Heidelberg United left Fawkner Park with a harder than anticipated victory, as they snatched three points from South Yarra after trailing for most of the game in a heavily competitive Round Four match-up.
Through Sara Alberici and Eliza Mealin, South Yarra twice lead their more fancied rivals, who had an unfortunate Madeline Jona own goal to thank for being in the contest at half-time.
The on song Julia Nicolaci hit her second successive brace to once again steer the contest the Bergers way.
With autumn setting in and the teams returning from a two-week break, a wind of change seemed to pick up around Fawkner Park as a plucky South Yarra looked to get their first points of the season.
Heidelberg stepped out with a good amount of confidence against the recently promoted team but showed wariness of a side improving week by week.
Kicking off, Heidelberg quickly pushed forward aiming for an early goal within the opening few minutes.
Adelyn Ayton pounced on a bad clearance to shoot but Yarra stopper Claire Imray, who was impressive throughout the contest, parried the ball well.
The ball bounced from end-to-end quickly and the first goal arrived for the home side just before the 10 minute mark.
Brazilian Marcela Marques threaded the ball to Sara Alberici who clinically finished past Kelsey Quinn to open the scoring and put the visitors on the back foot.
Heidelberg bounced off the canvas and pushed high from the restart, mounting continuous pressure on the South Yarra defenders.
Nicolaci and Ayton combined well to push forward but Marques had dropped back enough to save it on the post.
At the other end, South Yarra weren’t resting and countered with Eliza Mealin; Marques and Alberici assisting to move the ball fluently between the trip in an attempt to further their lead.
South Yarra’s keeper Imray was performing like a trooper saving left right and centre alongside defenders Madeline Jona and Hannah Charman, who also did their best to stop everything kicked between the sticks.
At one stage Heidelberg registered four shots in almost as many seconds before the linesman called offside; South Yarra collectively allowed to breath a sigh of relief only for disaster to strike just before half-time.
Jona, in an attempt to clear the ball from the box, put it past her own keeper and into the back of the net bringing Heidelberg level before the referee called for half-time.
South Yarra restarted the game and within minutes were back in front when previous scorer Alberici crossed to Eliza Mealin at the back post who controlled and finished well.
Three points for the home team seemed in their grasp as the clock passed the 70th minute but it wasn’t to be.
In an instant the level changed as Nicolaci and substitute Ellie Gavalas combined to get through the defence with the number 10 sending it onto the post and into the back of the net.
As the sun started to throw shadows across the pitch, the intensity of the game increased and Heidelberg’s coach Bill Mihaloudis emptied the entire bench onto the park to chase the three points.
With under ten minutes to go, Heidelberg were awarded a free-kick well outside the box and previous goal scorer Nicolaci stepped up to take it.
The resulting goal was a textbook shot to the far top right corner where Imray, despite just getting a hand to it, couldn’t stop it bouncing off the post and into the net.
With urgency, South Yarra pushed forward in an attempt to reclaim the points they’d worked hard to get but to no avail with the referee calling for full-time, with the points going the way of the visitors.
Despite the stellar work of Imray and leading for almost the whole game, South Yarra missed an opportunity to take their first point of the season, but they can take plenty of consolation in having gone toe-to-toe with last years runners-up.
Heidelberg will be happy to take the win and can look forward to a rise back up the table.
***
South Yarra SC 2 (Alberici 9’, Mealin 48’) defeated by Heidelberg United 3 (Jona (OG) 44’, Nicolaci 72’, 82’) at Fawkner Park [HT: 1-1]
South Yarra SC: 1. Claire Imray, 2. Hayley Walkinshaw (16. Katie Mullenger 72’), 3. Sarah Dash, 4. Madeline Jona, 5. Hannah Charman, 6. Priscilla Ribas, 7. Eliza Mealin (12. Gretel Templeton 66’), 8. Aoife Murphy, 9. Marcela Marques, 10. Katherine Foster, 11. Sara Alberici
Unused Substitutions: 32. Sharon Walsh, 14. Lindsay Dore, 15. Louise Dore,
Yellow Card(s): Jona 58’
Red Card(s): Nil
Heidelberg United: 1. Kelsey Quinn, 4. Michelle Verzi, 6. Laura Phillips, 7. Maggie Eudes (8. Emma Gunn 57’), 9. Belinda Pannella (22. Ellie Gavalas 63’), 10. Julia Nicolaci, 13. Adelyn Ayton, 15. Lisa Funua (5. Elly Torre 80’), 16. Stephanie Galjar, 17. Natasha Lusi (11. Aneta Komijat), 24. Christina Macusco (12. Bonnie Barnes ‘72)
Unused Substitutions: Nil
Yellow Card(s): Lusi 55’
Red Card(s): Nil