Boroondara Eagles have made a huge title statement, defeating fellow contenders Ashburton United 5-1 at Knox Regional Football Centre on Sunday.
Despite a clash that looked like a potentially close encounter on paper – especially considering Amy Jackson’s omission through injury – the other usual suspects did the damage for the Eagles, with all of Sarah Jacobs, Aliesha Newman and Taryne Boudreau getting on the scoresheet, and Sky Jensen also popping up with a goal.
After looking bright early, Ashburton fell away in the second half, with Emma Checker’s 90th minute goal acting as mere consolation for the visitors.
The crowd tonight at Knox Regional Football Centre for @wplvictoria between @BoroondaraEagle vs @AshyUtdWomen #BEvAU pic.twitter.com/8KWH3vhs3m
— Les Street (@official_lesdog) June 14, 2015
Boroondara fired warning signals early when neat interplay between Newman and Jacobs led to the latter hitting a low shot that was saved by Melissa Maizels, who then had to be on her toes to deny Jacob’s curling goalbound corner kick.
Ashburton settled thereafter and pressured the hosts in a decent 10 minute spell, culminating in a corner kick that had Anna Lanning beaten but just missed wide after coming off Laura Spiranovic near the line.
Aliesha Newman broke the deadlock in the 16th minute, coming in from the right wing to finish into the bottom corner of the net.
Emma Hubbard was next to come close after breaking through in behind the defence, but Holly Richardson pulled off a crucial challenge to deny the forward.
Taryne Boudreau then struck – but not on the scoreboard – when her crunching challenge on Olivia Edwards resulted in a yellow card and treatment on the sidelines for the hurt player, leaving Ashburton vulnerable for a few minutes in a 10v11 situation.
Georgia Cloepfil was lively for the visitors, and her dangerous cross in the area just before the break took a deflection and dangerously floated over Lanning only to be cleared away near the goalline.
Spectators didn’t have long to take to their positions along the side fencing in the second half when Boudreau bore down on goal and added Boroondara’s second with a clinical low strike past Maizels.
Both teams’ respective number 9’s – Melina Ayres and Alex Gummer – then had efforts on goal that didn’t threaten the ‘keepers.
They were outdone by Jacobs, who waltzed through the middle with some fancy footwork, rounded the ‘keeper and tucked away her side’s third goal into an open net.
It was fast becoming a bruising encounter for Ashburton both on the scoreboard and on the pitch, with Christine Pfeiffer the next player to succumb to the physicality of the contest, subbed off in the 66th minute after taking a heavy knock.
The visitors were made to suffer even more with two goals in two minutes as Sky Jensen popped up to head home Gummer’s corner, while Boudreau scored another brilliant solo effort.
Emma Checker, who had earlier been pushed up the pitch by Sinisa Cohadzic in an attempt to salvage something from the game – a curious sight seeing the central defender not involved in defensive set pieces and taking shots on goal – did score a consolation goal in extra time.
However, the night belonged to the Eagles, who rubber-stamped their title credentials with a scintillating performance.
Boroondara Eagles 5 (Newman 16′, Boudreau 47′ 78′, Jacobs 61′, Jensen 77′) Ashburton United (Checker 90+1′) at Knox Regional Football Centre [HT: 1-0]
Boroondara Eagles: 1. Anna Lanning, 3. Ally Gayfer 16. Emma Littlewood, 5. Sky Jensen, 9. Alex Gummer, 22. Olivia Ellis, 6. Ash Callaghan, 17. Emma Hubbard, 7. Taryne Boudreau, 2. Sarah Jacobs, 11. Aliesha Newman,
Substitutes: 31. Rani Cavaretta, 8. Ellen Turner, 10. Emma Gross, 34. Alexia Campbell
Yellow Cards: Boudreau 35′
Red Cards: None
Ashburton United: 1. Melissa Maizels, 3. Holly Richardson, 15. Emma Checker, 14. Christine Pfeiffer, 19. Olivia Edwards, 20. Alyssia Blewonski, 11. Fede Frew, 4. Britt Thomas, 18. Georgia Cloepfil, 21. Laura Spiranovic, 9. Melina Ayres.
Substitutes: 5. Kristin Stenholt, 2. Maria Patrikis, 16. Rachel Jarvis, 13. Azize Erenli, 10. Julia Skowronska
Yellow Cards: Checker 19′
Red Cards: None