Preliminary Final - Saturday 16 September 2006

Ashburton bows out of finals.

Ashburton copped it sweet at the hands of Heidelberg United when it went down 2-0 in the Vodafone Women’s Premier League Preliminary Final at Bob Jane Stadium on Saturday. Other than the first twelve minutes and ten minutes into the second term, the Bergers had the edge for most of the match. The more the match progressed it was clear the embattled Ashburton side was far from their best. Having lost only one of their home and away matches all year Ashburton struggled throughout the final series. Injuries and an uncharacteristic drop in form took its toll. It was a similar case last year.

Sides have bad days and this was certainly one that Ashburton will want to forget. Taking nothing away from the Bergers who played well, apart from some loose kicking on goal, Ashburton simply didn’t click and virtually handed the match over on a plate. Ashburton’s fluid game was absent, buildups fizzled out and hard won ball turnovers were often poorly kicked to opposition players. Rosie Bureta was a welcome return to the back line but still carrying a leg injury. Having to withdraw for attention in the first half she eventually had to be assisted off at 81mins. To add to Ashburton’s woes overseas bound winger Cindy Dussoye was also sadly missing for this crucial match.

Ashburton held the ball forward for most of the first twelve minutes but Heidelberg fell back and closed up effectively. Ashburton’s closest attempt to score in the first half came at 6mins when Amy Jackson scuttled the ball up the left wing and sent it sailing over the crossbar from a 30yd right cross. Eight minutes later Heidelberg was presented with a golden opportunity from a Belinda Pannella strike. Keeper Antoinette Santacaterina advanced forward to meet the ball which bobbed out of her outstretched arms from the 28yd bullit kick. Panella a little late to respond and take advantage of the open goal lunged with a feeble kick from within the box which was brilliantly taken by Santacaterina scurrying back into position in the nick of time.

At 23mins Panella picked up a long lob from Jamara Maza on the centreline and sent it soaring over the bar for a frustrating second miss. 14mins later Santacaterina denied Emma Minde’s valiant attempt to head the ball into the net from a long free kick taken by Melissa Frankcombe. At 40mins Panella missed a sitter from within the goal square after trapping the ball down from a long high lob sent to her by Meaghan Archer. Jade De Goey and Rosie Buretta pounced immediately and Panella’s hurried disposal at goal went straight into Santacaterina’s arms. After three more failed attempts by Panella at 42mins, 46mins and 47mins, Ashburton fans breathed a sigh of relief when the first half was over.

As in the first term Ashburton bounced out of the starting blocks in the second half the better and menacingly held the ball forward. However a quick turnover by Meaghan Thornton 3 minutes later sent the ball in the opposite direction. The resulting forward drive by Emma Minde was safely headed off by De Goey. Santacaterina’s kick in was then collected by Jackson and after an uninterrupted run up the left side Jackson hit the near post with a sharp 30 yard right cross. One minute later Jackson again carried the ball up the left wing and from 10yds in from the line sent the ball sailing across the face of goal. Five minutes later Heildelberg was awarded a free kick outside the penalty area but this deflected off the Ashburton defensive wall.

The Bergers again missed a couple of opportunities at the 60min mark following good crosses, first from deep on the right wing and then shortly afterwards from deep on the left wing. At 70 mins a 35yd looping try directly in front by Archer which bounced up from the edge of the 6yd box was safely collected by the Ashy keeper. Three minutes later Ashburton midfielder Tina Grinjic ran the ball up right of centre and with a 20yd looping lob landed the ball on top of the net. Ashburton again missed drawing first blood when at 71mins a Jackson header missed the net from a nice in-curving corner taken by Andrea Totsidis.

At 80mins Heidelberg drove the first nail into Ashburton’s coffin following a free kick awarded to Panella. Taken from 35yds out directly in front, Santacaterina fended off the ball which was quickly gathered in by Melissa Frankcombe, lightly chipped to Archer who adroitly bobbed up to head it convincingly into the net. Nine minutes later Berger midfielder Maza let fly with an audacious 35yd attempt directly in front without success. Three minutes into injury time Heidelberg put the match beyond doubt with a second goal arising from an adjudged foul on Frankcombe by Seyma Erenli.in the penalty area. Frankcombe with only the keeper to beat slotted the ball into the right corner of the net to the rousing cheers and drum beat of the Berger supporters.

Heidelberg executed a very clever strategic game whether by design or by accident. Choosing to run the ball predominantly left of centre Ashburton speedster Gulcan Koca was unable to fully show her worth on the right wing. Also by often placing two markers on Jackson and moving the ball in packs Heidelberg effectively shut out Ashburton.

Unfortunately there can only be one winner and on the day the Bergers deserved their long awaited triumph over Ashburton which now sends them into the grand final against Box Hill next week.

Final Score

Heidelberg United 2 (Archer 80m, Frankcombe 93m), Ashburton 0

Players
Ashburton WSC:
19 A Santacaterina (GK), 2 A Totsidis, 5 R Buretta (L Matotek, 81m), 6 R Mortellaro (S Walsh, 80m), 8 A Jackson, 9 A Gibney, 10 S Erenli, 11 G Koca, 14 T Grinjic (K Stensholt, 85m), 15 J De Goey,
16 S Louras

2nd Semi - Final - Saturday 9 September 2006

Ashburton falters, down 2:0 - Box Hill thru to final

Ashburton’s drive to the Grand Final at Bob Jane Stadium on September 24 took a slight setback when they went down 2:0 to Box Hill at the Veneto Club soccer stadium on Saturday. Although Ashburton were the only side to have beaten the current minor premiers this year, to do so again with a weaker side would have posed a daunting challenge for Ashburton’s coach Chris Michail. Picking a team from a depleted pool of top-flight players due to injuries and also having to switch players to unaccustomed positions to plug holes would have been an even bigger headache. None more especially than with Ashburton’s back line still missing Erin Taylor and Rosie Bureta. Box Hill on the other-hand appears to have come through the season relatively unscathed.

Somewhat on the back-foot in the first half, Ashburton steadied after Box Hill’s punishing two goal burst in the first three minutes of the second term but never really threatened until the last twelve minutes of the match.

Box Hill initiated most of the play and held the ball forward for over 30 minutes in the first half. Had it not been for Ashburton constantly overturning the ball, the 6 to 1 first term direct attacks on goal in Box Hill’s favour would have been far greater. Ashburton’s sole opportunity to score came at 13 minutes after Box Hill was unsuccessful with their first attempt 3 minutes earlier. Annabelle Gibney on the right corner of the penalty area and with two Box Hill defenders closing in, attempted a hurried kick over her right shoulder but this sailed high and slightly wide to the left. Two minutes later Box Hill swept the ball to their attacking end for their second attempt without success. Box Hill made four more capable direct attempts to score all of which went unrewarded. At 27 mins a 20m lob nearly pinched past the inside of the left post after bobbing out of the Ashy keeper’s hands. At 31 mins a 27m long high lob sailed high over the bar. 4 mins later a 25m long low ball zipped 1m passed the left post and at 38 mins a double attempt in the goal square was capably grabbed by keeper Santacaterina.

Box Hill feeling cheated in not getting on the score sheet after their valiant tries in the first half nailed two quick goals within three minutes of the second term. After barely one minute a long cross from the left corner enabled Belinda Pacella directly in front to slam home the first from 6m out followed by 2005 Vodafone Gold Medalist Georgia Koutrouvelis running in from the right to slot the ball into the left corner of the net two minutes later from 7m out.

With gun midfielder Andrea Totsidis needed in defence Ashburton lacked drive in the middle. With Box Hill commanding the midfield Ashburton needed to do something to balance the scales. Ace Young Matilda Amy Jackson on the bench until now was brought on at 52mins and despite harbouring an injury Jackson contributed significantly in bringing Box Hill’s dominance to a halt. For the next 26 mins Ashburton managed to hold their own against the accomplished reigning premiers. Not until the last 12 mins of the match did Ashburton manage to get on top but was unable to find the net with any conviction. Scoring attempts by both sides in the second half were few and far between with Box Hill unable to increase their lead from 3 corners. Ashburton was dealt a blow when a foul by Box Hill’s Jessica Humble was incorrectly called against Gulcan Koca when both tumbled over after contesting a ball along the line. Humble was fortunate to escape a yellow card for this infringement, which would have brought her tally to 2 for the match forcing Box Hill to see out the game with 10 players.

Given the circumstances Ashburton did remarkably well. Had they won they would have gone straight through to the grand final. More importantly they would have enjoyed a fortnight’s rest allowing time for players to recover and return to the side. Now if Ashburton want to have another crack at Box Hill and take out the premiership they must knock out Heidelberg United in the Preliminary Final next Saturday (Sept 16 at 4pm) at Bob Jane Stadium. Ashburton had a narrow 5:4 shoot-out win over the Bergers in the Qualifying final. The Bergers made good their double chance in the 1st semi-final on Sunday by overcoming Cranbourne Comets 1:0 in extra time. Ashburton now need to emulate that feat. If they can recapture some of their sparkle and pizzazz over the next two weeks, the green and yellow may yet be draped over the WPL premiership cup for the very first time.

Final Score

Box Hill Inter 2 (Pacella 46m Koutrouvelis 48m), Ashburton 0

Players
Ashburton WSC:
19 A Santacaterina (GK), 2 A Totsidis, 6 R Mortellaro, 3 K Stensholt (A Jackson, 52m), 7 C Dussoye, 9 A Gibney (C. Curuso 86m), 10 S Erenli, 14 T Grinjic, 11 G Koca (L Matotek 86m), 15 J De Goey, 17 S Walsh (P Bernini, 82m)
 

Qualifying Final - Sunday 3 September 2006

Ashburton scrapes through qualifying final

Deadlocked 1:1 after extra time, Ashburton defeated Heidelberg United with a 5:4 penalty shootout in the Qualifying Final at Knights Stadium on Sunday. Having squandered opportunities in the first half and unable to seal the match in the second term, it seemed that Ashburton’s brilliant seasonal run may again suffer the wobbles in their first final’s match as was the case last year. Ashburton defeated Brimbank 4:2 and 3:1 in season 2005 only to be put out by Brimbank in the Elimination Final. Similarly this year Ashburton had beaten Heidelberg, 1:0 and 5:3, but found again the team that finished one place behind it to be a tougher competitor in the finals.

Ashburton missed an opportunity to score just three minutes into the match when midfielder Seyma Erenli collected the ball, hurriedly swung around and let fly goal-wards from nine metres out. This shot high and wide of the mark posing no danger to Berger keeper Katie Neville. Ashburton continued to forge forward several times for the next 15mins but was unable to press home its advantage. Heidelberg busily bottling up Ashburton’s free flow was unable to create scoring opportunities until Meaghan Archer at the 18th minute endeavoured to score with a long looping ball from 23 metres out. This went wide. Had it been on target Ashburton Keeper Tet Santacaterina would have had sufficient time to intercept it. Two minutes later Ashburton missed another golden opportunity to get on the score sheet when Annabelle Gibney ran the ball up, crossed it over to Tina Grinijic deep down the right wing who niftily collected it on the run but the angle proved too acute for her nine metre chip.

Ashburton winning the ball from the middle time and time again wasted many opportunities until at the 32nd minute Annabelle Gibney scored for Ashburton. Gibney with a tear-away run and only Neville in front and unable to cover the width of goal, slotted a low ball to the left back corner of the net. The remainder of the first half developed into a midfield tug of war without further score. Given Ashburton’s greater possession, more forward holding and squandered opportunities, Heidelberg would have been relieved that Ashburton was only one up at the break.

Heidelberg’s midfielders lifted from the commencement of the second term. Winning the ball forward numerous times in the first 15 minutes, several scoring attempts were adequately repelled or saved by Ashy keeper Santacaterina. Heidelberg’s hitherto best opportunity to equalize presented itself 3 minutes later when they were awarded a penalty at the edge of the penalty box. This was taken by Meaghan Archer but her aim towards the top right of the net went wide by two metres. Three minutes later Archer again missed another opportunity to get Heidelberg on the board. A cross from Jamara Maza forced Archer to change her stride and to avoid the Ashburton defenders closing in hurriedly kicked towards goal from the edge of the penalty box which went wide to the right.

25 minutes into the second half Ashburton missed an opportunity to seal victory by going two goals up. Gibney running the ball forward switched it to Gulcan Koca flying down the wing and Koca who had only come on one minute before as a substitute, cut in and booted a torpedo blast at the net which sailed over the crossbar. Three minutes later a forward thrust by Heidelberg saw Maza cross the ball to Belinda Panella who coolly lined up and fired to the inside of the right post. Santacaterina dived onto the ball and brilliantly managed to deflect it around the outside of the post.

With seconds remaining and Ashburton seemingly assured of advancing to the semi-final, their lapse in concentration allowed Archer, unlucky in previous attempts, to equalize for Heidelberg. Archer in a last ditch effort, won a tackle, took aim and with a point blank 35 metre lob found the net giving the off-line Ashy keeper no chance to scramble into position.

Two extra time periods of 15 minutes failed to produce a definitive result leaving the match to be decided by a penalty shoot-out. Heidelberg went first and after two tries apiece the ball hit the back of the net each time. At the fifth attempt taken by Archer for Heidelberg the ball hit the post for the first miss. The remaining balls by both sides beat the keepers. Andrea Totsidis put the match beyond doubt when she sank Ashburton’s fifth ball for a 5:4 shoot-out win.

Penalty shoot-out in order:

Heidelberg Ashburton
(1st) C Sadiropoulos Goal 1-0 (2nd) A Jackson Goal 1-1
(3rd) B Panella Goal 2-1 (4th) A Gibney Goal 2-2
(5th) M Archer Hit post 2-2 (6th) S Erenli Goal 2-3
(7th) H Alatsas Goal 3-3 (8th) R Buretta Goal 3-4
(9th) M Thornton Goal 4-4 (10th) A Totsidis Goal 4-5


Final Score

Ashburton WSC 1 (Gibney 32m) – Heidelberg United 1 (Archer 92m in time on). Ashburton winners on penalty shoot out 5-4.

Players
Ashburton WSC:
19 A Santacaterina (GK), 2 A Totsidis, 5 R Buretta, 6 R Mortellaro (3 K Stensholt, 104m), 7 C Dussoye, 8 A Jackson, 9 A Gibney, 10 S Erenli, 14 T Grinjic (11 G Koca, 69m), 15 J De Goey, 16 S Louras.

Heidelberg United:
1 K Neville (GK), 2 H Alatsis, 5 M Archer, 6 R Mankowska, 7 J Maza, 9 B Pannella, 11 M Frankcombe (10 C Sadiropoulos, 80m), 14 E Minde (32 P Bakopoulos, 58m), 16 A Rassias, 17 M Thornton, 22 T Hanley.

Ashburton now advance to the 2nd Semi-Final next week facing minor premiers Box Hill who have enjoyed a one-week rest for finishing on top of the ladder. Heidelberg in losing have a second lifeline when they meet Cranbourne in the 1st Semi-Final also next week. Cranbourne having eliminated Keilor Park in the Elimination Final today.

 

Round 22 Report – Sunday, 27 August (Keilor Park v Ashburton)

Seniors
In a tight thriller Ashburton came from 2 goals down at halftime to end their home and away season with a 3:3 draw against Keilor Park at Keilor Park Reserve. Missing customary key players the patched Ashburton side struggled in the first half and although they pulled off a remarkable turnaround in the second term, Keilor under siege in the last ten minutes managed to prevent Ashburton from clinching the match.

With league leader Box Hill only two points ahead of Ashburton before the last round, there was an outside chance for Ashburton with its handsome goal difference to finish as minor premiers for 2006. For this to happen Ashburton needed a win over Keilor and Eastern Lions had to defeat or draw against Box Hill. As it turned out neither eventuated and Ashburton had to be content as runners-up.

Eastern Lion’s lost to Box Hill 2:0 but were fortunate to escape relegation due to Eltham North defeating South Melbourne. Eastern fought a hard defensive game but a header to Daniela Digiammarco two minutes before halftime and a chip by Jessica Humble four minutes into the second term was enough to ensure that Ashburton would not rob them of the minor premiership even if Ashburton defeated Keilor.

Ashburton in their match were caught somewhat napping to find themselves 3:1 down at halftime. However a two goal burst and holding the home side scoreless in the second half enabled Ashburton to eventually draw level. Sluggishness for the first 30mins and a few missed opportunities in the second half no doubt cost Ashburton the match. For Keilor 2 goals to Melanie Camilleri and 1 to Lauren Farrugia were matched by 2 goals to Seyma Erenli and 1 to Andrea Totsidis.

Keilor opened their account after 10mins. A breakaway down the left side pulled the Ashburton defence out of position. As they closed in, Stephanie Peluso who had possession, crossed the ball to Camilleri who ran in to the box and whilst unmarked was able to apply a well judged header. Keilor struck again with an excellent corner kick taken by Farrugia. This carried and curved beautifully into the net. Ashy keeper Louise Haddad managed to get underneath it but was unable to pull it in as it barely touched her fingertips. Keilor’s third goal resulted from a breakaway down the right side and scrappy defence by Ashburton. Peluso cut the ball into the box with an excellent lob, Haddad scooped it up, passed it out but the Ashburton defenders were out of position for the carry through, allowing Camilleri to run in and apply a simple tap in.

Ashburton’s first half goal originated from a defensive move. Totsidis who overturned the ball, passed it to Erenli who with superb control carried it forward and smashed it into the net. In the second half Ashburton came out firing catching Keilor on the back foot. Ashburton’s 2nd and 3rd goals involved both players again landing pin-point low balls directed to the inside of the far post. Firstly Erenli to Totsidis for goal No.2 and then Totsidis to Erenli for goal No.3. Ashburton’s dominance forced Keilor to drop back repeatedly relying heavily on Camilleri and Farrugia to muster counter attacks. In the last 5mins Ashburton missed a couple of opportunities to seal the match none more so than in the last minute. A corner taken by Totsidis was headed by Rosie Bureta and with Jade DeGoey one metre out in front of goal shielding the Keilor keeper’s view, was unlucky not to score when the ball skimmed over the crossbar.

Ashburton pulled off a fantastic comeback but will have to be much sharper if they want to reach the grand final. Although Box Hill finished ahead of Ashburton on the WPL ladder, Ashburton can take solace by prising away the Burwood cup from Box Hill decided on aggregate points on a 3-way basis between Ashburton, Box Hill and Eastern Lions within the main competition.

Ashburton’s next match is against Heidelberg United in the 2nd v 3rd Qualifying Final to be held at Knights Stadium next Sunday (September 3) at 12pm.

Reserves
Two unanswered goals was enough for Ashburton to add 3 more points to their treasure chest and remain undefeated for season 2006. The side that took to the pitch had a completely different complexion to normal. With Tet Santacaterina injured Louise Haddad had to step in for the seniors leaving the Reserves without a keeper. This role was taken by Linette Laverdue in the first half and Steph Wood in the second. Also with numerous key players in the seniors unavailable other Reserve players had to also step up giving an opportunity for younger less experienced players to take their place including a welcome debut for Meagan Davis.

A good pass from Sarah Walsh early in the first half allowed Emma Natoli to dribble the ball around two Keilor defenders and slam the ball into the top left corner for Ashburton’s first goal. Ashburton dominated for most of this half but were not clinical enough to press home their advantage. An Ashburton corner early in the second term taken by Laverdue led to Ashburton’s second goal. This was head flicked away by a Keilor defender but Natoli nimbly snuck in front of her marker and bobbed up to head the ball into the net for her second. The latter part of the second half proved very hectic for the Ashburton defence. Keilor kicking with the wind attacked relentlessly but under the very capable direction of sweeper Jackie Spraggon Keilor’s attempts to score were spoiled. Jaimie Spraggon joined Jackie in defence for the final 30 mins for a two generational farewell salute for season 2006. All replacements very capably stood up to the challenge enabling Ashburton to end the season with an unblemished record.

21 wins and one draw from 22 matches for 64 points out of a maximum of 66 is a top class effort
118 goals scored for the season and only 11 against also set new records in the Reserves league. Now premiers two years in a row, Ashburton has lifted the bar 14% higher than their brilliant record of last year.


 

Round 21 Report – Sunday, 20 August (Ashburton v Heidelberg United)

Seniors
The two most prolific goal scoring sides in the Women’s Premier League fought out a crackerjack 90 minutes in this penultimate round with Ashburton emerging the victor 5:3. With Belinda Pannella, Meaghan Archer and Emma Minde in the Bergers side, having scored 36 goals between them this season, and for the Ashybelles, Andrea Totsidis, Seyma Erenli and Annabelle Gibney with a combined booty of 51, each keeper knew they would have a torrid time facing an assured goal bombardment. The best performing defence would no doubt be the “make or break” point of difference in this 2nd v 3rd match of the round.

