular amongst the wider English football following to this day.
Above: A Manchester City side containing Australia’s Alanna Kennedy and Hayley Raso defeated Sam Kerr’s Chelsea at Plough Lane last season. Photo: Manchester City FC.
Wimbledon supporters formed their own club, AFC Wimbledon and they were placed in the ninth tier of the game. They had no ground and no players. But within weeks gained a ground share, attracted a big squad and regularly attracted crowds of 3,000 in a division where other clubs may not have got more than 30 people watching. AFC Wimbledon have now been recognised as the rightful ‘owners’ of Wimbledon’s honours, rather than the Milton Keynes club.
The Cinderella story continued as AFC Wimbledon earned a total of six promotions in 14 years to make the third tier of English football. In 2021, they finally opened their own stadium – largely paid for by the fans who still own and run the club – and located just a few metres from their historic old ground in Plough Lane.
The club, now in the fourth tier of English football, attract more fans for home games now than they did in their top-flight days, with 8,000+ coming through the turnstiles. It also hosts the bulk of the club’s women’s team matches with crowds of just under 1,000 regularly watching their tier four side.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium, known to all the fans as ‘Plough Lane’ is a fantastic modern facility, with some of the best food and drink options in the English game. It also has its own pub – and the Matildas fans will be more than welcome.
Plough Lane as a venue will also be familiar to several of the Matildas as it hosted the 2021/22 Conti Cup Final which saw Sam Kerr’s Chelsea face a Manchester City side that included Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy.
The role of separate women’s active support is vital for the game in Australia. Impetus’ Kieran Yap looked at what they bring to the sport, and the work that they do. All groups are referred to by their collective name where possible for the purposes of this article(10/3/23).
By Kieran Yap
Above: The Victory Vikings with their favourite player Amy Jackson. Photo: Victory Vikings.
They are the among the first to arrive at the stadium. Banners are hoisted, drums are set up and the noise begins almost immediately. After the game, win or lose, they are the last to leave. The Active Support groups in Australian women’s football are small in numbers, but huge on enthusiasm, organisation and dedication.
While some clubs like Sydney FC and Adelaide United have actives that commit to both the men’s and women’s side. Others have separate groups focused entirely on the women’s game.
It has been a tense year for all supporters in the Australian domestic competition. Women’s football groups have not been forgotten exactly, but their smaller numbers have left them on the periphery in the eyes of some.
There remains a misconception that the size of the movement determines its worth. But the separate women’s active groups in the A-League Women are more than a small group of friends who meet up on match day. Their work starts days before kick off, and does not stop in between seasons.
Each has a different impact on their club and the league, and all have varied histories. But they all have the same fanatical commitment.
“Matches had started to be played in Suncorp Stadium which is a great venue unless you only have a couple of thousand people turning up,” say Brisbane Roar’s Active group, the Roar Corps of their origins.
“Mel Andreatta was coaching, Amy Chapman was playing, and they connected with fans who wanted the venue to seem livelier. Amy Chapman had a big part in introducing Mandy Jamieson to Mel Andreatta and then Chris McAlister who was very involved with the Roar Supporter’s Federation.
“Amy and Mandy had had several conversations about the lack of atmosphere at women’s games, amongst other ongoing issues with pay and conditions, being treated like second-class citizens etc.
“Mandy met with Mel first, they included Chris, which then lead to a larger gathering at Ballymore where an invite was put out to all our female football-loving friends and the wider Roar-supporting community.
“That day Mel inspired everyone with her passion for the team and many ideas on how to support the team and connect with the community were recorded. A smaller subset of people continued to meet, and the core of the supporter’s group and the name were established.”
The Roar Corps are constantly in party mode at every Brisbane home game. Although the fortunes of their team has varied over the seasons, they drum and sing through the heat, the rain, the big wins, and the occasional big loss.
Great to catch up with some Victory Vikings pregame – all smiles right now… We'll check in after the game to see our respective moods 😂#BRIvMVC#dubzonepic.twitter.com/JLRiFPd2R4
Like all supporters of women’s football, they are advocates as much as fans. Banners and songs are used to help push the game in a positive direction. During a recent league match with Melbourne Victory, they sang to the APL who decided against delaying a 3pm kick-off.
“Feeling Hot-Hot-Hot…APL” rang out from the stands as the players and fans suffered through the humid and oven-like conditions.
The work of women’s actives goes beyond game day. Australian football is a difficult place to find merchandise for the women’s league, and The Roar Corps fill that gap with their own merchandise that they sell to fund the banners, megaphones, and drum kits.
“You can always count on the Roar Corps”
The growth of the game and support of the players is as important to the Roar Corps as results on the field. In a semi-professional sport, they help out in any way that they can.
“Advocacy and the quest for basic professionalism are a big part of the Roar Corps’ initial motivation.
“We have helped with accommodation for international or interstate players; donating washing machines and other equipment. We organised vehicles and transport, out-of-pocket costs just to provide some of the basics so the team could have supplies they were lacking and performed general managerial tasks to help lift the standards for the players.
“In early seasons we organized the season launch events to generate some excitement for the team and allow fans to meet the players.
“We have coordinated guest speaker panels, support videos, fundraising for causes close to the team, such as Share the Dignity for the 2018-19 season launch. We have helped other fund-raising events like the fund-raiser for Stotty (Rebekah Stott) driven by Olivia Chance, and the Christmas toy drive organized by the club and RSF.
“A few times we have arranged a ‘sponsor a player’ event, where fans can purchase merchandise to present to players. Anyone who has played for the Roar for a few seasons will have shirts, hoodies and a cap to show for these events.
“To plan for a specific game involves posting to social media, organizing entry to venues to set up banners and allow for drums and megaphones. This can be easy or complicated depending on the venue, and over time we have developed relationships with club staff who support our endeavours.”
Thier efforts have been greatly appreciated by the players. Brisbane striker Shea Connors felt a connection with the fans before she even stepped foot on the pitch.
The Roar Corps like most actives celebrate a new signing with a welcome post on social media, Connors says she felt welcomed before even meeting them. On game day, the players directly benefit from the presence of Active Support.
“Their support lifts us and brings energy that everybody needs every game, especially when we’re playing in hot weather. It definitely keeps you going.
