WPL Round 15 - Ashburton vs South Melbourne
With a 50km wind blowing straight down the ground to the High Street Road end, the team that kicked with the wind was  always going to be the strong favorite for this game. Ashburton duly won the right to kick with the wind  (South Melbourne decided to go against it!) and at the 15 minute mark Gucan Koca goaled after a strong run down the right wing, outpacing the South Melbourne defenders. Only 5 minutes later Rosie Mortellaro split the defence once again with a great pass to the lively Gucan who cut the ball back into the path of Annabelle Gibney for an easy tap in. At this stage Ashburton was clearly on top, with the midfield working tirelessly up and down the ground and creating opportunities. At the 35 minute mark Ashburton had a solid chance for a 4th goal when Kristin Stensholt hit the cross bar with a header from another precise corner taken by Kelly Eaton. Then, with only 3 minutes remaining in the first half, Paola Bernini got free and sent a huge lob from 35 metres out which completely confused the South goalie and sailed into the top right hand corner - 3:0 at half time.

The complexion of the game changed once South Melbourne got use of the wind. The South  Melbourne tactic of sending long balls into the path of their quick forwards, seemed to be working. Ashburton still had plenty of possession, and created some opportunities through Paola and Christine Pfeiffer who held the ball up well against the strong wind. In fact Ashy got a ball into the back of the net at the Fakenham Street end courtesy of Kristen Stensholt, however the referee ruled a foul on the South Melbourne goal keeper and disallowed the score. At the 56 minute mark an Ashy defensive error led to a scramble in the South Melbourne goal and despite the ball being cleared the linesman indicated the ball had crossed the line. South Melbourne continued to use the wind well and racked up corners, and the goal certainly lifted their spirits. When Amy Benton took the field 15 minutes into the second half, South Melbourne looked decidedly more dangerous however Steph Hegedus repelled many of the forthcoming attacks. Then, with minutes remaining Laura  Spiranovic broke free of Stacy Louras and send a powerful strike into goal which was too strong for Steph to parry around the post. The score was now 3:2 with little time on the clock remaining and South Melbourne obviously capable of causing an upset. The Ashy defence dug deep and managed to hold off the spirited South Melbourne who certainly finished the game with their tails up. With Sandringham drawing the match against Bendigo, Ashburton is now 4 points clear of its nearest rival and one point adrift of Box Hill, who it plays in the WPL blockbuster on Friday 4th July.

Photos from Sunday's Games
State 3 vs Endeavour Utd.
Premier League Reserves vs South Melbourne
Premier League Seniors vs South Melbourne