Heidelberg dictated play for the first 15mins. With constant waves of yellow shirts driving forward, Ashburton midfielders had to fall back. During this passage of play Heidelberg struck first. Just 8mins into the match a forward Berger thrust allowed Meaghan Archer on the final leg of a build-up to sink the ball with a short sharp snap at close range. 15mins later Seyma Erenli landed a mid-range chip to equalize for Ashburton.

By 23mins Ashburton managed to swing the game their way and it was now the Berger’s turn to constantly fall back and close up in rear-guard formation. Ashburton’s combinational attacking drives finally managed to find a chink in the Berger’s defence and they struck again 3mins later. Tina Grinijic wrestled the ball away from Belinda Pannella, crossed it to Seyma Erenli who in turn switched it to Annabelle Gibney and Gibney in full flight hammered a 9 metre snap into the top right corner of the net. Without let-up Ashburton held the ball forward for the next 5mins and at 31mins Andrea Totsidis landed Ashburton’s third goal to take the score to 3:1. The remainder of the first half was fairly even but a concerted effort by the Bergers to close the gap before the break paid off. With one minute to half-time a scramble in the Ashburton goal square saw Jamara Maza break through and at close range within the box cannoned the ball 1 metre to the right of the left post. Tet Santacatarina dived onto the ball, intercepted well but the force carried her over the line landing awkwardly. The fall aggravated her leg injury sustained in hard knocks received over the past two weeks requiring sub goalie Louise Haddad to take over for the second half.

With the score at 3:2, the first goal in the second half was crucial to both sides. This break went to Ashburton after just 8mins. Gibney ran the ball up the middle, steered it past Megan Thornton with a side shuffle, out-foxed Berger keeper Saliba advancing forward and gently nudged the ball into the net for her 2nd.

Having a comfortable two goal break Ashburton appeared set to capitalise on that lead but Heidelberg refused to give in. The next 17mins brought out the best in both sides. With the wind having died down, skilful passing found it’s mark and the tempo lifted. At 70mins Heidelberg’s hopes for a rejuvenated attempt to pull back the difference paid off when Emma Minde steered a well executed chip to bring the score to 4:3. Heidelberg hell bent on closing the gap mounted constant pressure on the Ashburton goal for the next 5mins. Louise Haddad did well in making two brilliant saves. One a well timed leap deflecting the ball over the crossbar. The Berger’s hopes for an equalizer were dashed when at 82mins Erenli steered the ball to Gibney who drilled it into the net for her 3rd and Ashburton’s 5th and final goal.

This win ensures that Ashburton will finish at least 2nd on the leader board and by their loss today Heidelberg will definitely finish 3rd. With the finals a fortnight away the Ashybelles and Bergers are likely to face each other again in the 2nd v 3rd semi-final.

Reserves
Having already captured the WPL Premier League Reserves championship for 2006 the Ashburton side had nothing more to prove other than to continue playing well, enjoying the experience and if anything, to remain undefeated. However for this match against the Bergers, there was still unfinished business. Ashburton’s unbroken winning streak throughout the year was only blotted by their 3:3 draw against Heidelberg United at Olympic Village in round 10. So a win for Ashburton in this reverse match would at the very least serve as sweet satisfaction.

Whether Heidelberg regarded this as an un-winnable match or else players were simply unavailable on the day, they started with a definite disadvantage. With one player short and no subs on the bench, Heidelberg were faced with an uphill battle. However often when the odds are against you and you have nothing to lose, it brings out your best. Heidelberg certainly proved this as they played with gutsy determination. Although Ashburton eventually won they had to pull out all stops to do so. One unanswered goal in the first half followed by a further two in the second term saw the Bergers eventually go down 3:0. Diminished but not de-moralised the Bergers put in a solid performance.

Anna Santamaria clinched the first goal barely 5mins into the match. The next 45mins proved to be a head-to-toe affair with the ball being swept back and forth only to be thwarted by each opposing defence. It took 25mins into the second half before Ashburton eventually subdued the tenacity of the Bergers following a second goal by Santa facilitated by a nice flick pass from Danielle Jackson after blazing a trail up the middle. Jackson cemented the result with a goal of her own 10mins later. Whilst all team members played superbly and each and everyone contributed equally to the win, particular mention must be made of Santa who put in a dazzling performance.

Last year Ashburton broke all records in the WPL Premier League Reserves with 19 wins, 59 premiership points and a goal tally of 97. This year and with still one round to go, the Reserves have smashed all those records with 20 wins, 61 premiership points and a goal tally of 116. Congratulations to all the many team members who played in the side throughout the year. Fantastic achievement !!!!

Round 20 Report – Sunday, 6 August (Ashburton v Bendigo Vipers)

Seniors
In absolute perfect conditions for football, Ashburton with their 3:1 win over the Bendigo Vipers probably snuffed out the visitor’s last hope of climbing out of the middle tier for a finals berth. Being such a critical match it was not surprising that Bendigo threw down the gauntlet from the opening whistle forcing Ashburton to dig deep all the way for its victory.

Ashburton notched up their first goal within ten minutes into the match. 30 yards from goal a forward Ashburton build-up was met with a solid counter attack by the Bendigo mid-fielders. Tina Grinijic emerged with the ball and after three strides slammed a solid left cross high over the heads of the Bendigo defenders who had fallen back into the box. Striker Seyma Erenli ran in and predicting the line well leaped up and headed the ball into the net.

Bendigo hit back three minutes later and levelled. This resulted from an unfortunate collision between Ashy keeper Tet Santacaterina and a Bendigo attacking striker racing forward. Each intent on getting to the ball first the inevitable hard clash couldn’t be avoided. Tet was bowled over and whilst still on the ground another Bendigo forward swung in from the right and chipped the ball into the unprotected goal.

Despite winning the ball consistently and making many scoring attempts, it seemed that Ashburton was jinxed in not being able to find the net. Ashburton’s woes were dealt a further blow when Tet received a nasty kick to the shin but elected to soldier on. With a limp and obvious pain she was eventually replaced by sub Louis Haddad for the second half. Then at 38mins it seemed that fortune would turn for the better when Andrea Totsidis challenged a Bendigo possessed ball, won the tackle, booted a switch cross to Erenli who carried it forward and slotted Ashburton’s second goal.

Expecting Ashburton to fire up and over-run their opponents in the second-half as they usually do, Bendigo’s intensity to peg back Ashburton’s 2:1 lead for the first 20mins proved a stumbling block. Ashburton made at least five creditable scoring attempts in that time but once again the net remained elusive. Ashburton attacked repeatedly in the following 23 mins but the Bendigo defenders held their own by either booting long or staying forward resulting in many break-throughs being disallowed for offside. Then when it seemed that the second half would remain scoreless, Gulcan Koca scored a brilliant unintentional goal. Following a blistering run up the right line, she steered a long torpedo kick into the goal square for the waiting Annabelle Gibney. With the acuteness of the angle the ball struck the far right post and ricocheted backwards into the net. Tough match and despite lady luck being absent Ashburton prevailed for a well-deserved win.

Reserves
Easily the match of the round pitting Ashburton (1st) against Bendigo (4th). The last time these sides met was three months ago at Bendigo when Ashburton won by the slimmest of margins. Since then Ashburton has gone from strength to strength. So whilst the undefeated Ashburton side would start as favourites, if any side were capable of causing an upset it could very well be Bendigo. However it wasn’t to be and the home side with two unanswered goals in the first half and another in the second term ran out comfortable winners 3:0.

With Linette Laverdue and Paola Bernini up front and Jackie Spaggon, Laura Matotek and Tet Santacaterina protecting the rear, analytically on paper Ashburton was assured of bagging goals and letting none through. And so it was. Of course Bendigo was no pushover. Ashy mid-fielders Steph Wood, having a run on the ball for a change, along with Danielle Jackson, Lani De Silva, Meredith Deborg and Sarah Walsh had their work cut out in endeavouring to control the space in the middle.

The first half was a test of strength with the ball being catapulted, driven, dribbled or run up from one end to the other without score for the first 30mins until Ashburton through Linette Laverdue landed the first goal. This resulted from a copybook combination switch-pass play from Paola to Danielle to Linette in front of goal which bamboozled the Bendigo defenders. Four minutes later Paola thundered another into the net to take the score to 2:0. The remaining 11mins of the first half resorted to build-ups and counter-measures by both sides without further score.

Nine minutes into the second half a forward sweeping attack by Ashburton facilitated Paola to line up directly in front and from 6 yards out let fly with a swift solid kick. The ball deflected off the keeper, bounced off a Bendigo defender and eventually ended up where it was intended at the back of the net for Paola’s second and Ashburton’s third and final goal. For the last 36mins the intensity gained even more momentum. The equally matched zeal of both sides robbing the other of making an impression in the dying stages. Subs Jessie Reigosa and Lisa Pejovnik joined in the fray for the last 30 mins.

By this win the unbeaten Premier League Reserves are assured of being the champions for the second year in a row. With two rounds remaining and 7 points clear of Sandringham in 2nd place, the unbeaten Reserves cannot be overtaken on the leader board. Well done to all the Ashybelles who wore the green and yellow throughout the year

Round 19 Report - Sunday 30 July (Eltham North v Ashburton)

In a masterly display of football the WPL Premier team hammered seven unanswered goals to overwhelm Eltham North 7:0 at Darebin International SC. Earlier the Reserves also had a blistering runaway 9:1 win. Both teams continue to hold top position in their respective divisions.

Seniors
Kicking with the intermittent stiff breeze in the first half was probably more of a hindrance than an advantage as several good scoring tries by Ashburton over shot their mark. Ashburton’s Seyma Erenli landed the first ball in the net after 13 mins with a long low 15yard torpedo shot from the right which was disallowed for offside. Despite Ashburton keeping the ball forward of centre for most of the first 20mins Eltham’s midfielders tackled strongly and defenders Laura Greco, Caitlyn McGuinness and Christie Tangalos did well to relieve some of the pressure on their keeper Rebecca Li-Rosi.