“It’s really nice that these people care every week, and at every home game to come out no matter what, not matter the condition. We’ve changed fields a few times and they’re still there, they’re always there. No matter what, you can always count on the Roar Corps.”
Our player of the game today is Shea Connors, coming up big with her first goal of the season and drawing the foul that led to our second! 🧡🖤🦁#BRIvWEL#aleaguewomenpic.twitter.com/HhXLBZYqjX
This sort of close relationship with players can be found across the A-League Women. Two of the league’s newest sides, Wellington Pheonix and The Western Core have directly sponsored senior players in the squad.
Ideally, football should not in the position where players need this help, but while they push for change, they are also willing to put their own money where their mouth is.
The work of women’s support groups is not keyboard activism or demanding something impossible of the APL. They open their own wallets and give up their own time to show what needs to be done.
“We’d always wanted to do something tangible to show support for the women’s team,” says The Little Corner of Yellow.
“We’d contacted the club to see if we could sponsor a tiny logo somewhere on the kit, but all the available spots had been taken up already. The club was exploring player sponsorships, so we asked if we could do that instead and started the process.”
The Little Corner of Yellow are an Australian based group that support the Wellington Phoenix teams. Their support of both sides was extremely valuable during the COVID hit season when their players were kept far from home. That has not stopped since, with The Little Corner sponsoring the club captain and goalkeeper Lily Alfeld.
📰 | Nix fans take their support to a new level
The Little @cornerofyellow has stepped up its support of the Wellington Phoenix
The NSW-based Phoenix fan group, led by Holly Eades and Dean Bartle, have come on board as a player partner, sponsoring women’s captain Lily Alfeld
“We’d gotten to know Lily during the first season, if you’ve ever spoken to her, you’ll know why people are prepared to run through walls for her!
“So, she was our first pick for sponsorship. We have also since sponsored Izzy Gomez and Michaela Robertson.”
The Little Corner’s support goes beyond their own club. They supply wooden commemorative plaques to players and fans across to league as tributes to significant games, or individual highlights.
“We’re more than just three friends”
The Victory Vikings formed after the 2019 World Cup in France. Travelling fans were not perturbed by the Matildas’ elimination and decided to form an active group for Melbourne Victory’s women’s team for the following season
“It was a cold summer’s night in Le Havre on 26th June when we were born,” reflect the Vikings.
“Most of us were in France for the World Cup and just happened to meet each other and discover we’d been going to dub games independently for a while so decided to form a group so people could attend games together.”
Victory are one of the bigger clubs in the league. Although a number of fans attend both matches, the Active Supports are separate entities. The sizable men’s fans have been encouraged to attend, but they do so sporadically.
When they turn up, they look impressive on camera and social media, but The Vikings are valued by other A-League Women’s fans and players. They are there at every home game, along with many away ones.
Statistics on player milestones are often first announced by The Vikings. They keep track of how many games individuals have played and have been contacted by the players themselves to see how far off they are from 100 appearances. On game day they post instant live match updates, a public service extended to cover the Afghanistan Womens National Team in the off-season.
“Contrary to what some may think we’re more than just three friends. Active support in Woso is more about community and less about making noise.
“Our primary goal is to boost the profile of the team and encourage people to come and attend games by promoting a safe and inclusive environment. We honestly don’t care if the people who hang out with us make noise or not.
“We just care that they’re there. We want people to know that if they’re thinking of coming to a game but maybe are by themselves so are unsure that there’s a group of likeminded people who they can sit with.
“They can choose not to interact with us, which is fine, they can choose not to make any noise which is also fine, but they will be welcome, nevertheless.
“We do our best to try and help any of our players that want to boost their profile. Also, we are active right through the week and support the team all year round (during NPL season we try and get round to watch as many of them as possible).
“We invest a lot of our own money in supporting the team and not just time. We also have a great relationship with all the other active groups and try and do what we can to help them grow as well because the more active groups the better.
“We also exist to be a voice for people who don’t have one or feel they can’t say what they want in public. Each season we pick a charity to support and make a donation at season’s end. We link it to specific outcomes over the season, like clean sheets.
“Lots of fans will come to us as a first port of call for information on ticketing etc. or if they want us to pass some feedback onto the club. During the offseason, we tried to get to as many of the Afghanistan team games as often as we could and provided live updates when very few others were.”
Yesterday we said see ya later to one of the most loved members Vikings' family. It's been our immense pleasure watching her play and in typical Chids style, she signed off with a goal. Thanks, Chids 💙🤍 🐧 pic.twitter.com/76RZrSvdFT
You can easily spot the Victory Vikings, by their loud drumming and banners that have become hashtags. “Extend the season” was displayed behind the goals in every game of the last two seasons. When that step was finally announced by the APL, the Vikings added “Full Time, Fully Professional.” Progress never stops.
They are also distinctive with the presence of Homer Simpson in the stands. The large stuffed doll wears a Viking helmet that is sometimes borrowed by the players. When Victory won their way into the Grand Final in 2022, striker Maja Markovski hoisted it in the air like a trophy while the team cheered.
“We’re all massive Simpsons nerds for a start so prior to the first game of the 2021/22 season again Brisbane at CB Smith Reserve one of us decided on a whim to take the Homer he’d been given by his nephew for Christmas to the game where the first player he met was Amy ‘El Presidente’ Jackson.
“Several weeks later a few of us went up to the gold coast for the return game against Brisbane but we didn’t take Homer so El Presidente asked where he was.
“We replied she needn’t worry as some of us were planning to drive to Adelaide the following week and we’d take Homer with us. We received a presidential order to provide regular updates of Homer’s trip, which as good citizens we duly did.
“This along with the rest of the squad also very quickly buying into us having Homer it escalated very quickly.”
Great start, and great goal from Melina! Unfortunately couldn’t celebrate that loudly thanks to @AAMIPark not letting us bring in our drum. pic.twitter.com/g2KK2ilDFE
The build-up to match day starts early in the week for The Vikings. Sometimes right after the previous match.
“Usually, it starts with us working out what we’re going to put on socials in the buildup to the game. If it’s a home game coordinating what time we’re all going to arrive at the ground, making sure we’ve packed anything extra we need besides the drum, banners, Homer, and Marge.
“Once arriving at the ground, it’s getting stuff cleared by security and then setting up our banners and drums. We keep an eye on our socials for the line-up, and throughout the entire day there’ll be loads of Simpsons references.”
