With the game between Caulfield United Cobras and Casey Comets delicately poised in the first half, a well-weighted ball over the top from Anita Les to Amy Kane for the eventual winner was enough to claim an invaluable three points.
It may have been a low-key WPL fixture between two sides on the lower echelons of the table, far removed from this season’s heavyweights, but the setting at Comets Stadium bore a great deal of significance for both sets of players and staff involved.
For Caulfield, the 1-0 win was nothing less than Yanni Galanis and his crew – a young, honest, hard working bunch harbouring no superstar names – deserved for the progress they’ve made in a debut WPL season.
That’s not to say that the Casey players, who have suffered enough tribulations this season, didn’t warrant any respite from their winless torment – hopefully their time will come.
But to the victors go the spoils, and Caulfield earned their celebrations on Friday night with a dogged defensive display in the face of a Casey attacking barrage.
One of the key players in a battling campaign for Caulfield has been Les, often plugging away in midfield trying to create an attacking spark, touted by Galanis before the season started as a player to watch because “she is quick, left footed, knows how to score and developing into a great footballer.”
Those qualities shone on Friday, perhaps not for the full 90 minutes in a clash Casey often dominated, but in a sport of fine margins, all it took was one decisive ball delivered by Les to make the difference and help seal the three points.
Greater consistency is the key now for former NTC graduate Les, who along with her teammates is looking to turn those key moments into full 90 minute performances in their first full season in the top division.
“I started playing at the age of 10. Played at Sandringham for under 12’s,13’s, 15’s,” Les explains.
“During these years I represented Victoria in both indoor and outdoor soccer a few times, then went to Ashburton SC for a year or two.
“I continued onto the NTC for a year led by EAP the following year. These programs really helped me develop my skills.
“Since 2012 I have been apart of Caulfield Cobras – my fourth season now.
“[In the WPL] my strength on the ball has improved, I’m a lot more physical, and the opposition helps with that physicality.”
That Les has stayed at Caulfield for the last four years in a revolving door world of modern football is not just an indication of the player’s loyalty, but also testament to the culture developed by Galanis and his staff since the Cobras’ inception four years ago, leading to a hat-trick of promotions culminating in a debut WPL campaign.
Whilst the jump to the top flight has been inevitably difficult, recent performances against bigger teams indicate the Cobras may no longer be competition easy beats.
And the win against Casey in trying circumstances may just be the confidence boost required to instil a stronger belief into Les and her teammates that they have the ability to cause an upset against teams above them on the ladder.
“It’s pretty intense, before the game and after the game there’s always something to say, but we’re improving and after this game we can celebrate a bit,” she says.
“[It was] so tough in the end. No way to describe that feeling. We had to step back and defend [our lead].
“We definitely put more pressure on the opposition and get better and stronger as a team and work well together now”.
The big test will come against Sandringham on Monday, with the Cobras keen to showcase their improvement since their Round 1 showing in the corresponding fixture, where they lost 7-1.