25mins into the match Ashburton began to loosen up and move the ball more freely. 5mins later Amy Jackson in a forward move, tackled Laura Greco, won the ball, crossed it to Andrea Totsidis who slammed it passed Li-Rosi from the edge of the box to open Ashburton’s account. 4mins later resulting from a won ball and cross by Tina Grinijic, Totsidis scored again from within the box with a chip. 2mins later she missed out on a consecutive hat trick when the wind carried the ball over the crossbar from a nine yard kick in front of goal. 3mins before half-time Seyma Erenli was unlucky not to score when the ball soared over the crossbar from a similar try ten yards out and dead centre.

At the commencement of the second term and 2 goals up Ashburton were quick to take control. Now kicking into the strong wind they found the going far easier. Within 5 mins Annabelle Gibney outmanoeuvred the Eltham defenders and ran the ball into the goal square and slotted it passed Li-Rosi for goal number three. 3mins later Erenli denied a strike from previous attempts found the net. With the score at 4:0 the Redbacks dug in and for the next 18mins managed to keep Ashburton from scoring until eventually they were overwhelmed. At 67min Erenli won the ball, ran it up the centre and from within the box chipped it confidently into the left corner of the net. 3mins later heavy work along the wing by Gulcan Koca and subsequently in the midfield by Rosey Mortellaro led to a good cross to Gibney who brought up her second goal. 4mins later Jackson out-tackled two Redback midfielders, ran the ball up the wing, crossed it over to Gibney who collected it on the run and in the next stride booted it into the net from nine yards out for her third.

Strong defence by Stacey Louras, Laura Matotek and Kristen Stensholt ensured that Ashy keeper Tet Santacatarina barely got to touch the ball. Despite Ashburton’s high score Redback keeper Li-Rosi
did well under great pressure saving more than twice she let through. Eltham midfielders Sarah Gooney, Julia Nicolaci, Sheridan Lockhart and Deanna Nicaski, although eventually swamped by the sweeping Ashburton combinations, fought hard to the bitter end even though an Eltham win was clearly slipping away the more the match progressed.

Given that Ashburton is the most prolific goal scoring side in the competition with 81 WPL goals from 19 matches, its no surprise that Ashburton has three players (Gibney, Erenli and Jackson) in the top 5 rankings this season.

Reserves
Kicking with the strong wind in the first half the Redbacks applied pressure on the Ashburton wonder team which appeared to be reluctant to unwind. Eltham drew first blood 18mins into the match when Annie Luke managed to break through Ashburton’s defence and slam the ball into the net. This served as a rude awakening and although Ashburton lifted Eltham remained hell bent on staying in front. Ashburton swung the tide at the 25min mark and although many advances on goal were made every scoring attempt was unsuccessful. At 40mins Ashburton levelled when Nicole Savage eventually found the net after five attempts.

With the score at 1:1 going into the second half Ashburton were determined not to muck about from the outset. Within 3mins the midfielders swept the ball forward, crossed it over to Savage who switched it to Paola Bernini who in turn drilled it passed Eltham keeper Elizabeth Tassonia. Score 2:1.
12mins later Danielle Jackson with a neat swivel tackle along the left wing wrestled the ball away from Lauren Woolhouse, crossed it to Bernini who made no mistake in finding the net for the second time.

At 60mins sub Lisa Pejounik came on and 3 mins later scored brilliantly from the edge of the box with a chip to the right back corner of the net. 2mins later Eltham withdrew two players off the field and played out the remainder of the match with nine in the side and although under-manned still managed to hold their own fairly well. However Ashburton remained unrelenting and 4 mins later Savage scored again after running the ball up with relative ease and nonchalantly slotting it to the left of Tassonia. 6mins later Bernini ran the ball up the centre weaving past Redback interceptors and switched it to the waiting Savage who popped it into the net for her third goal. 5 mins later Pejounik won possession and with a clear path ran the ball all the way up the right wing and from 12 yards rocketed the ball into the net for her second goal. 2mins later Jackson after some hard tackling in the midfield, won the ball, crossed it to Savage who landed her fourth goal and Ashburton’s 8th. 4mins later Jackson, instrumental in many assists, capped off her match with a goal of her own bringing Ashburton’s final tally to 9 at the 86min mark.

Strong defence by Stephanie Wood, Jackie Spraggon and Meredith DuBorg limited Eltham’s chances whilst ever dependable goalie Louise Haddad kept well in saving all but one. Midfielders Anna Santamaria, Danielle Jackson, Tet Santacaterina, Linette Laverdue and Lani De Silver commendably carried out the softening process to perfection and subs Lisa Pejounik (60mins) and Amy Lewis (69mins) very nicely put the icing on the cake with their fresh legs and enthusiasm. Well done Ashybelles !!!!

With 110 goals scored from 19 matches and an enviable goal difference of 99 with just three games remaining, the unbeaten Reserves appear to have a stranglehold on once again running out Premiers.

Round 18 Report - Sunday 23 July (Ashburton v Eastern Lions)

Seniors
Ashburton regained WPL top position, one point clear of Box Hill, after eclipsing Eastern Lions 2:0.

After a week’s rest both teams were primed to do battle in this reverse derby at Ashburton Park. Eastern Lions determined to atone for their 5:0 defeat by Ashburton in round 7 and Ashburton equally determined not to let their aspiring Burwood neighbour succeed where other more fancied sides had failed. The rapidly improving Lions have proved quite competitive in recent weeks, holding their loss deficits to just 2 goals against topsides Box Hill, Cranbourne and Bendigo. Even managing a draw against Sandringham. Cognisant of this Ashburton knew they were faced with a tough match.

Heavy rain for the last 25mins of the first half didn’t dampen the spirits of both sides as they grappled for supremacy. The wet ball and slippery conditions was a distinct leveller and played a big factor in inhibiting Ashburton’s traditional stylish play. Kicking against the wind Ashburton striker Annabelle Gibney scored the first goal 13mins into the match with a long high 35m lob from right of goal. This sailed above Lions’ keeper Jennifer Holmes into the left corner of the net. A brilliant piece of work as left footer Gibney, about to be tackled, had to quickly turn and slam the ball with her right foot. 14mins later in teaming rain, a pass from Andrea Totsidis enabled Seyma Erenli to bring up Ashburton’s second goal. Erenli nicely positioned threaded the ball between defenders Anna Meldrum and Laura Madaffari and ran it up to the edge of the goal square landing a well-aimed chip into the net.

Whilst Ashburton won most of the one-on-one tackles and had 80% possession for most the match, except for the last 10mins when the Lion’s mounted a concerted attack, the Lion’s flooding pack play in defence and midfield was difficult to contend with. Also the Lions’ defence played a key role in stifling Ashburton’s ability to score especially in the second half with their long aerial clearances. Were it not for Lions’ defender Natasha Haines who repeatedly drove or ran the ball out of danger, Ashburton would have at least doubled its score.

Ashburton powerful in the dry with their traditional free flowing attacking style of game proved their ability to adapt to the more arduous wet and trying conditions. This win takes Ashburton back to the top of the WPL ladder. Ashburton is also well placed to snatch the Burwood Cup away from Box Hill this year. This trophy donated by local State Member Bob Stensholt is awarded on a home and away highest aggregate goals scored basis between the three Women’s Premier League clubs in the Burwood electorate. With one match yet to be played between Box Hill and Eastern Lions, Box Hill must win by more than 5 goals to retain the cup otherwise it goes to Ashburton.

Reserves
The undefeated Ashybelle Reserves continued their winning way with a decisive 4:0 win over the Eastern Lions. The Lions undaunted by Ashburton’s non-losing streak applied pressure from the opening whistle and maintained it virtually to halftime. Ashburton’s solidarity stood firm and they contained the Lion’s torrid attacks. For the first 40mins Ashburton were blocked from advancing to within scoring range in their attacking zone but shortly afterwards this changed. A cross pass from Paola Bernini enabled striker Cindy Dussoye to slot the ball past Lion’s keeper Rebecca Minichilli to open Ashburton’s account. 3mins later Bonnie Barnes for the Lions was unlucky not to equalize when from left of goal and just 9 metres out her chip hit the near post. Had it been a fraction to the right Ashy goalie Louise Haddad would have been unable to save it as she had unfortunately slipped over in the mud whilst advancing forward.

1 up going into the second half and Ashburton scored its second goal after just 15mins. Dussoye was pushed over and retired hurt. Subs Nicole Savage and Chloe Caruso were brought on at this time and the resultant penalty kick was taken by Savage who mad no mistake in drilling the ball to the left of Minichilli. Play see-sawed back and forth and at 68mins sub Linette Laverdue was brought on to relieve Paola Bernini. 11mins later this paid off when a good pass by Caruso enabled Laverdue with fresh legs to outrun the chasing Lions’ defenders and slot the ball for goal No. 3. Three minutes later Anna Santamaria with a high long lob from 12 metres out clipped the top near corner of the cross-bar and the ball shot at right angles into the back of the net for goal No.4.

Highlights of the match included a couple of good saves by Ashy keeper Louise Haddad, 3 bone crunching headers by Jackie Spraggon, excellent defence clearances by Laura Matotek and a good run on the ball by Lucy Clapham and Claie Macrae.

Ashburton remains firmly on top, 7 points clear of Sandringham in 2nd place. The stats grow even more impressive after each game. From 18 matches, 101 goals scored and a huge goal difference of 91. Stupendous result !!!

Round 17 Report - Saturday 15 July (Sandringham v Ashburton)

Reserves

The game kicked off at 1.00pm in wintry conditions with steady rain falling and an icy wind blowing. Despite the inclement weather the ground was in good condition apart from the cricket pitch area which deteriorated as the game wore on.

Two minutes in and Paola gave the Ashybelles the start they wanted slotting the ball neatly past the keeper. Ashburton continued to control the game for the first 15 minutes but wasted opportunities as shots from Lucruce, Tina and Paola just missed their target. Sandringham gradually lifted and the game developed into tight struggle with both defences on top. Steph, Jackie, Laura and Lynette were doing well and repeatedly repelled Sandringham’s forward thrusts. Two penalties to Sandringham 30m from goal provided the home team with opportunities but both kicks were cleared by the Ashy defence. 

At the 30 minute mark Kristen weaved between three Sandringham defenders before passing off to Lucruce who made no mistake. Five minutes before half-time Sandringham attacked strongly and had their best chance to score but the shot just missed to the right. At half time Ashburton led 2 – 0. 