Commemorating the big events
The Vikings are currently eagerly anticipating the 150th match of their favourite player, Grand Final hero Amy Jackson. How they will commemorate this event remains unknown, but they have a template in the Roar Corp who made Matildas legend Clare Polkinghorne’s 150th game a true event.
Players and fans all wore t-shirts for photos after the match. The normally publicity-shy Polkinghorne looked delighted in the spotlight.
“A few things came together to make Polks’ 150th game celebration particularly special,” said The Roar Corp.
“We had over 100 shirts ready to use, so we knew we could make an impact with them. Majella Card organized a design, and we got our hands on a heat press. Then it was a few days of printing and pressing to get them all done.
“We’d posted a form so that people could reserve a shirt ahead of time and, as a result, got the entire team and a good number of supporters kitted out.
“As well as gathering all the tributes received from Clare’s many fans and presenting them to her in a card, seeing the photo with all the players and fans dressed up in the shirt that we made was a special moment.”
The Newcastle Jets fans have been starved of success on the field. But their women’s active support has never lost enthusiasm. Like others, they operate in constant and ever evolving activism.
“For us, it’s so much more than the game day presence because we know those activities aren’t everyone’s cup of tea,” say the Jets active.
“The majority of our support for the team and W-Jets fans happens outside of game days – through building a community and platform for fans to connect, interacting with players’ online content as they build their professional profiles, and for advocating for the women’s game more broadly.”
Newcastle is rare in the A-League Women. It is not located in a large capital city, and in a smaller community, in a growing league, their impact is even more important.
I N S P I R E D Supporting the W-Jets is our crew’s mission. We love to bring noise & colour to every game we can get to. It was so touching to have Inspirations Paint bring together fans at today’s w-game to create this supporters banner and gift it to us at halftime. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/JYw6vnk9MN
“This was really reinforced in a moment towards the end of our first season in 2019/20, when a player’s mother was chatting to us.
“She wanted us to know how important what we were doing was to her daughter but also feeding back sentiments from the whole squad such as “they just value – and really deserve – having a supporter group of their own given what they go through to get to this level.”
“Actives bring a level of energy to game days that you don’t get otherwise. Dub Actives are uniquely important because we are born from the women’s game and bring an energy that embodies the distinct culture of fans of the women’s game.
“That really lifts the whole experience in the stands. We know the players, we honor their commitment, and we are invested in their performance – you can’t import that.
“There is a fair amount of time and attention that goes into being an Active group, which people probably don’t realize.
“Most of our prep started before the season even kicked off! Once we know our squad, we get stuck into making banners, coming up with player chants, etc. And once we know the fixtures, we map out which away games our group members can get to and booking travel and accommodation. We also liaise closely with the Club to clear our activities.
“In the days leading up to our games (home or away) we make sure people have all the game day info they need. For home games especially, we like to raise awareness a couple of days ahead to try and encourage everyone down to No. 2 Sportsground. On the day, we get in early to set up our corner – visibility to the players is most important to us so we like to have our banners flying by the time they take the pitch to warm up.
“Now that COVID disruptions have eased, we are testing out ideas for ritualizing pre-game meetups again.”
The A-League Women is a league still searching for ways to grow crowds. The Jets Women’s Active support are doing their part to make the matchday experience as welcoming as possible.
“In our experience, ‘game day active’ doesn’t come naturally to Australian crowds, especially when crowds are smaller. It is incredibly hard to get fans to let themselves go and join in with chanting or flag-waving on game days.
“Get to know us! For Dub Actives to have an impact, we need support in ritualizing what we do.
“That relies on visibility and validation of the value Actives can contribute to game day and in building community so that general fans can be proud to be a part of, or just to have a Dub Active group aligned to their club.
“There is definitely a unique experience being a non-capital city club. We do feel the consequences of our club having fewer resources, which affects our competitiveness, plus a smaller population catchment to draw fans from.
“Big variations in fan turnout really makes it hard to gain momentum in building a community and experience around the women’s games at home.
“But being in Newcastle just makes everyone more approachable – club, community, etc., One of the best perks is we have easy access to highly responsive and supportive club staff – at all levels.
“We know that our efforts are valued by the club because they tell us, and if we point out something that could be done better, they make space to listen.”
The new kids are not shy
When Western United joined the league, one of the most obvious signs of promise from the new club was an immediate presence at home games. Their opening match saw the full-season debut of The Western Core, a group formed from supporters of the men’s team, but separate in name and purpose.
It’s @J_Mac1422 last game today as her guest stint ends. What an impact she has had for us. Jess will forever be our first ever A-League goalscorer. We’re so grateful she said yes to come & play for our club. We hope this isn’t the last time we see Jess pull on a WUFC shirt🤞💚🖤 pic.twitter.com/c2ytIj9n4I
“The formation of The Western Core was welcomed by the club with open arms which was incredible and really motivating.
“The idea of the Core itself came about as soon as the licence was given but formally came to life in the early preseason as we wanted to do this properly and not just rush the launch.
“Little things like brainstorming our name, logo, chant videos, social media presence, and all those kinds of things took some time to finalize as we just wanted to get it right.
“Oh, and that banner, I’d love to know how many hours were spent painting and putting that together in time for round one.”
The Western Core worked closely with the club and the Western Services Crew (men’s support) so that there could be consistency across both teams. Sydney FC and Adelaide United have the same active support shared across both clubs, while Victory has completely separate organizations. Both have benefits and drawbacks, but The Core look to have found a good middle ground.
“We have to thank the leadership of the Crew for being so positive about our inclusion and being nothing but supportive of this group being the recognised active end for the A-League Women’s team.
“The Core itself was formed by individuals who are foundation members of the club and members who have shown a very keen interest in the women’s game from day one.
“Most of the people involved are individuals who have committed to supporting the women’s team long before the licence was given.
“A fair few of us actually attended Calder United’s finals games in the past couple of seasons to help support them and get a taste of our future you could say.
“I guess those heavily involved have just overall been very invested in the growth of Western United especially in the space of women’s football so being involved with The Western Core was naturally super easy. The signings the club made also made it really easy to get people excited about the team and the new journey our club has just begun.”
On the field, their team has swept aside almost all opposition, and the Western Core have enjoyed their start to life in women’s football.
