Boroondara Eagles have all but secured the WPL premiership with a resounding 9-0 victory over South Yarra at Knox on Sunday.
Taryne Boudreau scored four goals, Amy Jackson tightened her grip on the golden boot with a hat-trick, while new Tasmanian recruits Lucy Johnstone and Aimee Medwin netted their first goals for the club.
The only way the Eagles can drop top spot is if they lose their remaining games while South Melbourne win theirs and make up a goal difference of 39.
South Yarra managed to hold off the hosts for the first 25 minutes, but the signs were looking ominous early.
A clinical passing move between Ash Callaghan, Sarah Jacobs and Boudreau saw the latter play Kayla Michaels through on goal, but her shot was tipped wide by Sharon Walsh.
From the subsequent short corner, Jackson hit a shot that beat Walsh but was cleared off the line by a defender.
South Yarra then had a golden chance to take the lead against the odds when Marcela Marques played Eliza Mealin clean through on goal, but her shot missed narrowly wide.
The visitors were punished as a consequence, with the ball going up the other end for Johnstone to slip Jackson through on goal, who showed how it’s done with a classy finish.
The hosts were just getting warmed up, and added a second via the right wing when fullback Rani Cavaretta played the ball to fellow Tasmanian Johnstone, who dribbled the ball to the byline and delivered a bullet low cross for Boudreau to tap in.
Boroondara added one more goal before the break as Johnstone went from supplier to scorer, lobbing a delightful effort on the bounce after being played in over the top by Jacobs.
The combination was emulated moments later when Jacobs sliced the defence open with a low through ball, but Johnstone’s equally low shot was saved.
The floodgates opened just after half-time, as Boroondara may have been assisted by a knock to custodian Walsh, who got up gingerly after colliding with Jackson when pouncing on a delivery in the box.
Boudreau was the main beneficiary, scoring a hat-trick, each goal struck two minutes apart.
The first came when she took a touch and smashed the ball into the to corner, while the second was via a placed header from Jackson’s pinpoint cross.
The third came about from Medwin’s dribble from left-back, beating a few players before teeing up the Canadian for a simple finish.
Medwin then scored a goal of her own, pouncing on a ball from outside the box and driving it into the back of the net.
Jackson then scored her team’s fifth goal in a 20 minute spell post half-time, picking up Jacobs’ pass, turning and placing a shot past the ‘keeper.
Yarra managed to stem the flow thereafter, but Jackson wasn’t to be denied her hat-trick in 85th minute, capping off the resounding 9-0 victory.
Boroondara Eagles 9 (Jackson 26′ 64′ 85′, Boudreau 31′ 52′ 54′ 56′, Johnstone 42′, Medwin 56′) defeated South Yarra 0 at Knox Regional Football Centre
Boroondara Eagles: 14. Freya CROCKER (GK), 31. Rani CAVARRETA, 9. Alex GUMMER, 52. Aimee MEDWIN, 55. Jess TAY, 50. Lucy JOHNSTONE, 15. Amy JACKSON, 7. Taryne BOUDREAU (Sarah PETTY 63′), 2. Sarah JACOBS, 51. Kayla MICHAELS, 6. Ash CALLAGHAN (88. Kayo KUGIMIYA 46’)
Unused Substitute(s): 1. Mia MOSSMAN, 10. Emma GROSS, 5. Sky JENSEN
South Yarra SC: 1. Sharon WALSH (GK), 2. Megan LORKIN (Madeline JONA 59′), 3. Hannah CHARMAN, 4. Samantha TIGHE, 5. Sarah DASH, 6. Aoife MURPHY (8. Jennifer WESTHAGEN 69′), 13. Hayley WALKINSHAW (29. Gretel TEMPLETON 46′), 11. Priscilla RIBAS, 9. Marcela MARQUES, 10. Katherine FOSTER, 17. Eliza MEALIN
Unused Substitute(s): 25. Loren COLLETS