Sandringham came out after half time breathing fire and at the 5 minute mark scored their first goal from a scuffle inside the penalty area. (Ashburton 2 Sandringham 1). 

Five minutes later and Anna replaced Steph as the game intensified and tempers started to fray. Tina, who had played strongly throughout the game, worked hard to win a contested ball on the right before crossing to Lucruce for her second goal to put Ashy up 3 – 1. Lucy replaced Lucruce as the rain continued and legs began to tire. Again the game see-sawed until Sandringham ran onto a loose ball 25 metres from goal and struck the ball powerfully into the top right corner. (Ashburton 3 Sandringham 2) 

Twenty minutes into the half and third sub Sarah replaced Kristen in midfield. Soon after Sarah pushed the ball through to Tina who slammed the ball into the net with a beautiful strike from 20 metres and Ashburton lead 4 – 2.

Both sides fought hard and had opportunities but could not score until the 40 minute mark when Sandringham goaled again from a scramble close to goal. The final 5 minutes saw desperate football as Sandringham tried hard to snatch a draw. But Ashburton were equally determined and held Sandringham at bay to record a well deserved 4 - 3 victory.

Round 16 Report - Saturday 8 July (Brimbank v Ashburton) - Photos of both games at end of report.
Seniors
The previous time these sides met was in round 5 when Ashburton dished out a 9:0 hiding at Ashburton Park. Now 14 weeks on with Ashburton at the top of the ladder and Brimbank wallowing at the bottom, the outcome of this round 15 return match at the Italo-Australian Social Club ground was a given. It was really just a case of “by how much”. End result 9:1.

Young Matilda Amy Jackson was a welcome return to the team from interstate commitments and Kristen Stensholt and Linettee Laverdue having served as subs in previous matches took to the pitch as openers. As expected Ashburton totally dominated. Five unanswered goals in the first half were
followed by another four in the second. Brimbank had some solace when Yelz Latif scored their only
goal in the second term.

For Ashburton Seyma Erenli scored 3, Amy Jackson and Andrea Totsidis 2 each and 1 apiece to Jade de Goey and Stacey Louras. Ashburton’s versatility in winning and moving the ball comfortably was only hampered by the Brimbank defenders kicking long.

With some catch-up matches yet to be played Ashburton with five matches remaining is well placed on the leader board especially with a staggering 72 goals scored to date and a very healthy goal difference.

Reserves
The game kicked off at 11:00 am with no official referee. And it took only a minute for Ashy to have a first shot at goal. Ashy imposed its superiority right from the beginning and three minutes later Danielle Jackson ran through the Brimbank defence to open the score, 1 – 0. Ashy gradually increased its domination and at the 9th minute as a result of a corner won by Simone Jefferson added a second courtesy of Sally Prickett. Score 2 – 0.

Not long after, from a throw in on the right hand side Lucy Clapham was pushed from the back inside the penalty box and the referee without hesitation awarded Ashy a penalty kick. Lucy stepped up to it making the score 3 – 0 with only 11 minutes played. At the 14th minute a quick counter attack saw Charlotte Mackay playing a thru ball to Danielle whose shot crossed the face of the goal. Ashy's domination was absolute. Brimbank never threatened the Ashy goal, in fact the first touch of the ball for the Ashy goalkeeper came in the 26th minute courtesy of a back pass by Jackie Spraggon under no particular pressure. The first half finished 3-0, not representative of Ashy's total domination of the half.

Ashy went onto the second half with only one change. Antoniette Santacaterina made way for Jessie Reigosa who saw Lucy Clapham moving to midfield and Jessie taking the right side of the Ashy attack. Ashy started the second half as it finished the first and in the 1st minute had a goal disallowed for offside. 10 minutes later, Ashy’s coach Chris made a second change. Lisa Pejovnik replaced Danielle Jackson and the tactical change saw Jackie moving from the sweeper role to a holding centre-midfield position. Ashy kept the pressure on and on the 12th minute Lucy was brought down on the right hand side just outside the penalty box. Jackie's free kick found the back of the net giving Ashy a 4 – 0 advantage. At the 25th minute, Ashy brought on Adelaide Shaw to replace Charlotte and at the 34th minute Chris made Ashy’s final change which saw Simone Jefferson going into goal and Louise Haddad becoming an outfield player. Ashy’s final reward came at the 38th minute when Lucy received the ball from a throw in and put it through to Lisa to set the final score of the game. Ashy 5 - Brimbank 0. Brimbank throughout the ninety minutes never threatened Ashy’s goal and the 5 – 0 score line could have easily been more.

WELL DONE GIRLS !!!! Keep it going.
 

Round 15 Report - Sunday 2 July (Ashburton v Preston Lions)

Seniors
Three goals in the first half and a further two in the second term, saw Ashburton bounce back to top form with a resounding 5:0 win over the Preston Lions.

The Lions went on the attack from the opening whistle but despite holding the ball forward for the most part of the first 10 minutes Ashburton repeatedly cleared safely. With the Lions’ midfielders forward in attack mode leaving their defence vulnerable, at 11 mins Ashburton won the ball and quickly swept it back into their attacking zone allowing Annabelle Gibney to fire a double rebound snap off Preston keeper Vanessa Formosa for Ashburton’s first goal. 12 minutes later in another similar Ashburton ball turn-around Ashy defender Rosie Buretta tore up the middle of the pitch and cannoned the ball with a long high lob at the net from 16 metres out. This slightly deflected off Preston midfielder Maja Trajkova who tried to block in vain conceding an own goal. By 35 mins into the match and having withstood everything thrown at them by the Lions, the Ashybelles sparked into “its our turn to show you what we’ve got” mode. Holding the ball forward for most of the last 15 mins of the first half Ashburton struck again at 48mins. Seyma Erenli unable to score from a won tackle up forward and far right of goal, crossed the ball to the centre and from 3 metres out Rosey Mortellaro with excellent anticipation ran in and chipped it into the net.

With a handy 3:0 lead at the start of the second term Ashburton didn’t give Preston a chance to open as they had in the first half. Despite numerous build-ups and constant peppering at the Preston goal, including three breathtaking near misses between 58 and 68 mins, Ashburton were unable to increase their lead until at 82 mins. Annabelle Gibney broke this glut with goal No.4 as a result of a long well weighted torpedo snap catching Preston keeper Formosa offline. Thereafter Ashburton were well in control. Five minutes later Seyma Erenli, instrumental in previous goal assists, capped off her efforts with an exceptional goal of her own. Had Ashburton’s accuracy been a little sharper on at least three attempts the margin would have been far greater. Despite Preston’s valiant attempts to get on the board, especially in the first half, Ashburton’s superior ability in both defence and attack modes plus their blistering spurts of energy on tap proved too much for the hapless Lions.

After 16 matches Ashburton with 41 points continues to lead the way on the WPL ladder. Annabelle Gibney (currently 2nd), Seyma Erenli and Amy Jackson are amongst the top six highest goal scorers so far this season.

Reserves
Many superlatives (scintillating, brilliant, over-powering) can be used to describe Ashburton’s 12:0 trouncing over Preston Lions but we will just settle for “business as usual”.

Ashburton’s star studded line-up shared the goals all around on an average of one every seven and half minutes. Four goals to Nicole savage, three to Paola Bernini, two each to Danielle Jackson and Jackie Spraggon and one each to Linette Laverdue and Kristen Stensholt (strikers, midfielders and defenders) gives an indication of how the Ashybelles carved up the spoils. Five goals in the first half followed by seven in the second term served as a demoralising curtain raiser to the seniors match. All team members put in a sterling performance and combined exceptionally well for this thumping win. Non scorers but equal contributors comprised Meredith Duborg, Stephanie Wood, Lucy Clapham, Melissa Papaluca and keeper Tet Santacaterina (mid 2nd half sub for Louise Haddad) and later Charlotte McKay. Lucrece Laverdue unfortunately had to retire early with a leg injury.

The score may suggest that this was an effortless win with little resistance. Far from it. Preston played hard and showed plenty of determination and whilst never a serious threat Preston did manage to challenge and stretch Ashburton which only brought out their best.

The stats of this year’s team are challenging those of the all-conquering year 2005 team. After 15 matches they are unbeaten on 43 points, 4 points clear of Sandringham in 2nd place, bagging 88 goals so far, conceding 7.

Round 14 Report - Sunday 25 June (Ashburton v Cranbourne Comets)

Seniors
In a tough bruising match Ashburton drew 2:2 against Cranbourne last Sunday at Ashburton Park.
Following a build-up and resulting frenetic attack on goal, Cranbourne were first to score after just 6mins from a set piece. A Cranbourne try from within the penalty box resulted in a handball against Ashburton. The short range penalty kick was taken by Comet mid-fielder Sarah Fitzgerald. With only Ashy keeper Tet Santacaterina in front to contend with Fitzgerald made no mistake in drilling the ball into the net.

12 minutes later resulting from another build-up as Cranbourne forwards Belinda Powell and Marcelina Algeria closed in, Ashy defender Erin Taylor went down in a heavy contact. Taylor had to be assisted off the pitch with an unfortunate left knee injury and substitute Paola Bernini took her place. Even though the ball moved from end to end frequently for the first 25 mins, Ashburton were somewhat on the back foot. This changed shortly afterwards as Ashburton tackled more fiercely and found holes to thread the ball forward. Perseverance culminated in an equalizer for Ashburton at 37mins when Andrea Totsidis out manoeuvred Comet defenders Jenni Black and Belinda Powell to slot the ball past keeper Emma Bracken. Ashburton continued to apply pressure and 6 mins later another Ashburton build-up allowed Annabelle Gibney from left of goal to slot the ball inside the far right post for a handy 2:1 advantage going into the break.

The second session started much the same as the first with Cranbourne blazing away. Within 8 mins Rachel Lamb broke through the Ashy defence and equalized for Cranbourne. With the score at 2 apiece both sides battled fiercely to gain the upper hand. Ashburton’s Seyma Erenli and Gibney were unlucky in not adding to Ashburton’s score from hard won goal run-up cross combinational plays after heavy work by the Ashy mid-fielders in the centre. Ashburton’s attempts to draw ahead were further frustrated when well weighted accurate corner set pieces were bullocked out of danger by Cranbourne’s Belinda Powell and Jenni Black. Whilst Ashburton may have been unfortunate not to have pulled off a win the resultant draw was indicative of the evenness of the two sides on the day. The grinding one-on-one encounters between in form Comet mid-fielders Leigh Terek, Rachel Lamb, Melissa Atherton and Sarah Fitzgerald against the Ashy foursome of Andrea Totsidis, Seyma Erenli, Rosey Mortellaro and Tina Grinijic was a highlight of the match.