“The friendly banter amongst the ALW community is so good. I think getting to know the other actives so quickly was a happy surprise. It is just a fun space to be a part of and so rewarding too.
“I don’t think any of our supporters at Western have yet to feel any hostility or anything of the like so far in the dub which has been phenomenal feedback as no one deserves to feel that way going to a football match and some of us have had those experiences in football before.
“Overall, though, we knew being a part of the ALW community and having an ALW to support was going to be awesome and we knew we were going to love every moment so it’s been everything we hoped it would be and more.”
The link between Western United and their sister club Calder United has given them a strong grassroots support base to grow from. While the club is waiting for its dedicated home ground to be constructed, The Western Core are working to make their presence felt.
“Western are also really trying to promote that sense of pride to be from the West and us die hard’s definitely feel that and that feeling is obviously heightened by playing in the west.
“To add to that, it is amazing to finally have female footballers wearing the black and green at A-League level.
“Our players are legends, they are some of the best people I’ve ever met. Just genuine role models on and off the field and that’s just given us so much more motivation to support them.
“As supporters, it has also been amazing to see the relationship with Calder United grow and how much the club have invested into this partnership. Girls in the west now have that genuine pathway to professional football from such a young age which is pretty damn awesome.
“We’ve spoken to so many people in the crowds, some with kids in Calder jerseys, and have discovered that young footballers are now aware and hoping to play in the NPLW for Calder so that they can be a part of Western United in a playing capacity. How good is that!”
“We don’t want to be overlooked because there are fewer of us”
That sense of community links those within the club and unites supporters across the leagues. Matchday rivalries are often confined to 90 minutes, with fans catching up with each other before and after games. Many Women’s active support groups were born from the Matildas Active Support. The trio of drums that played when Australia defeated Spain in Sydney were from Newcastle, Brisbane, and Melbourne, while the Capo on the megaphone was from Sydney FC’s Cove.
“I have been given the opportunity to meet and become friends with people we adore,” says Bonny from the Victory Vikings.
“People we never would have met if not for our collective love of woso. Any time we get to celebrate a goal together is amazing, Of course Amy’s goal (in the 2022 Grand Final) is highest on the list.
“Active support in woso is more about community and less about noise. Even with Matildas Active Support that’s true.”
It is a sentiment echoed across the league. The Little Corner members enjoy the positive vibes and are beloved in Australian football for their commitment to the game, and not just their own team.
“Women’s active is all about supporting your players, and there’s often good personal relations between the supporters and players.
“I don’t think I’ve heard anything disparaging about the opposition players or teams and towns. “So far, we’ve enjoyed hanging out with the actives we’ve met (shout out to the Vikings.)”
The Roar Corps reiterate the importance of Women’s Actives. Professional football is still in a precarious state in Australia, and the clubs that do not have separate women’s actives are valuable too.
They have bigger numbers and a louder megaphone to have issued heard. But the women’s game sometimes has different priorities. There is a constant battle for recognition and eternal vigilance for players’ conditions. Their advocacy is near full-time, completely voluntary, and essential to the growth of women’s football.
“We provide more than just atmosphere at the game because the players we are supporting have needed more than that,” say the Roar Corps
“We don’t want to be overlooked because there are fewer of us. We don’t want to be taken for granted for always being there despite some trying times and disappointments along the way. We want to maintain the positive, inclusive environment for which women’s football crowds are famous.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Local forward Chrissy Panagaris has signed for Adelaide United for the remainder of the season from NPLW South Australia side Adelaide Comets to bolster the club’s offensive stocks.
Panagaris has signed as an injury replacement for Emily Condon, who has been ruled out for the rest of the 2022/23 campaign but will not be available for tomorrow’s home game with Perth Glory, along with seven other players.
“Chrissy is a quality forward who definitely knows where the back of the net is, scoring 26 goals in 21 games across all competitions last year,” Adelaide United head coach Adrian Stenta said.
“Chrissy has had some experience with our professional set-up as a train-on player in the past and has continued to work hard to take the next step in her career. We’re very happy to be affording this opportunity to someone who has continued to improve and impress on the park.
“At the same time, it is disappointing to have Emily ruled out for the rest of this season. Her ongoing groin issues have hampered what was set to be another strong season from her, but we hope she will be able to rest and recover and get back to her best as soon as possible.”
Following last week’s departures of Chelsie Dawber and Xiao Yuyi, after the conclusions of their loans, Abby Middleton has also departed to seek further playing opportunities with Football South Australia’s NTC.
Above: Chrissy Panagaris – newly signed by Adelaide United. Photo: Adelaide Comets.
In unfortunate injury news, Hannah Holgersen, who signed a short-term contract ahead of Adelaide’s game against Canberra United last week, suffered a knee injury during her debut and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
“Hannah suffered a very unfortunate injury after coming on against Canberra last weekend and this will see her out for a number of weeks. We are hopeful, though, for both Ella Tonkin and Sasha Coorey to return to action in the next couple of weeks, which will be welcomed by the whole squad.
“Ella has been out since round three as a result of the fractured foot she sustained and Sasha has been sidelined for the last month and a half.
“Both players have worked very hard to get back to full fitness before the end of the season and we’re looking forward to having them back in a competitive capacity.”
Also absent tomorrow are Emilia Murray and Grace Wilson who are still on international duty with the Young Matildas.
MELBOURNE CITY:
by Ben Gilby
Above: Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic at his media conference today ahead of Monday’s Melbourne Derby. Image: Melbourne City.
Melbourne City head coach Dario Vidosic is convinced that his side are in a good place going into Monday’s derby with Melbourne Victory.
After a period where his side were regularly losing players due to injury or international call-ups, Vidosic revealed that the return of further players joining Cote Rojas and Holly McNamara in contention for selection is not far away.
“Naomi (Chinnama) and ‘Bubs’ (Melissa Barbieri) are the most likely to be back. In the coming week or two Naomi could play. She is back in training with modifications. We’ve basically got the same squad available as last week.”
“Dani (Galic) is back on Sunday after Young Matildas duty after a very long flight. It’s hard having injuries, and KK being out for Victory, that’s hard too…the league needs all its best players on the pitch.
“We’ve got good quality and good young players that are ready if required. It is what it it. The way we work, everyone understands what is required in any specific moment. We’ve got people who are ready to come in, slot in, and play their part.”
