“Sometimes, I feel I gotta get away. Bells chime, I know I gotta get away. And I know if I don't, I'll go out of my mind. Better leave her behind with the kids, they're alright. The kids are alright.”
Profuse apologies to The Who - as well as the youngsters in question for describing their exploits with lyrics from a song released nearly 40 years before they were born - but the kids well and truly are alright in Victoria.
For as the dust settles on the third round of the 2021 NPLW Victoria season, it’s the group at FV Emerging that stands alone as the competition’s lone undefeated side, situated three points clear of second-placed Calder United at the summit of Victorian women’s football.
Having already claimed the scalps of Heidelberg United and FC Bulleen Lions so far, the young group passed their stiffest test of the season with flying colours on Monday evening; downing previously undefeated South Melbourne 5-0 at Lakeside Stadium.
Fielding a squad with an average age of just 17.6-years-of-age, Emerging took the lead on the half-hour mark of the contest when a lethal burst of speed by Caitlin Karic induced Hellas defender Alex Cheal - much to her subsequent disgust - into bringing her down for a penalty that was converted by Leia Varley.
Karic got one of her own moments later when she forced a turnover in the South defence and let fly with an effort that scooted underneath keeper Melissa Barbieri and made it 2-0.
Alana Murphy then rounded Barbieri to make it 3-0 in the 38th minute, before a blocked Karic shot in the 54th minute spilled out at the back post to an open Lia Muldeary - who gratefully fired home.
Karic then capped off a memorable night for both herself and her team when the scoreline was pushed to five with just over ten minutes to go: sending in the cross that Holly Furphy put into the back of the net.
Taking advantage of South’s misstep, Calder United moved into second position on the Victorian table after recording a 4-0 win over Bayside United out at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon.
The reigning NPLW Victoria Player’s Player of the Year, Aleks Sinclair flashed a warning sign of what was to come in just the ninth minute of the contest when she teed up a pass from teammate Melissa Taranto and let fly with picture-perfect lobbed effort that sailed beyond Lauren Farrugia and into the back of the net.
14 minutes into the second stanza a brace was secured when Harriet Withers burst into space down the right flank and squared a cross for Sinclair to bundle over the line.
Winning the ball in a similar position two minutes later, the speedy Withers then did it herself as she rounded the keeper and made it 3-0.
Not to be outdone, Sinclair then secured her hattrick with a quarter of an hour to go when she intercepted an attempted clearance by Farrugia and, seeing the Bayside custodian of her line, launched another chipped effort that nestled itself in the back of the net.
Seeking to stake a sole claim to fourth place on the table, Alamein FC and Heidelberg United couldn’t be split in their meeting at the Knox Regional Football Centre on Friday evening, with the two sides playing out a 1-1 draw.
Despite the visiting Bergers having the clearer of the opening chances, it was Alamein that took the lead when Elaina Vatcky, finding herself with a yard of space on the corner of her foes’ penalty area, let fly with an effort that sailed over the head of goalkeeper Melissa Maizels and into the back of the net.
However, Alexander, weathering a storm of their own in the second stanza, was able to find a way back into it with just over ten minutes remaining when, after seizing on an attempt by Alamein to clear their lines, worked the ball to Danielle Wise inside the penalty area.
The former Central Coast Mariner and Gold Coast United striker, who scored four goals against Box Hill in round two, took a touch off her right boot and fired off an effort with her left that, although Alamein keeper Beth Mason-Jones did well to get a body on, eventually worked its way home to force a draw.
The point each keeps the pair locked in battle for the last final’s place in the Victorian top-flight, with the Bergers just nosing ahead of their rivals on goal difference.
It also moves them a point clear of Box Hill United, who fell to seventh after being hammered 7-0 by an FC Bulleen Lions side that roared to life on Monday evening at the Veneto Club. |
Defeated heavily by South Melbourne and downed 3-1 by FV Emerging in the opening weeks of the season, coach Caitlin Friend’s side entered their meeting with Pythagoras in unfamiliar, winless form. Help, however, was on the way in the form of a bevy of W-League reinforcements.
Tiffany Eliadis, making her 2021 debut after winning a title with Melbourne Victory, opened the scoring at the Veneto Club within 90 seconds after turning in a cross from Tyla-Jay Vlajnic - making her debut after spending the W-League season with Melbourne City.
Racheal Quigley doubled her side’s lead in the 13th minute, before Eliadis added her second goal of the contest six minutes before halftime.
Box Hill goalkeeper Erin Hudson then shown a straight red-card after bringing down Vlajnic three minutes into the second half, the floodgates well and truly opened for the hosts.
Eliadis was on hand to bundle home the spilled save of back-up Box Hill keeper Kelsey Quin from the resulting free kick, before Tessa Sernio, Alana Jancevski, and Reona Omiya added strikes of their own.
With attacking options showing signs of firing and now W-League superstar Kayla Morrison back to marshall the defence, any rumours of the Lionesses’ demise appear very, very premature.