Only picking up one point from this draw Ashburton clings to 1st place on the leader board, 2 points ahead of Box Hill with 2 games in hand. Heidelberg United also with 2 games in hand trail Ashburton by 7 points. Barring a run of unexpected losses all three are assured of a finals birth as they have opened up a comfortable break from the next tier of 4 teams.

Reserves
Ashburton bounced back to their best with a resounding 5:1 win over Cranbourne. Four blistering goals in the first half enabled Ashburton to coast home in the second half for a comfortable victory.
One Goal to Kristen Stensholt at 13mins, two to Paola Bernini at 17mins and 38mins followed by one to Lucrece Laverdue at 40mins was reminiscent of Ashburton’s previous no nonsense stamp of authority on a match. With 80% possession in the first half it appeared that the Ashybelles would make a meal of the match in the second half.

3 minutes into the second term a nice left cross from Laverdue enabled Bernini to complete a hat-trick with a well placed chip bringing up the number of zaps to whiz past Comet keeper Emma Bracken to 5. Following this Cranbourne cranked up a gear and 15 mins later managed some saving grace when Linda Restrepo torpedoed the ball into the net at point blank range from within the goal square. Ashburton at this time brought on 2 subs and in a steady as she goes calmer fashion diligently maintained control holding Cranbourne at bay until full time.

On 40 points with 13 wins and 1 draw from 14 matches, Ashburton remains on top of the leader board, 1 point clear of Sandringham in 2nd place. The flag most assuredly will be taken by one of these two sides as there is a 14 point break to Bendigo 3rd and Cranbourne 4th on 25 points. Bendigo ahead by goal difference.

Round 13 Report - Sunday 18 June (Ashburton v Box Hill Inter)
Seniors
In an action packed thrilling encounter Ashburton triumphed 1:0 over the reigning premiers Box Hill. This long awaited top draw card pitting 2nd (Ashburton) against 1st was heralded as the match of the year to date and possibly a mid-year dress rehearsal for the grand final. Box Hill hadn’t conceded a match this season and Ashburton’s only loss was to them in round 2 at Wembley Park. In that match Box Hill under immense pressure in the last 15 minutes just managed to hold on for a slim 2:1 victory.

With both teams having an arsenal of players with demonstrable skill and brilliance, the anticipated outcome of this second round reverse match was electric. Would Ashburton, the bridesmaid, rampant winners over their opposition in recent weeks continue unabated and force Box Hill to abdicate from their throne or would the robust, calculating and dominant Box Hill continue to rule supreme? As the result indicates Ashburton won out on the day and in so doing made a clean sweep of the competition. Coach Chris Michail said after the match “Box Hill were far from disgraced in lowering their colours to Ashburton today. Both teams played extremely well and for the most part were evenly matched. Ashburton clinched the 3 points because of its pace, tight combinations and solid preparation”.

Ashburton had about 55% possession during the first half and despite numerous attempts on goal by both sides (7 to Ashburton and 4 to Box Hill), each held the other scoreless going into the break. The second half proved to be a more torrid engagement with advantage swinging back and forth for the first 23mins. A couple of position changes by Ashburton at this time swung the balance in Ashburton’s favour. The next 22mins proved to be the turning point for Ashburton as they mounted constant pressure on the Box Hill defence. At 81mins Annabelle Gibney with a 30 yard breakaway run wove the ball up the left side of the pitch and to avoid Box Hill defenders Yvette Muscat and Daniela Digiammarco from stealing it switched it to the front of the goal square allowing Amy Jackson to swoop in, collect and chip the ball to the right of Box Hill keeper Helen Klerides. With the deadlock broken and time fast running out, Box Hill then mounted a counter attack in earnest.

For the last 9mins of the match Ashburton had to swing into defence mode. Box Hill forwards Jessica Humble and Belinda Pacella menacingly captured the goal square. With 7mins remaining a short sharp hurried snap by Humble from 6yds out and slightly left of goal hit the far post. Accuracy spoiled by the bustling Ashy defenders scrambling to clear, denying Humble a clean shot. Thereafter four more attempts by Box Hill in as many minutes, two from corners, failed to crack the formidable Ashburton guard. Despite this pressured encroachment surrounding her territory Ashy keeper Tet Santacaterina remained remarkably cool. During this period of intensity and throughout the match she scooped, punched, grabbed and caught the ball with absolute authority.

The Ashybelles came of age today proving that they can take on the best. In starting positions congratulations to the team which comprised defenders Jade de Goey, Rose Bureta and Erin Taylor who spoiled many Box Hill attacks and withstood the Box Hill barrage towards the end. Side mid-fielders Cindy Dussoye and Gulcan Koca who once again demonstrated their brilliance on the wings, central mid-fielders Andrea Totsidis, Rosey Mortellaro and Amy Jackson for an exacting performance in ball dynamics (and later sub Stacey Louras), and last but not least, the customary inimitable performance of strikers Annabelle Gibney and Seyma Erenli. All combined well as a champion team to unseat a champion team. A tribute is also made to the sterling performance by the Box Hill players. In particular Chrissy Baxendale, Selin Kuralam, Jessica Humble and Belinda Pacella for making Ashburton work extremely hard for their victory.

Notwithstanding Ashburton’s win nothing should be taken away from Box Hill. A clash between the two in the finals is virtually assured. With one win apiece their third encounter should be a thriller.
This win leapfrogs Ashburton over Box Hill into 1st place on the WPL ladder.

Reserves
When you’re on the top and undefeated, it becomes increasingly harder to win every week. Occasionally teams have flat days. This match against Box Hill was one of them not helped by a couple of Ashburton inclusions being somewhat less than 100% health wise on the day. Even though they played somewhat flat Ashburton still managed to pull off a fortunate 3:2 win.

Box Hill conceded an own goal within 10mins when a pass back by Jessica Peccia was unable to be
scooped up by keeper Helen Klerides. 15mins later Ashy striker Lucrece Laverdue stormed past the Box Hill defence and sank the ball into the net. For the next 20mins both teams remained locked together without further score. On resumption after half-time, with Ashburton 2 goals up, Box Hill relentlessly applied pressure and managed to maintain the ball in their forward half for a good proportion of the first 25mins. A near miss 6mins into the 2nd half by Caitlin Keogh from a 9yd snap followed by another header miss by Lauren Cramer in the goal square from a corner one minute later would have seen Box Hill square the scorecard but they were denied. 7mins later Box Hill managed to open their account with a goal from Amanda Lawless after a virtual uncontested run up the left side. 22mins into the half this was followed up by another Box Hill strike from Felicity Piganis. With the score now at 2 apiece Ashburton dug in and managed to counter balance the Box Hill roll and slowly reversed the tide in the last 20mins. Another goal to Lucrece Laverdue 5 mins before the end of the match clinched Ashburton’s win. This last goal took three leg swipes by Laverdue before her right boot finally connected with the ball to slam it solidly into the back of the net.

Whilst not the convincing of wins, it was nonetheless a win. Box Hill was unfortunate not to at least draw. The Ashybelles still remain undefeated and continue to covert top spot on the WPL Reserves ladder.

Round 17 Report - Tuesday 13 June (Sandringham v Ashburton) - rescheduled
Seniors
Ashburton in sizzling form blew away Sandringham 6:0 in this Round 17 brought forward match held at the Darebin International Soccer Stadium last Tuesday night. Three unanswered goals in the first half were matched by a further three unanswered goals in the second half. Goal scorers, Seyma Erenli 2 and 1 each to Andrea Totsidis, Paoloa Bernini, Amy Jackson and Jade De Goey.

The Ashybelles with technical superiority, excellent teamwork and a dynamo performance dominated for most of the match. The Seahawks fought hard but were simply outgunned by the slick Ashburton side hell bent on atoning for their previous round 6, 1:1 draw when they were below full strength.

This now takes Ashburton to eight straight wins bowling over every side in the competition this year except for the reigning premiers Box Hill Inter. Ashburton has that opportunity this coming weekend. If Ashburton manages to halt Box Hill’s undefeated winning streak it will have completed a royal flush and leapfrog into first place on the WPL ladder.

Round 12 Report - Sunday 4 June (Ashburton v South Melbourne)
Seniors
After six straight wins by Ashburton, including 3 top side scalps, the prospect of a South Melbourne revenge win second time around after its 9:1 rout by Ashburton in round 1 would be a daunting task. South, fighting desperately to clear itself from the relegation zone, rekindled their winning spirit last week after downing Eltham North. Yet to string 2 wins together this year, any hopes of this were dashed when once again the Ashburton demolition squad systematically inflicted another run away win, this time 7:0.

Ashy’s first strike came after just 8mins when Tina Grinjic up forward rocketed a long lob over the head of South keeper Afifa Saad from 10 metres out. South nearly answered back 3mins later from a free kick taken by Niki Cook which hit the crossbar. At the 21min mark a right cross pass from Annabelle Gibney enabled Amy Jackson to run the ball up to the goal square and expertly chip the ball into the net for the first of her four goals for the match. Eight minutes later a 25 metre pinpoint long low pass by Andrea Totsidis allowed Jackson to slot her second goal with a similar long, low snap for Ashburton’s 3rd goal. With one minute to halftime Annabelle Gibney ran the ball to within 3 metres of the goal mouth and snapped it to the left of keeper Saad for goal No.4. South’s demise at this point would have been far worse had it not been for Saad’s good judgement and timing in saving twice as many as she let in from Ashburton’s bombardment.

For the first 7mins of the 2nd half South defenders Laura Revrenna, Natalie Brajonovski and Diana Kooed had a bit of a respite from the Ashburton assault as jousting for possession swayed back and forth 30 metres from either side of the centre. Then having won the ball from South’s Sarah Sumner, Jackson with a brilliant burst of speed ran the ball up to the goal square and snapped it into the net from 3 metres out for her 3rd and Ashburton’s 5th. 4mins later Jackson managed to again elude her South marker Natalie Brajonovski and slotted her 4th with a nice chip from inside the penalty box. 2 mins later a try by Cindy Dussoye with a long looping cross lob from the wing just barely missed the goal mouth. At the 70min mark Ashy midfielder Andrea Totsidis after three previous scoring tries was finally rewarded with a snap to take Ashburton to 7:Nil. 12mins later a free kick to Totsidis was nearly headed by Jackson for her 5th. South’s best opportunity to score came close to the end of the match when a right corner taken by Jo Cambus didn’t quite carry enough and just swerved in to skim the outside of the near post.