Vidosic did identify that whilst it was a major boost to bring Rojas and McNamara back into the squad last week, it took a while for his side’s new-look attack to function to its full potential.
Above: Cote Rojas celebrating with Dani Galic. It is possible that both will play a part in Monday’s derby with Melbourne Victory. Photo: Melbourne City.
“We’ve reintroduced Cote after a couple of months, we’ve introduced Holly (McNamara) for the first time this season…we have goals in us, but just need to put chances away when they come. Sometimes we force it a bit too much, but we’re working on it.”
Rojas and McNamara joined New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson up front against Newcastle Jets in a potent three-pronged attack. The City boss was coy about whether or not they will be deployed in the same way on Monday.
“All three have different qualities, and every opponent is different so we adapt to that. If we’re targeting a specific side, or how we want to defend, we look at how we want to approach the game, and then, with the quality of those players, we put them in the positions that will cause the opponents the most problems. It’s working out the runs, and the positions they need to take up.”
With Melbourne Victory needing to secure three points to hold off the challenge of Canberra United and Perth Glory for a Finals berth, Vidosic is expecting a tough test, but he feels his coaching staff have done more than enough homework to overcome anything the opposition can throw at City.
“It’s derby week, it’s a game that all of Australia looks forward to men’s or women’s. Both teams are in the hunt for finals, so it should be a great game.
“Last time, they were in a mid-block against us. They probably tried to play more on the counterattack. Whether or not it will be the same, I have reviewed their last few games and saw them at AAMI Park last time. We’ve seen a couple of things, they have had two weeks to prepare specifically for us having had the bye.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Above: Mairead Fulton of Glasgow City with her SWPL Player of the Month trophy for February. Photo: Colin Poultney/SWPL.
Glasgow City’s Mairead Fulton and Lauren Gordon of Montrose have collected the February 2022/23 Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) Player of the Month awards.
Fulton becomes the first Glasgow City player to win the award this season. The last winner for the club was Priscilla Chinchilla back in May 2021.
The Scottish midfielder played the full 90 minutes in all three matches in February with City picking up maximum points and scoring 18 goals in the process.
Fulton provided five assists in the month including an incredible four in their 8-1 victory at home to Partick Thistle. She also delivered the final ball for two own goals, making her direct contribution for goals nearly 40%.
While recognised by her peers, Fulton’s performances for Glasgow City have often gone under the radar. With City and Fulton’s recent success, many believe it might not be long before she is considered for the Scotland Women’s national team.
Above: SWPL 2 Player of the Month for February, Montrose’s Lauren Gordon with her trophy. Photo: Malcolm Mackenzie/SWPL.
In SWPL 2, Lauren Gordon becomes the first-ever Montrose winner of the award after their promotion to the league at the start of the season.
Gordon, who joined from Aberdeen in December, has helped her side move to the top of the table and and they are now six points clear of their nearest rivals.
In February, the forward scored three goals in two games as Montrose secured maximum points. Gordon’s goals included the opener in their 5-1 win over East Fife and the only goal in their crucial 1-0 away win over Kilmarnock.
The nominees for the February SWPL award were Carla Boyce (Motherwell), Caitlin Hayes (Celtic), and Kirsty Howat (Rangers) and for the SWPL 2 award, the nominees were Lauren McGregor (Kilmarnock) and Jane O’Toole (Gartcairn).
Above: Beth England in action for Tottenham Hotspur at Aston Villa. The Lionesses striker is just one of several players who are ‘missing’ from the North London side’s squad without a full explanation. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
Working out which Spurs Women players are injured has been turning the club’s fans into detectives. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Other clubs provide detailed updates. For instance, following the press conference with Liverpool manager, Matt Beard, Emma Saunders of the BBC reported that, in a series of tweets that Leanne Kiernan is “at least 10 weeks away” from a return and “had several setbacks in her injury return.” Additionally, that “Natasha Dowie is three-four weeks away. Five players to miss Arsenal, could be seven.”
Meanwhile, Aston Villa don’t just rely on the press reporting on these things but use social media to provide updates direct to fans on specific players, their injuries, and expected return.
In contrast, Spurs fans are treated to a mix of omission and vagueness. Leaving fans to dig through the words said and unsaid in press conferences or post-match interviews to make sense of what might be happening.
Unspecified ‘knocks’
Jessica Naz, the club’s 21-year-old winger who has scored twice this season, went off injured and clearly in pain during a game against Everton in mid-December. There was no comment at the time and no injury details provided in the two-and-a-half months since. In her 19th January press conference Rehanne Skinner commented that “Jess has obviously had an injury that’s kept her out last week, and she’s been partially training today. So we’ll see where she is by the weekend.”
It looked like good news when Naz’s name appeared on the team sheet a few days later, on 25th January. But that was a mirage, as she did not make it to the bench, rather she was seen watching the game from the third-floor viewing area at Brisbane Road alongside other injured players. In the almost two months since then, there have been occasional comments about Naz “a needing a little longer.” Meanwhile, her contract has been renewed. This is ostensibly unconnected but, in an information vacuum, the sparse content provided is imagined to connect.
As a general note, Spurs should be commended for consistently renewing contracts to cover players’ periods of recovery from long-term injury. Given the relatively low wages and precarity of the women’s game, this is vital. But in this case, and without information to the contrary we can only hope that two (the extent of Naz’s injury and her contract renewal) are unconnected.
Above: Jessica Naz in action prior to her injury. Photo: Spurs Women.
Beth England is sufficiently high profile that her absence is hard to ignore. This is perhaps why, unusually for Spurs, her injury was quietly flagged in advance of her first missed game. Rehanne Skinner in the pre-Reading press conference made what the uninitiated might have heard as an innocuous comment about England having “got a knock” in the game two weeks previously against Manchester United.
This lead fans to re-examine the interview England gave at the end of that game in which she had criticised the refereeing, commenting that “someone could have got injured.” Did she? Was it bad? Whatever it was she was not on the team list for Reading. Then, in the week between the Reading and Manchester City games, Spurs’ social media released a series of ‘training videos’ that appeared designed to show England fully involved and fully fit. But in her press conference Skinner said they were waiting to see how she was, and lo and behold, come Sunday England’s name was again missing from the squad list. What the ‘knock’ was and how serious it is remains a mystery.
