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By Yariv Field (Courtesy FFV Website)
 Box Hill Inter is on top of the
WPL table on goal difference after scoring five goals against Ashburton
yesterday afternoon, in a match that turned out to be a very one-sided
affair.
Box Hill Inter made the short trip over to Ashburton
Park in Sunday’s round 11 match, which promised to be a close contest
with two of the top four sides facing off, but it was anything but, as
Box Hill dominated the match.
In the end it was all too easy
for Box Hill Inter, but the first 20 minutes saw end-to-end football
with both sides having half chances.
Photos of the match are in the Gallery . Photos of the Reserves are also in the Gallery
In the first few
minutes there was an early collision and Box Hill’s Tal Karp took a
heavy hit but bravely played on. Ashburton won a free kick 20 meters out
from goal but the kick had too much on it and floated harmlessly over
the head of Box Hill and Matilda’s keeper Melissa Barbieri.
Shortly after, Ashburton’s Linette Laverdure laid a strong tackle to
snuff out a promising Box Hill surge forward, and then it was
Ashburton’s turn to attack and they had a couple of opportunities,
including a free kick from about 30 meters out, but the free kick and
the ensuing run forward both proved fruitless for the home side.
Ashburton won another free kick 25 meters out, and Ellvana Curo
stepped up to take it and made great contact with the ball, but as the
ball struck the cross-bar, it fell to another Ashburton player who
forced Barbieri to make a good save.
Barbieri had a busy
pre-game morning appearing on the ABC’s Offsiders program where she
spoke of the desire for her and her fellow female football players to be
able to make a living from playing football and not have to juggle two
professions.
Midway through the first half Box Hill were
looking more likely to score and on one surge forward, Aleksandra
Sinclair took control of the ball but couldn’t put the shot on target.
Sinclair needn’t worry as she would get her revenge in the
second half. Shortly after Sinclair’s effort Box Hill got their first
goal in the 22nd minute with Deanna Niceski slotted home a very nice
goal reminiscent of Spain’s David Villa’s goal against Chile just the
other day.
Ashburton keeper Ingrid Philippe came out of her
box to deal with the dangerous ball, which eventually found its way to
Niceski who then chipped it over Philippe’s head and into the empty net
from around 20 meters out and on an angle. It was a good goal and from
that moment onwards Box Hill played the game on their terms.
Box Hill surged forward again stringing four very nice passes together,
which ended up at the feet of Natalie Exon who put the shot on target
but Philippe pulled off a good save to keep her side in the contest.
Ashburton made their own foray forward and drew a free kick from
a cynical Box Hill challenge just outside the box, on a 45 degree
angle. The ball is played to the top of the box and after a few
ricochets, Ashburton was able to get a shot on target, but it lacked the
power and conviction to challenge Barbieri.
In the 44th
minute Box Hill’s Exon put her side 2-0 up after a team-mate played a
nice ball into the Box Hill half which Exon pounced on. She dribbled for
10 meters and then put it into the left-hand corner of the goal.
At half-time Box Hill was 2-0 up and looking in control of the game.
Stand out players for Box Hill was defender Chiara Romano and midfielder
Georgia Koutrouvelis, while Ashburton’s Rachel Lamb, Christina Leland
and Ellvana Curo were all playing well. The middle of the pitch was
extremely muddy, forcing most of the play onto either wing.
The second half was all Box Hill and in the 47th minute Sinclair put
her side three goals to the good after finishing a nice passage of play
from Box Hill. Sinclair was put into the box from a great mid-field pass
and struck the ball beautifully into the bottom left-hand corner of the
net.
Three minutes later, Sinclair put the game beyond doubt with
her second goal. The ball was again nicely played into the box and
Sinclair found the ball close to goal and made no mistake in scoring,
dashing Ashburton’s hope for a come-from-behind victory.
With the game all but over just five minutes into the second half, both
coaches made several subs ensuring their players got some valuable
playing time.
Ashburton fought on valiantly but on 65
minutes Box Hill made it 5-0 when Exon snagged her second goal for the
afternoon. The goal came from yet another nicely played ball into the
box, which Exon got on the end of and calmly slotted home.
It was Box Hill doing all the attacking but Ashburton keeper Philippe
made some good saves in the second half ensuring her side didn’t concede
more goals. Box Hill’s Koutrouvelis was having a great game and trying
her heart out – despite her side being five goals up she continued to
fight hard for every ball and showed the determination and hunger that
every coach wants their players to display.
Ashburton had a
couple of strikes on target midway through the second half but both
shots lacked the power to seriously challenge Barbieri.
In the end
it was a comfortable 5-0 victory for Box Hill. Round 12 sees Box Hill
host Bendigo Vipers while Ashburton host Altona City.
Ashburton:
Ingrid Philippe (GK), Rosie Bureta, Linette Laverdure, Christine
Pfeiffer, Ellvana Curo, Rachel Lamb, Chloe Drinoczky, Sarah Walsh,
Stephanie Tanti, Christina Leland, Stacey Louras
Subs: Sarah
Lovett, Cindy Dussoye, Liesel Woods, Jessie Kotsikai, Rebecca
Trecepsvki
Box Hill Inter: Melissa Barbieri
(GK), Yvette Muscat, Marlies Dostdam, Chiara Romano, Deanna Niceski, Tal
Karp, Georgia Koutrouvelis, Louisa Bisby, Lauren Farrugia, Natalie
Exon, Aleksandra Sinclair,
Subs: Ursula Hughson, Georgia
Oudeman, Aimee Benton, Belinda Pacella, Krystal McCluskey
Goals: Deanna Niceski (22nd minute), Natalie Exon (44th minute and 65th
minute), Aleksandra Sinclair (47th minute and 50th minute)
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