To South’s credit their midfielders, particularly Ebony Davies and Niki Cook, worked tirelessly throughout the match to drive the ball forward but Gibney and Rosey Mortellaro had their measure. South’s Katherine Floros and Jo Cambus were busy along the wings but by and large their effectiveness was trumped by Ashy wingers Gulcan Koca and Cindy Dussoye and later by sub Nicole Savage with her 24min stint. On the few occasions when South forwards Kristina Emmanoulidies and Clorinda Iannucci managed to penetrate deep, Ashy defenders Rosie Bureta, Stacey Louras and Erin Taylor pounced like cats. Ashy keeper Tette Santacatarina whilst not pressured throughout the match did manage to save seven South direct scoring shots. Power football by the Ashybelles clearly stood out. It wasn’t so much the case that South didn’t play well, quite the contrary; it was more that Ashburton were far superior on the day. At the conclusion of round 12 Ashburton remains 2nd on the WPL ladder cementing its position in the top 5, 9 points clear of Cranbourne Comets in 4th place.

Reserves
This turned out to be quite a ragged match and although Ashburton finally won quite comfortably 4:Nil it should have won by a much heftier margin. South Melbourne only fielded 8 players to Ashy’s 11. With a margin of 3 players Ashburton should have taken advantage in playing wide thereby opening the game up. South had no option but to play as a combined midfield/forward pack which they did extremely well. With such a concentration of South players chasing the ball principally up and down the middle of the pitch at any one time Ashburton tended to do likewise leaving Ashburton’s unmarked players loose and ineffective. This flooding style of play endured for most of the first half. However a couple of position changes by Coach Chris Michael halfway through the first half made Ashburton adapt better to this unaccustomed style of game. With Kristen Stensholt switched from defence to forward Ashburton stocks were bolstered up front. This paid off when Stensholt opened up Ashburton’s account at the 31min mark. Although Ashburton had the ball in its forward half for all but 3 mins of the first half they were unable to score any further to halftime.

With the score at 1:Nil going into the 2nd half it took 15mins for Ashburton to score again. A good pass from Sally Prickett to Stensholt enabled Stensholt to make no mistake in slotting the ball passed South keeper Danielle Van Tol for the 2nd time. Substitute Lucrece Laverdue who then came on at this time brought up Ashburton’s 3rd goal 15mins later from 6 meteres out with a well judged right cross after an excellent switch pass from Stensholt. Stensholt completed a hat-trick 3 mins later enabling Ashburton to seal the match 4:Nil. The solid Ashy back-line comprising Jackie Spraggon, Tette Santacaterina and Laura Matotek in front of Ashy keeper Louise Haddad prevented her from touching the ball no more than a few times. With the game prised open by Ashburton in the 2nd half Sally Prickett and Nicole Savage were able to funnel the ball down the wings more effectively thereby giving some relief to Lucy Clapham, Merridith Deborg, Anna Santamaria and Linette Laverdue who had battled tirelessly with the South pack without letup. Despite their loss South’s gutsy performance is to be commended. Solid efforts by Nurcan Aksoy, Felicity Mayes and Rose Kennedy to name but a few were worthy of mention.
 

Round 11 Report - Sunday 28 May (Ashburton v Keilor Park)
Seniors
   Again this week Ashburton figured in the match of the round, this time against their nemesis Keilor Park, the only side Ashburton has never defeated since joining the top flight 2½ years ago. Under overcast skies and with the only thunder being the boots of the opposing sides pounding the turf from goal to goal, the match resembled an Indian arm-wrestle in the middle of a hurricane. The winds of fortune first blowing one way then the other. In the ensuing helter skelter some players were bowled over during the course of the match but fortunately no serious injuries were sustained. From the hurly-burly with the pendulum swinging back and forth constantly, Ashburton finally shook the monkey off their back by downing Keilor for the 1st time with a hard fought 6:4 win.
   3 minutes into the match Keilor forwards Melanie Camilleri and Lucy Balta managed to penetrate Ashburton’s defence whereupon Camilleri fired a snap at goal from the right of the penalty box. Ashburton keeper Tett Santacaterina advanced forward to grab the ball only to unfortunately slip in the muddy goal square and the advancing Balta raced passed the prostrate keeper and presented with an open goal made no mistake in chipping the ball into the top left of the net. 8 mins later after receiving a nice cross taken on the foot Seyma Erenli equalised for Ashburton with a similar chip. One minute later with Ashburton still in attack Gulcan Koca from 12 yds out took aim with a well judged long right cross. This nicely swerved in passed the far post to take Ashburton to a 2:1 lead at the 12min mark. Ashburton with tails up and mixing it up with some good set pieces in the midfield and up forward were now starting to meet some stiff resistance from Keilor defenders Marie Naim, Michelle Granato and Olivia Rahme. A defensive repel drive by Granato was met by Ashy sweeper Rosie Bureta who ran the ball up the centre and with a nicely balanced long looping lob landed the ball in the net to take Ashburton to 3:1 at the 14min mark. 4 mins later an excellent left corner taken by Tina Grinjic soared over the heads of all in the goal square and barely touched by the Keilor keeper deflected inwards brushing passed the inside of the far post for Ashburton’s 4th goal.
   Keilor then steadied and with fierce tackling managed to hold the ball forward for the next 4 mins. With the ball forward Lucy Balta for Keilor won possession and skillfully dribbled the ball to the front of the goal square and with sufficient time to pick an appropriate clean line landed her 2nd goal. In so doing she impacted heavily against the advancing Santacaterina in the follow through. Having landed heavily on her right knee there were several anxious minutes with play stopped to determine her injury. With Balta eventually back on her feet play resumed and Balta elected to soldier on. The momentum now swung back Ashburton’s way and at the 31 min mark a pass from Annabelle Gibney enabled Erenli to fire a 45° angled snap at goal. This skimmed across the face and hooked in around the outside of the far post. The keeper kick in was met by Amy Jackson who pounced on the ball and from 15yds out with a solid right boot expertly slammed it into the net with a nicely judged high lob.
   At 5:2 going into the 2nd half, Keilor went on the attack. Ashy defenders stood firm and after some seesawing up and down the pitch for several minutes Jackson convincingly won the ball and with a pinpoint switch pass enabled Gibney to slot goal No.6 at the 52min mark. Keilor down but not out then mounted many attacking thrusts with their fresh substitutes. Ashburton too brought on their fresh subs on the pitch so the balance was kept in check. Substitute midfielder Stephanie Peluso fired up Keilor’s hopes when she snapped Keilor’s 3rd goal at the 55min mark. At the 80min mark Keilor brought up their 4th goal from a penalty taken by midfielder Kylie Nicolaci. Thereafter Ashburton missed 4 opportunities to increase their lead, one from a corner. Keilor missed 5 opportunities to score. Both teams in the main kept the other in check until the final whistle. Ashburton’s brilliant 1st half set up a well earned 6:4 win. Apart from all those previously mentioned, other solid performances put in by members of the team (Stacey Louras, Erin Taylor, Andrea Totsidis, Cindy Dussoye and subs Rosey Mortellaro, Paoloa Bernini and Lucy Clapham) played an important part in this victory. 3 points from this win consolidates Ashburton firmly into 2nd place on the WPL ladder, 2 points behind Box Hill.

Reserves
In the curtain raiser Ashburton confronted a very determined opponent. Keilor had the ball forward of centre for a majority of the 1st half and several attacks on goal brought some anxious moments. Ashy defenders Laura Matotek, Antoniette Santamaria and Merridith DeBourg together with the full complement of midfielders had to work hard to ward off Keilor thrusts time and time again. Ashy keeper Louise Haddad had her hands on the ball many times and picked the right line to prevent Keilor from scoring on several occasions. Keilor were unfortunate not to score on their efforts. A goal to Paola Bernini for Ashburton in the 1st half caught the Keilor defence off guard. In the 2nd half Ashburton were more assertive and with the midfielders now winning 2 out of every 3 encounters the tide changed in Ashburton’s favour. A 2nd goal to Bernini at the 64min mark and a penalty goal to Danielle Jackson at the 67min mark enabled Ashburton to claim the 3 points for an exacting 3:0 win. Mid way through the comp the unbeaten record of the Ashybelle Reserves remains intact. Although still No.1 on the ladder Sandringham is only a whisker away in 2nd place.
 

Round 10 Report - Sunday 21 May ( Heidelberg United v Ashburton) - see photos below report

Seniors
   This match of the round pitted the season’s two most prolific goal scoring sides at Olympic Village to fight out 2nd place on the league ladder. Both teams on 22 points have steadily climbed up the ladder to now be nudging Box Hill in top spot on 24 points. So with obvious ability a plenty all round this would be a real test for both sides and a feather in the cap for the winning coach. The victor, if there were to be one, would bring the other side’s winning streak to an abrupt end. Would the Heidelberg Warriors, rejuvenated after a 2 week rest since thumping Eltham North in their previous match and with a home ground advantage, have enough grit to topple the effervescent Ashybelles after their triumphant win over the mighty Cranbourne Comets the previous week. Or would the slick disciplined Ashburton machine steamroll yet another top side two weeks in a row? With optimism running high in both camps the expectation of an action packed 90mins was fully realised. After a titanic struggle which is now customary between these two sides, a 0:0 draw appeared the most likely outcome as the match approached full time. Then to the anguish of the Warriors Ashburton snatched victory with a thrilling goal in the last 2 mins to run out winners 1:0.