Above: Beth England, who has been out since sustaining “a knock” against Manchester United last month. Photo: Spurs Women
We have had even less detail about Shelina Zadorsky, Spurs’ captain. Zadorsky played for Canada in the February international break. On her return, she was on the bench, as an unused substitute, against Reading. Perhaps, fans speculated, she was a bit jet lagged and after all, we have a lot of centre backs. But then she was left out of the squad that went to Manchester City.
There has been no information provided in any press conferences about the Canadian. There was, however, an elliptical statement in the run-up to the City game, that those more practiced at unpicking the nuances of these things, picked up on. Skinner said that there had been issues with “players” (plural) returning from international duty. As one of only two international players to not have had minutes against Reading (three if we include the suspended Eveliina Summanen), Zadorsky seemed most likely to be one of those.
Perhaps goalkeeper, Becky Spencer, is another. She has not started a game since Christmas having started most of Spurs’ pre-Christmas games when Tinni Korpela the team’s other goalkeeper had had an injury of some description (an injury that we, of course, only found out about retrospectively, when Rehanne Skinner announced that Korpela was “back” in January). Spencer spent the international break with Jamaica playing in the Cup of Nations against Spain, Czechia, and the hosts, Australia.
Meanwhile, during the international break, we also discovered Cho So Hyun was injured when she did not join up with South Korea, and instead won plaudits for buying herself and 100 Korean fans tickets to attend their games (she has since returned against Manchester City). Even more circuitously, information about Chioma Ubogagu being injured came when Ubogagu met a fan who tweeted that he hoped that she would be back from injury soon (which she did against Reading).
This lack of information is not new. Earlier in the year Kerys Harrop was out for almost six months with a back injury which meant she missed all the pre-season and early WSL games. This was again not ever announced by the club, but Kerys discussed it when she appeared on the N17 Women podcast.
In other words, providing little to no information on injuries appears to be club policy or at least a choice that it makes over and again.
Unspecified Absences
As well as the injuries described above there have been notable instances of first-team players simply vanishing for extended periods without the club providing information.
Going back to last season, Chioma Ubogagu disappeared from the squad in January 2022. There was no acknowledgement of her absence, and no information provided until May 2022, when it was announced that this was because she had received a ban (that ran until October 2022) due to a failed drug test caused by prescription acne medicine erroneously prescribed by a US doctor. As she has outlined, this was an uncomfortable situation for the player and the club had an interest in protecting her. But it left fans in the dark for months, with no information to go on at a time when the club was short of attacking firepower.
Above: Ramona Petzelberger last played in the North London Derby in September last year. Photo: Spurs Women.
In what we can speculate may also be a ‘personal’ situation of some sort, Ramona Petzelberger has done a similar vanishing act. She joined Spurs in the summer, played in several pre-Season games, and then played 25 minutes in the September North London Derby. Following that she has not been seen. The club has made no comment.
Does it matter?
On the one hand, fans do not need to know everything about a team and certainly, not the finer details of players’ personal lives.
But at a time when the focus is on growing the women’s game, and when Spurs, in common with other clubs, widely promote new players signing, the club’s persistent obfuscation and occasional low-level disinformation, when those same players become unavailable, produces distance, bordering on distrust among the fandom.
One might speculate that Spurs’ management believes that it gives the team a competitive advantage if opposing managers do not know who will play. One could suggest that current results suggest this is not making much of a difference. Additionally, since in most cases, injuries mean that less strong players start or there are fewer options to change things off the bench, if anything not knowing this in advance may mean opponents over-prepare.
Maybe it is rather that the club believe that fans who think that their favourite player “might” play are more likely to attend or watch games. The problem here is that should this be effective, and fans attend to see a player when this player does not play they may feel tricked.
Above: Kit Graham returned in February after 15 months out. She was one of four Spurs players out with ACL injuries this season. Photo: Spurs Women
Tottenham have been exceptionally unfortunate with respect to the number of injuries sustained by key players over the last year (as discussed previously). Indeed, arguably, the ACL injuries to Kit Graham (another erratically reported injury, hopefully now fully back) and Ria Percival (still out) meant that Spurs arguably lost players who had been as key to the club’s 2021-22 successes as Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema were to Arsenal’s.
If Bethany England is now out it will be a seismic blow, given her immediate impact and the fanfare that came with her transfer. But this does not become less of a blow for not hearing about it.
There may, of course, be instances, where it is in the player’s interests to provide less detail, and family/personal circumstances has been used for these elsewhere, including in men’s football, but the vast majority of times, providing information about injuries is innocuous.
Moreover, in the context of Spurs’ current run of form, and increasingly vocal fan frustration, a policy of transparency with respect to player availability and future prognosis, perhaps one modelled on Aston Villa’s communications, would increase trust, and perhaps mean supporters are more sympathetic to the constraints faced by the manager and club.
Above: Michaela Robertson, who was previously part of the Phoenix Academy was the first player from Wellington to be selected for the club’s A-League Women side. Today’s announcement will offer even more opportunities for local players. Photo: Friends of Football.
New Zealand Football has announced that Wellington Phoenix reserves will be joining the women’s National League Championship this year.
The news comes as a major milestone for the Wellington Phoenix’s fledgling women’s academy programme.
As is already the case in the men’s competition, the Nix reserves have been granted an automatic qualification spot to support the club’s women’s youth development.
Wellington Phoenix director of football Shaun Gill has welcomed the announcement saying: “Having entry into the women’s National League is a critical part of the pathway for the development of young female footballers in New Zealand. It’s also critical to ensuring there’s gender equality within the academy programme.”
There will be three women’s teams playing out of the Phoenix academy in 2023, with under-15, under-17, and under-20 sides all entered in Capital Football competitions.
“A big thank you must go to Capital Football and all of the clubs within the federation for their support, to ensure we can have three women’s teams play in local competitions this winter.
“Having the under-20s play in the National League at the end of the year is the final piece of the puzzle.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Above: Ella Thomas (left) and Modlen Gwynne – the next generation at Aberystwyth Town that Impetus are proud to be sponsoring. Graphic: Steven Brookes, supplied toImpetus by: Aberystwyth Town FC.
Impetus are proud to mark International Women’s Day by announcing our first confirmed player sponsorships for 2023/24 – Genero Adran Premier side Aberystwyth Town’s recent first-team debutants Modlen Gwynne and Ella Thomas.
