Ten games have now been played in the 2021 NPLW season and the question increasingly facing the league appears to be just who can stop South Melbourne.
Boosted by strong mid-season additions such as Matilda Jenna McCormick and defensive prodigy Naomi Chinnama and possessing a high-powered attack, South Melbourne continued their rich run of form over the weekend: making it seven wins of the bounce after recording a 7-0 win over Heidelberg United.
Collecting a throw-in on the left before she shrugged off defenders and drove inside, Melina Ayres opened the scoring for Hellas in the 11th minute of the Saturday afternoon clash but, uncharacteristically for both her and her teammates, that was where the scoring would cease for the next 50 minutes.
For across the remainder of the half and the opening exchanges of the second stanza, coach Jono Clemente’s side, despite missing first-choice goalkeeper Melissa Maizels, was able to keep their traditional foes at bay and even, through an off-target Bonnie Davies shot and Keely Lockhart effort off the bar, create the best of the chances.
But coach Sam Young’s side would not be denied and reasserted themselves on the scoresheet two minutes past the hour mark when midfield quarterback Reona Omiya laced a pass into the path of Ayres that the fringe-Matilda subsequently collected and fired past keeper Natasha Stathopoulos.
Things going from bad to worse for the Bergers when captain Steph Galea was given her marching orders after receiving her second yellow card of the game in the 69th minute, they then found themselves down three from the subsequent free-kick when some nice work in the box from Ayres found Lucy Johnson to finish on a tight angle.
Five minutes later Aimee Medwin drove into space outside the area and let loose with a long-range effort that nestled into the top corner -- an effort that may very well prove to be the goal of the season -- before Ayres secured her hattrick in the 83rd when she turned in a cutback from Janna Lawson at close range.
Speedster Kat Goff then put the cherry on the Blue and White sundae when she made it seven in the 91st minute: her side remaining five points clear atop the Victorian top-flight and now possessing a goal difference almost twice as good as next best FC Bulleen Lions.
Ayres now two goals clear atop the league’s Golden Boot race with 13 despite playing in only six games, South’s firepower will take something special to deny if foes hope to deny them silverware in 2021, and will next be turned on Casey Comets in the Nike FC Cup.
Bulleen, at least, did their bit to stay with the side they defeated in the 2018 NPLW Victoria Grand Final by putting in a regulation 4-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Bayside United on Sunday evening.
Handed a let-off when keeper Lauren Farrugia produced a superb save to deny Paige Zois her third goal in as many games from the spot in the ninth minute, Bayside found themselves down in the 14th minute of the contest when left-sided dynamo Tayla-Jay Vlanjic whipped a ball in towards the back of the six-yard-box that was promptly driven into the net by a powerful Kayla Morrison header.
Running onto a through ball from Tiffany Eliadis, Perth Glory bound youngster Alana Jancevski cut back onto her left foot and placed a long-range left-footed effort into the bottom corner of the goal in the 17th minute and Vlanjic delivered another assisting cross, this time for Eliadis, to make it 3-0 in the 38th frame.
Vlanjic then secured her hattrick of assists when she drove an in-swinging corner in towards the six-yard-box that Eliadis met with a strong forehead: making it 4-0 on the evening and bringing her season-tally to eight goals in eight games.
The result ensured that coach Caitlin Friend’s side remained in outright second position in the Victorian top-flight, while Bayside remains winless thus far in 2021.
Their only points previously earned this year coming in a round one win against Bayside, Box Hill secured their fourth point of the season on Saturday afternoon after recording a 1-1 draw with Alamein FC at Wembley Park.
With both sides having their chances early on to break the deadlock, it was Pythagoras’ Erin Keyt that eventually broke the deadlock between the two sides when she stole the ball off the Alamein defence and let loose with a long-range effort that dipped over the head of keeper Eloise De Ruiter and nestled into the back of the net.
After having a goal disallowed just before the half for offside, Alamein eventually forced their way back to parity in the 57th minute when Jennifer Lum broke down the left, ducked and weaved around a number of blue shirts as she cut inside and let loose with an effort that beat Erin Hudson at the near post.
And despite Alamein pressing hard and even hitting the bar, that is how the game would end: the visitors missing out on a chance to overhaul the Bergers for fifth position on the table and close the gap between themselves and fourth-placed FV Emerging.
Box Hill, meanwhile, ensured that they won’t fall to the bottom of the table in the event that they drop a game and Bayside pick up three points in the coming weeks.
Saturday’s other game saw the aforementioned Emerging play host to defending champions Calder United down at the Knox Regional Football Centre.
Entering the game in fourth-place on the table, coach Marc Torcaso’s Calder knew that a win would see them overhaul Emerging on the NPLW Victoria table, and that mission was heavily boosted in the eighth minute of play when the side in green -- grabbing the ball after Emerging keeper Sophia Varley spilled it -- worked the ball to Adriana Toranto for a long-range shot and goal.
Toranto and Cori Cain peppering the Emerging goal with further long-range efforts -- the host’s defensive disciple and shape doing a good job of denying their foes a chance to break in behind their lines and into the penalty area -- Calder eventually grabbed their second five minutes before the halftime break when Lia Muldeary brought down Aleks Sinclair for a penalty.
Stepping up to take the spot-kick she had earned, the Calder veteran made no mistake with the subsequent set-piece as she made it 2-0.
Two minutes past the hour mark striker Ashley Jordan had a golden opportunity to cut the deficit to one when she intercepted a disastrous attempt to pass out from goal by Alyssa Dall'Oste and subsequently rounded the Calder keeper. Before she could get her shot off, however, Alycia Eicke sprinted in for the crucial intervention to keep her side’s sheet clean.
Minutes later Leia Varley, coming up from the back for a corner kick, sent in a powerful header on goal that for all intents and purposes looked like it was destined for the net -- only for Dall'Oste to somehow get across to keep the ball out.
But those chances would be as good as it got for coach Helen Winterburn’s side as they fell to fourth on the table -- Calder moving to sixth -- after a 2-0 defeat.