    The first half was very much an even affair with most of the play centering around the mid-fielders locking horns in earnest. Good feeds to the forwards by both sides were monotonously repelled. Heidelberg defenders kicking long many times causing the mid-fielders to scramble for the loose ball without letup. Skilful breakaways by Ashy mid-fielders Seyma Erenli, Andrea Totsidis and Antoinette Santamaria were met with potent challenges. A long drive to the net by Heidelberg’s Mel Frankcombe at the 35min mark after a nice tearaway and run up the right wing went slightly wide. 2mins later Francis won control of the ball and again broke through the Ashy defence but this time her attempted looping lob was very capably intercepted by Ashy keeper Tette Santacaterina. Ashy forwards Annabelle Gibney and Tina Grinjic made the best of the very few opportunities to score without reward. One attempt by Gibney in full flight with a hurried kick from the penalty spot would have been a sure thing had it not lacked sufficient thrust enabling the out of position Warrior keeper Katie Neville to scoop the ball up in time. Heidelberg’s tight-knit defence led by Meagan Thornton figured prominently in preventing Ashburton from scoring on three occasions. Meanwhile at the other end the Ashy defence too had their work cut out as the Heidelberg wave surged forward on several occasions only to be pushed back with assertive authority by Erin Taylor, Stacey Louras and Rosie Buretta.

   Both sides lurched into battle in the 2nd half, each eager to post the first demoralising goal. From the 70min mark onwards Amy Jackson and the other Ashy midfielders pulled off a number of switch passing attacking initiatives which heralded a positive turning point for Ashburton. Jackson’s unlucky snap following a solo sprint guiding the ball diligently through an opening in defence at the 72min mark started a roll. At the 80min mark with a blistering burst of speed, Gulcan Koca ran the ball up the wing 2yds in from the touch line and guided it across to just inside the 18yd box. Warrior keeper Neville moved forward to intercept and both collided heavily. With the ball still in play Koca slammed it with full force dead centre at the goal mouth. Sweeper Meagan Thornton, agile as a cat, leapt into the goal square and took the full brunt of the ball on the chest for a miraculous save. Heidelberg quickly hit back and 2 mins later a tandem drive forward between Sarah Groenewald and Emma Minde enabled Minde to execute a well aimed but unlucky lob that soared over the heads of the Ashy defenders and over the crossbar. After the kick-in from this attempt Ashburton then started to play their accustomed free flowing style of game and moved the ball around with relative ease only to be denied a strike from 2 creditable attempts. Then at the 3rd attempt with 2mins remaining, another attacking thrust by Gibney from the right after a feed by Erenli paid off when Gibney slammed the ball at close range inside the 6yd box. This bounced off the keeper only to be met by Amy Jackson darting in from the left and her poised boot finally sank the ball into the net to the resounding cheers of the Ashy supporters. The win takes Ashburton up another rung to 2nd on the ladder with a tally of 25 points relegating Heidelberg to 3rd on 22 points. Ladder leader Box Hill has 27 points.

Reserves
   The all conquering Ashburton Reserves finally met their match in a 3:3 draw against Heidelberg United. Inevitably, Ashburton so used to having their way for so long would at some time have that complacency shaken. Whilst no credit taken away from the Warriors who put in a sterling effort, it is fair to say that Ashburton didn’t fire on all pistons on the day. With the score 2:2 at halftime Ashburton were somewhat bewildered having only conceded 1 goal in their previous 9 matches and to drop 2 in just the 1st half, albeit one from a penalty, was a bit of a shock.
   In the 2nd half Ashburton scored their 3rd at the 66min mark. It looked like that would trigger their inimitable stylish flair to bag a few more but not to be. An Ashy infringement clearly just outside the 18yd box was called as an infringement within and the resultant Heidelberg penalty kick allowed them to draw level at the 75min mark. Each side then tried to desperately close out the match with one more goal but to no avail. Two goals to Lucrece Laverdue and one to Nicole Savage for the Ashybelles and two goals to Margarite Khoury and one to Marisa Bonnici for the Warriors. Despite the draw the Reserves remain undefeated and still 1st on the ladder.

Round 3 "Catch Up" Report  - Sunday 14 May (Cranbourne Comets v Ashburton)

Seniors
   History was made today when Ashburton downed Cranbourne 1:0 at Comets Stadium. It was the first time since Ashburton joined the Vodafone Women’s Premier League 2½ season’s ago that they emerged the victor. This re-scheduled catch-up match was the only one in the competition this weekend and a blockbuster one it was at that. The high skill level displayed by both sides was a tribute on how far women’s football has progressed over recent years. The spirit in which this particular match was played out and the spectacle itself was a delight for spectators and supporters alike. 
   Kicking away from the pavilion end in the first half the Ashybelles came out attacking. Three Ashy thrusts were repulsed with Melissa Atherton for the Comets figuring prominently in defence. However after 8 mins Ashy mid-fielders Andrea Totsidis and Seyma Erenli combined well to shake off the Comet’s midfielders in sweeping the ball up to the waiting forwards for a 4th time. Ashy striker Annabelle Gibney had nicely taken up position from left of goal and Tina Grinjic ran in from the right to cover. The Comets defenders once again swooped to clear but Gibney with a nice sharp chip managed this time to slot the ball passed the out-stretched arms of Comet keeper Emma Bracken. Ashburton were unlucky not to score again at the 30 min mark when an exceptional set piece combination between Gibney and Erenli just skimmed over the crossbar. For most of the opening half Ashburton had a slight edge over their hosts but the Comets tenaciously closed out Ashburton from scoring again. Good footwork from right wing back Rachel Lamb. defender Melissa Atherton and centre mid-fielder Leigh Terek among others were pivotal in maintaining a counter-balance. Ten minutes before halftime the Comets lifted determined to equalise. Despite two good attempts by Cranbourne, one from a corner, Ashy held on to lead 1:0 at the break.
   At the beginning of the second half it was the turn of the Comets to put pressure on the Ashy defenders. After 4 mins they nearly equalised with a near miss by Belinda Powell. From thereon Jade De Goey, Erin Taylor and Rosie Buretta presented an impenetrable wall for the most part. The few times that the ball did manage to be steered through by Powell and Sarah Fitgerald for the Comets, Ashy keeper Antoinette Santacaterina guarded the net with excellent hands and hawk-eye anticipation. As the match progressed passed the 75 min mark Ashy’s tireless left and right mid-fielders Gulcan Koca and Cindy Dussoye started to dominate the wings by out-running their markers to gain possession time and time again and feed the ball to the forwards. Together with mid-fielders Rosey Mortellaro, Seyma Erenli and Andrea Totsidis now gaining the upper hand in the centre, Ashburton renewed their quest for more goals with renewed vigour. Two well-executed corners failed to produce and three good scoring lobs from the edge of the 18yd box missed their mark as they each curved away in banana fashion at the last instant. In a hard fought out contest with both teams displaying immense skill and tenacity, Ashburton’s better fitness and desire to conquer their previous conquerors won out on the day. This 1:0 win now takes Ashburton up to 22 points equal to Heidelberg United in 2nd place but they still remain 3rd on the ladder by a slight goal difference. Well done Ashybelles, a well deserved win.

Reserves
  This too was a crackerjack contest with some excellent one-on-one encounters throughout the match. Ashy’s stalwart defence led by sweeper Jackie Spraggon with right back Stephanie Wood and left back Laura Matotek held up remarkably well, especially in the first half when the Comets attempted to forge forward to unleash several barrages at goal. Matotek’s excellent marking (like glue) effort against Comet star striker Sarah Fitzgerald who played in the first half (and later in the seniors) contributed significantly in locking out the Comet forwards.
   Ashy mid-fielders had to work hard throughout the first half as they grappled with their opponents. It took some 40 mins for Ashy to become settled into their rhythm whereupon Lucrece Laverdue, Danielle Jackson, Merridith Du Borg  and Anna Santamaria started to dominate in their respective positions. A good feed to Paola Bernini 2 mins later enabled her to run the ball up to 6yds from left of goal for an accurate snap to the right of the Comet keeper.
   Leading 1:0 into the 2nd term the Ashybelles went straight into attack. The Comets fell back to defend and although the Ashy mid-fielders fed the ball forward numerous times, Tisa Gross and Paola Bernini found it difficult to cut a clear path to the goal square. 8 mins into the 2nd half Bernini managed to bullock through the defenders and run the ball up to 8yds from the goal mouth and smack dead centre executed a brilliant lob to beat the keeper for the second time. Having put their stamp on the match Ashburton thereafter opted for containment and at the 70min mark substitute Kristen Stensholt took to the pitch replacing Lucy Clapham who figured prominently throughout and 5 mins later substitute Sally Prickett relieved Anna Santamaria. With their fresh legs and strong contribution Stensholt and Prickett enabled Ashburton to run out comfortable winners. Final score 2:0, unbeaten record still in tact, position on ladder 1st.

Round 9 Report Saturday 6 May (Bendigo Vipers v Ashburton)

Seniors
   The 2hr, 170km road trip to Strathfieldsaye Sports Ground in Bendigo provided ample time for the Ashy squad to reflect on their last season encounters against the Vipers which were close affairs. A 0:0 draw in round 9 and a narrow 2:1 win in round 20. Mindful of the Vipers narrow 2:1 loss to Cranbourne at home last week Ashburton knew they would be in for a tough match. This season the Vipers have lost 2 out of their 4 home matches, albeit to topsides Box Hill and Cranbourne. Despite the home ground advantage the Vipers would nevertheless be hard pressed to avoid a 3rd home loss against the in form Ashburton who won so convincingly last week. This and the next few weeks are a critical stage of the competition with not much separating the top 7 teams. Ashburton currently 3rd need the win to remain in the top tier and the Vipers currently 7th must win to lift out of the middle tier.
    In the first half of the match the Vipers showed plenty of spirit to counteract the threatening Ashybelle’s attack. Ashburton had some great playmakers early in the first half, however the hard running by Seyma Erenli, and Annabelle Gibney went unrewarded until Annabelle Gibney found the back of the net from a superb chip from Andrea Totsidis outside the 18 yard box to enable Ashy to go one up at the 37 minute mark. Some minutes later Gulcan Koca received the ball from Amy Jackson, took it down the line and crossed it magically into the path of Tina Grkinjic's forehead however the Vipers goalie made a wonderful save. Ashburton kept up the relentless pressure  however despite seven quality strikes and 5 corners the score remained 1:0 at half time.
   The second half proved to be a dour struggle with both defences on top.  Jade De Goey turned back many attacking moves by the Vipers. Ashburton put in a solid second half performance and held Bendigo scoreless, however they lacked their traditional rampant follow-on drive to convincingly seal the match with more goals. Bendigo’s gutsy never give-up attitude being a key factor and especially Maika Ruyter-Hooley solid in defence. The final result was a satisfactory 1:0 in favour of Ashburton.
     With all the top sides beating their lower ranked opponents in thi