The Senior NTC have outclassed and outscored Bulleen Lions in an end to match that featured more off target shots than a Stormtrooper shooting range.
In a blistering first half, Adriana Taranto’s long range rocket kickstarted proceedings, Cindy Lay responded for the hosts, while Whitney Knight starred on the occasion, scoring and laying an assist to Ashleigh Lefevre.
On a cold Monday night, the Veneto Club lit up as home club Bulleen Lions kicked off the Round 4 match.
Almost instantly the Senior NTC team pushed their opponents back, drawing a free kick outside the box, but Melindaj Barbieri’s shot bounced off the Lions’ solid wall.
The NTC weren’t letting up and pushed high on the pitch, with Coby McInerney controlling the center and keeping Bulleen locked in their own half.
It took the combined efforts of Melbourne Victory players Beattie Goad and Cindy Lay to combine and drive the ball into the opposing half.
Bulleen’s Emily Coppock received the ball and took an early shot on goal but Teresa Morrissey competently stood her ground and blocked it well.
The NTC moved the ball back up quickly to its midfield and a quick pass to Adriana Taranto allowed her space to turn on the ball and line up for a shot.
Her 35 yard belter almost took out the net on its way through, and lifted the visitors into the lead for the first time this season.
Bulleen bounced back instantly as the home side released Lay into the box, chipping the keeper with style, bringing the scores back level and prompting a loud home crowd cheer.
In response, Emily Harbis ran onto a Whitney Knight pass and her tapped shot past Cass Dimovski’s hands into the back of the net, but the referee called it back for a free kick to Bulleen.
With the scores level, the Lions shifted forward keeping the NTC on the back foot.
Goad and Lay took turns at the goal, but neither could effectively get a shot away on target.
Knight then stepped up and attacked the Bulleen left flank, showing speed and individual brilliance to cross the ball deftly across Dimovski’s goal.
Ashleigh Lefevre arrived too late for the first effort, but followed up with a brilliant tap in on her second chance, bringing the lead back to the Senior NTC.
Within minutes of the restart Knight had found the ball again and tracked down the right wing.
The angle of the shot – almost from the corner flag – may have seemed impossible, but the ball cleared the heads of the defenders and the hands of Dimovski to bring the score up to three.
Bulleen, needing a festival of goals to gain anything from the contest, returned fire quickly but Caitlin Friend’s shot sailed over the top bar.
As the half time whistle approached, other strikers tried their luck, but none seemed to worry Morrissey as the ball kept bouncing around the outside of the posts.
In need of goals, Bulleen pushed forward from the restart, with Friend trying a shot after receiving a pass from Eleni Fakos, but the effort didn’t worry Morrissey as it rose high and over the crossbar.
NTC countered quickly, with Taranto releasing the ball for Lefevre, but her shot was smothered and held well by Dimovski.
The deficit seemed to affect the opposing attackers more than the ‘keeper, with shots bouncing around ineffectively.
Goad on the break had the closest chance, but Morrissey kept her cool and blocked the shot well.
With ten minutes to go the players started to tire.
Questioning a call, Lay’s argument with the linesman resulted in a booking, and Bulleen were feeling the pinch.
Isabella Scott’s clearance from the box led to the accidental collision between Bulleen’s Jess Tay and NTC’s Olivia Ellis, with the referee stopping play for both to receive attention, after which the game resumed with barely five minutes of regulation time remaining.
As the clock ticked down Bulleen threw as much as they could to catch the visitors, but even a last second run by Lay couldn’t change the score, with the referee blowing the whistle for full time.
The Senior NTC left happy with the first win of the season and probably a couple of contenders for goal of the season to boot, while Bulleen can take consolation in not giving up despite being down for almost the whole match – just lacking some effective finishing.
***
FC Bulleen Lions 1 (Lay 9’) defeated by Senior NTC 3 (A Taranto 7’, Lefevre 26’, Knight 29’) at Veneto Club [HT: 1-3]
FC Bulleen Lions: 1. Cass Dimovski (GK), 5. Maddie Stockdale, 12. Liana Iaconis, 22. Emily Dolzan, 8. Cindy Lay, 6. Caitlin Friend, 4. Giulia Sepe, 14. Jess Tay, 10. Emily Coppock, 23. Eleni Fakos, 16. Beattie Goad, 20. Alex Natoli, 17. Charlee West, 2. Tessa Sernio, 3. Isabella Scott, 11. Tayla Mure
Yellow Card(s): Lay 82’
Red Card(s): Nil
Senior NTC: 16. Teresa Morrisey (GK), 14. Edith Fordyce-Croker, 7. Emily Harbis, 11. Whitney Knight, 33. Ashleigh Lefevre, 25. Melindaj Barbieri, 6. Adriana Taranto, 8. Melissa Taranto, 13. Annabel Martin, 31. Coby McInerney, 3. Natasha Dakic, 4. Olivia Ellis, 17. Hayley Richmond, 2. Jaimee Williams, 10. Lexi Anastassiou, 30. Celia Kelsall
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil