Photo: Rachel Bach
Galaxy United have stormed through to the inaugural NPLW Victoria Grand Final triumphing on penalty kick’s at the expense of hosts Alamein FC.
At the close of play at HA Smith Reserve, the score read 1-1 courtesy of an early goal to Emma Runnalls for Alamein, then a first-half equaliser from defender Sky Jensen, which took the game into a 16-long penalty-shootout, which Geelong triumphed 6-5.
The regional outfit had previously gone the entire home and away season without getting a result against Alamein, with the biggest buffer between the pair a 4-0 hiding in Round 14.
This was sandwiched between two relatively competitive games in which they were felled by just the one goal.
It looked to be a continuation of this trend after some nifty work under pressure from Hannah Keane on the left wing allowing her to swing a cross into the far post, which forward Runnalls was able to nod home with just five minutes on the clock
Galaxy found their equaliser in the latter stages of the half through Jensen, who made a clever darting run from Sadie Murphy’s corner kick to power in at the near post, despite the best efforts of a lunging Melissa Maizels.
The centre-half was in the thick of things once more in the second half as her tackle to clear danger also clipped Matildas forward Larissa Crummer, forcing her pre-maturely out of the game.
A late weaving run from Melissa Taranto almost ended in the midfielder pick out the postage stamp on Maizels’ goal from 25-yards, but fired narrowly wide with the final chance of the half.
The pair locked horns once more in first-half of extra time, as Maizels was forced to tip a dipping Taranto free-kick onto the crossbar and away from danger, before substitute Selin Kuralay blazed a shot just wide of the right goal post from an acute angle.
Keane nearly stole the contest for Alamein in the second half of extra-time as she bounded clear on the left wing, only to be denied by a brilliant smother from Kelsey Quinn in goals for United.
Into penalties the game went, with Alamein’s Liv Edwards’ unable to oust Quinn from 12-yards with the first attempt.
Annabel Martin and Laura Spiranovic found the back of the net in response for Galaxy, while Annabelle Gibney and Sienna Fogarty kept their side in the tie with conversions of their own.
Lulu Al-Huneidi sent her penalty over the bar to draw Alamein level, with internationals Kelsey Hodges and Keane both converting their penalties either side of Jess Tay’s cooly struck effort.
It game Maizels the chance to win the tie with a save off Jensen’s penalty, however for the second time that afternoon, the Galaxy youngster was able to strike past the goalkeeper.
Quinn and Maizels made consecutive saves off Jesse Kotsikas and Sadie Murphy, both keepers moving to their right to stop their respective opponents.
The shootout continued with Britt Thomas and Adriana Taranto both converting, only for Harriet Cordner to blaze over to allow Melissa Taranto the chance to win the tie.
Despite the best efforts of Maizels who went the right way, she was unable to meet Taranto’s powerful effort down the left of goal, which sparked on-field celebrations as they marched onto a Grand Final in their debut season.
They meet Calder United at ABD Stadium at 4pm this Saturday afternoon to play for the title of inaugural NPLW Champions.