An instant impact from South Melbourne’s newest international arrival, Sarah Verdan, has delivered a 3-1 Women’s Premier League win against Box Hill United at Wembley Park on Friday night.
The central midfielder from French second tier club Nivolas-Vermelle announced her arrival in Melbourne with the match-winner as South overturned a 1-0 half-time deficit; Box Hill left to lament scoring only once after controlling the first term.
South Melbourne swept to victory on the back of Tiff Eliadis’ equaliser just after the hour mark, Verdan’s goal in the 78th minute and the sealer from Brittany Dudley-Smith four minutes later.
A lively start from Box Hill’s wingers put South on notice, with Cristina Cardaci’s battle against South left back Lisa Farquhar the best one-on-one duel of the first half.
Emily Hulbert’s goal in the 13th minute gave Box Hill their reward for initiative, controlling a long ball from Angie Rassias and lifting a long shot over South keeper Frances Land.
Cardaci spurned the chance for a 2-0 lead in the 32nd minute when she nicked the ball from Jasmine Arezzolo at the top of the area but was denied one-on-one by Land.
Eliadis was unmarked for her equaliser in the 61st minute with the time to control the ball, amid protests of handball by the Box Hill players, and shoot past Melissa Barbieri.
Verdan was then set through one-on-one against Barbieri in the 77th minute and clipped her shot cooly past the oncoming Matildas veteran.
South substitute Saphri Lines then set up the third as her shot from the by-line deflected into the path of Dudley-Smith.
Barbieri saved well at the right by-line from Lines’ tight-angle attempt but was left stranded by the kind deflection for Dudley-Smith, who lashed her shot into the unguarded net.
South Melbourne coach Socratis Nicolaidis was pleased with his team’s comeback.
“At half-time we made some adjustments to try and beat Box Hill out wide,” Nicolaidis said.
“Tactically we were very mature, made the adjustments and it worked for us.
“John [Kyrgios, Box Hill coach] played his cards perfectly in the first half. The type of football we want to play, we want to pass our way out of trouble and they were doing a good job being compact in the middle of the pitch.”
Verdan said she contacted the club through social media and was in Australia for the first time.
The 25-year-old was previously an Olympic Lyon player prior to joining Nivolas-Vermelle a club to the city’s South-East.
Box Hill United coach John Kyrgios said his team failed to capitalise on chances to build on its 1-0 lead.
“There’s no excuse, we were one-nil up and dropped off quite considerably,” Kyrgios said.
“I had a look at [South] last week and thought we could hurt them out wide with our wingers, and we did that in the first half but just couldn’t finish.
“South were quite strong in the middle of the park and we tried to counter that. The second and third goals our distribution let us down.”
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Box Hill United 1 (Hulbert 13′) defeated by South Melbourne Women’s FC 3 (Eliadis 61′ Verdan 78′ Dudley-Smith 82′)
Box Hill United: 11. BARBIERI Melissa (GK), 4. RICHARDSON Madelaine, 5. WALSH Sarah, 7. HULBERT Emily, 12. RASSIAS Angie, 13. KYRGIOS Elise ((25. CAMILLERI Melanie 50′ [72. TOOSE Rachel 86′]), 14. KOUTROUVELIS Georgia, 15. GEURTS Hayley (18. REMMAN Annie 61′), 19. KARLSON Selena (9. VATCKY Elaina 85′), 21. CARDACI Cristina (23. AMORE Alexandra 74′), 32. BAKOPOULOS Penny
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil
South Melbourne WFC: 1. LAND Frances (GK), 2. DUDLEY-SMITH Brittany, 3. FEAKES Jade (14. HEIJDEN Emily 85′), 5. PRICHARD Jessie, 8. HOWES Carol (17. GREISER Caitlyn 87′), 9. AREZZOLO Jasmine (11. LINES Saphri 56′), 10. ELIADIS Tiffany, 12. POLLOCK Jamie, 13. VERDAN Sarah, 16. BRAJANOVSKI Natalie, 18. FARQUHAR Lisa
Unused Substitute(s): 37. IBRAHIM Jenna
Yellow Card(s): Brajanovski 65′
Red Card(s): Nil