Both 15 years of age, Modlen and Ella have come through the ranks at Park Avenue – and have definitely impressed after being given the thumbs-up by the FAW to play senior football in the top tier of the Welsh club game.
“Everyone at Impetus is really excited to be sponsoring two of the next generation of Aberystwyth Town players in Modlen and Ella – we look forward to following their progress over the coming years,” said Ben Gilby, founder and chief editor of Impetus.
“More widely, the site is really glad to be sponsoring two young Welsh footballers, as this is the first time that Impetus has embarked on sponsorship in Wales after sponsoring players in England, Scotland, and Australia. We couldn’t think of a better or friendlier club to be launching that sponsorship with than Aberystwyth Town Women.”
Aberystwyth Town First-team manager Gav Allen added: “I’d like to thank Impetus for sponsoring both these very exciting players coming through. As I’m sure everyone knows, Aberystwyth’s location means we sometimes struggle with recruitment so it’s essential we look after our own and our talent pathway.”
Impetus currently sponsor 14 players around the world as well as two indigenous Australian female scholars as part of our relationship with charity partners Moriarty Foundation.
We will be introducing our global readership to Modlen and Ella in the coming weeks via individual interviews.
Above: Angie Beard in action for Western United against Western Sydney Wanderers. Photo: Western United.
Angela Beard’s last act in the A-League Women was to lift the trophy above her head on Grand Final day. Now, the former Melbourne Victory captain has returned to Australia to help the league’s newest club push for finals in their first season.
Beard is a favourite among Victorian football fans from her time with Victory and in the NPL with Calder United. After two seasons in Europe with Fortuna Hjørring in Denmark, she is ready to once again patrol the left wing under a familiar coach.
“Western United have been in contact with me for a long time, probably since they first got approved for the A-League team,” said Beard about her homecoming.
“I’ve known Amanda (Stella) for a while. I’ve known Mark (Torcaso, head coach of Western United) for a while and the Calder girls as a whole, that was a huge chunk of my life.”
Beard’s move overseas was the culmination of years of work and a long-held ambition. She credits Torcaso with helping her achieve her aims. The majority of the football calendar was spent under his tutelage at Calder United.
Above: Angie Beard celebrating for Melbourne Victory against Canberra United during the 2020/21 season. Photo: Melbourne Victory.
She was eager for a chance to work with Torcaso again, but is grateful for the work that Western United put in to bring her back to Australia. “They fully supported me and my needs off the field and on the field,” Beard said.
“I still had six months left on my contract in Denmark. So if I was wanting to leave anywhere I would have to have a club that was fully capable of taking those responsibilities and knowing that it was part of the deal. I would have to get completely bought out or transferred away from that club.
“Western United showed complete support. They had been after me for a long time, Amanda and Mark envisioning what they wanted me to be as a player and as a person on the team as well.”
Beard arrived at Western United at a time when they needed reinforcements. They had enjoyed a barnstorming start to the season, but the league only gets tougher as the fixtures pile up. Along with another new signing Danielle Steer, she made an immediate impact in her first start.
A 5-0 thrashing of Canberra United was kickstarted by Beard’s trademark run and cross to set up multiple chances, and a goal for Steer.
Playing her natural attacking fullback role was something she cherished and looked forward to. Torcaso famously used Beard as an attacking player to great effect in their time at Calder United.
“Obviously I’ve been in Europe for a couple of years now. It was a really interesting experience. It was nice to play in the Champions League which was my first time ever doing that. The main thing for me is leading into the World Cup, I wanted to be playing with confidence, with freedom, and creativity.
“Playing as a left back in wide areas I wasn’t really doing that in Denmark, I’d kind of shifted into a centre-back role, a more defensive role. I’ve played left back, left-wing back my whole life, so it should be easy to shift back into.
Beard joins other recent returnees from Europe. This season has also seen Amy Harrison join Western Sydney after two seasons with PSV Eindhoven and Ella Mastrantonio head to Perth after stints in England and Italy’s top flights.
Beard was full of praise for the environment at Western United. Even in its formative stages, the club is trying to be an attractive destination for overseas-based footballers.
Above: Angie Beard speaking at the media conference after signing for Western United. Image: Western United.
“It was a pretty seamless transition from Denmark which was a pretty professional environment, with a year-round contract and European football.
“Then coming back here… basically they’re trying to emulate a really high standard and they’re trying to be the club that people look to and aspire to be in the standards they’re trying to provide to players.”
Although the move back was relatively seamless for Beard, some things have changed in Australia. When she left, it was as the W-League Champion. She arrived back to the A-League Women and a longer season. With more improvements hoped for in the future, she says the Australian domestic league is a good place to build a career, and realise ambition.
“Extending it, and adding more teams is making it less of a stopover place and more of an actual building league where you can get to a high standard, and you can get to a national team.
“I guess I though the trend was to go Europe to try and crack into the national team but in the last couple of years, they’re trying to make it a whole lot more professional and attractive to local players and foreign players coming over.”
Above: Angie Beard in action for The Matildas. Photo: Football Australia.
Although clearly glad to be home, Beard enjoyed her successful time in Denmark. While at Fortuna Hjørring, she was a league champion and achieved a long-held dream to play Champions League football. Her form also earned a call-up to the Matildas squad to play Brazil.
Much to the bemusement of her supporters at home, it was her last cap. Although World Cup Football remains a possibility and would be deserved for the serial winner and accomplished full-back.
There were also other benefits to living in Europe.
“Lifestyle wise, (In Australia), you fly two hours to get to Brisbane. In Denmark, I fly two hours I get to London, France, all these cool places which I never really experienced before.
“Even when I lived in Iceland it was the middle of COVID, so no one was travelling anywhere. That was really cool to be part of the European community and to be able to travel around the world.
“We were the only professional team in our town, it was all about football. In Europe in general, you are born, and you have a team that you support.
“It’s kind of hard being in Australia and following all these different leagues, but when you’re in Europe you can turn on the tv and watch some of the English-based girls or the Spain league. It is so much more accessible.”
Angie Beard is home now. She is primed to make an impact for Western United, more trophies are a real possibility, and if all goes to plan, she could have another big moment on Australian soil to come.
Above: Impetus sponsored Ella Kew (in action earlier in the season), who hit a sensational goal from 30 yards in Pride Park’s win at Borrowash Victoria. Photo: Shaun Hardwick.
Pride Park, finding themselves without their regular shot-stopper or backup keeper clinched a superb win at Borrowash Victoria – condemning their hosts to a first league defeat in the tier seven Derbyshire Ladies League Division One in the process.
A lengthening injured list and other unavailable players required a reshuffle and careful husbanding of the available players, saw striker/midfielder Steph Eadon – although not ready to return from injury to play outfield – to play in goal. Hannah Kwiatek returned for her first game in three months in the unfamiliar right-back role. Beth Jones and Eliot Sayavong dropped back into defence, and Impetus-sponsored Ella Kew moved to centre midfield.
The return of Eadon – albeit in goal – and Bleu Lewis-Wilson for her first game (apart from as a stand-in ‘keeper earlier in the season) since an injury in pre-season gave the squad a much-needed boost.
Despite all that, Pride got off to the best possible start when, with barely a minute played, Maja Znamirowska and Tash Allderidge combined to win possession back halfway inside the Vics’ half and Allderidge fed a ball through for Summer Evans, who took the ball in her stride and slotted the ball past the keeper.
Pride’s lead was very nearly doubled after seven minutes; Allderidge’s corner was headed onto the crossbar by Evans and her instinctive shot from the rebound was lifted over the bar.
Vics inevitably responded and came back into the game but they were finding time and space difficult to come by as Pride’s players closed down and harried them, and although there were a few sights of goal, the shots were either off target or comfortably held by stand-in ‘keeper Steph Eadon.
Either side of the 20-minute mark there were two more chances for Pride, as Znamirowska didn’t quite time her run to perfection and was caught marginally offside when through on goal. A minute later Hannah Kwiatek collected a clearance halfway inside the Vics’ half, Fran Critichley-Watson made a run wide to take a defender away and open up the space for Hannah to make an incisive pass into Znamirowska who turned and shot, but her effort just cleared the crossbar.
Above: Summer Evans, who had a major influence on the match, seen here in action for Pride Park earlier in the season. Photo: Shaun Hardwick.
Just after the half-hour, Pride won a corner on the left, taken by Allderidge. The set-piece was initially cleared but Izzy Wilsoncroft was first to it and returned an excellent pass into the area to find Jones in space in front of goal but she steered her shot just the wrong side of the post with the keeper beaten.
A second goal for Pride wasn’t long in coming, however, and it was a peach. Pride won back possession on the left, Eliot Sayavong played forward to Kew, who broke through a challenge and, looking up, spotted the Vics keeper a little off her line, before launching a howitzer of a shot from 30 yards, which had the goalkeeper back-pedalling and, although she got a hand to it, she couldn’t keep it out and the Impetus sponsored youngster was on the mark in style.
Vics had their best chance as the half-time interval approached; a free kick from just inside the visitor’s half was played up to the edge of the area, three Pride defenders closed down the player on the ball – leaving a striker alone in the centre 12 yards out, but she was unable to steer her shot on target. Kew, injured in the build-up to the shot, came off for the final three of four minutes of time added on in the first half but was, fortunately, able to resume in the second half.
Pride will have been expecting to be put under pressure at the start of the second half and within a few minutes of the restart, Vics worked the ball across the pitch from left to right, close to the edge of the area, but a shot from outside the area was comfortably held by Steph Eadon.
However, it was Pride who came closest to scoring again – first after 53 minutes when Allderidge’s through ball to Evans seemed to have beaten the offside trap and she was through on goal, but the offside flag went up – but appeared very much to have been given against Znamirowska who was in an offside position but although not moving towards the ball may have hidden Evans from the linesman’s view.
Another opportunity came after 56 minutes; pressure on a defender by Evans and Sayavong forced a hurried pass which was pounced on by Allderidge in midfield and her first-time half-volleyed pass found Znamirowska inside the area, she turned the defender and her shot on the turn was just close enough to the keeper for the save.
Two minutes later, however, Pride did extend their lead – an Allderidge corner on the left eluded everyone in the centre, and was met at the far post with a downward header by Critchley-Watson for 3-0.
With nine minutes of normal time left, Jones headed on a corner in the area which rebounded to her, and her hooked shot was cleared off the line. Not for the first time, Allderidge collected the clearance and played it to Jones who rode two desperate challenges inside the area but her cutback was collected by the keeper.
Above: Fran Critchley-Wilson, scorer of Pride Park’s third goal, seen here in action during a previous away match. Photo: Shaun Hardwick.
Apart from a ‘hit and hope’ from distance which didn’t trouble Eadon, Pride did well to restrict Vics’ sights of goals until the closing minutes of the game. With 86 minutes played Borrowash were awarded a free-kick about 30 yards out on the right which was taken direct – Eadon was in line with the shot all the way, but, as a result of her recent injury) was just unable to get the push-off needed to get the height to prevent the ball from dropping under the bar.
The goal gave Vics added impetus in the four minutes of remaining time plus six minutes of time added but although they upped the tempo and tried to create chances, Pride were in no mood to let the result slip now. The hosts won a corner that was cleared, and a shot on goal from distance was caught by Eadon – and despite some very challenging circumstances, Pride inflicted Vics’ first defeat of the season.
Pride made rolling substitutions throughout the game to try and extend the playing time of those returning from injury or under the weather, and to try to keep players fresh – and it was pleasing to see Lewis-Wilson make a timely return from a lengthy lay-off to play half an hour in two spells without difficulty.
Steph Eadon merits particular praise for a composed game as a stand-in ‘keeper despite not being fully fit following a recent knee injury, but it was an assured, disciplined, and intelligent performance by the whole squad of thirteen players – particularly considering the circumstances coming into the game – which lifts the team into second in the league with half of their fixtures now completed.
After the game, Pride Park Assistant Manager Jamie Robinson said “We knew this would be a good test and challenge against a respected Borrowash Victoria team. Coming into the game our focus was on how we wanted to play and the players rose to and embraced the challenge, and they deserve a lot of credit for executing the game plan and adapting to change during the game.
“The team ethos and the players understanding of the game showed itself physically and mentally in this performance. It was really pleasing to see them taking into a game what we’ve been working on in training and continuing the growth and development of the group. They have now set a standard that we want to maintain and build on for the games to come.”
Pride’s next game is at Mickleover next Sunday 12th March (kick-off 1.30pm).
impetusfootball.org 