South Melbourne have defeated Caulfield United Cobras 5-2 at Knox in a contest that may have been wet and wild, but anything resembling a theme park.
However, the clash was a rollercoaster ride in its own sense, involving the woodwork, an own goal, and players slipping and sliding everywhere in sometimes torrential downpour.
Just as the referee kicked off the clash, the heavens opened, forcing spectators to rush for cover.
It led to a scrappy opening few minutes that saw chances created with the help of the conditions rather than good play.
South had the first sight on goal when Caulfield keeper Jayde Shorter rushed off her line to clean up a through ball near the corner byline, but she only found Rhea Schreuder with a clearance, whose pass to Caitlin Greiser led to an effort that was eventually booted away by defenders.
The ball was holding up in the wind at the other end, leading to a minor mix-up in communication between the South back four which allowed Dani Jackson to barge into the box, but her effort was blocked away.
Irena Malliaras then struck the crossbar with an effort from distance, with the Cobras desperately unlucky not to take the lead.
South’s first corner nearly resulted in a goal, with Shorter beaten and the ball cleared at the back post.
Minutes later the ‘keeper was called upon again to make amends for a risky kick-out, denying Schreuder at the near post.
The visitors weren’t to be denied in the 30th minute when a lapse in concentration allowed Caitlin Grieser time on the ball, and she made no mistake with the finish, scoring her first of the season.
Minutes later Tiff Eliadis was also in on the action, taking on three defenders and forcing Shorter into a low save.
She scored from the subsequent corner, nodding in Alison Baker’s delivery.
There was a flurry of goals just before the break, with Caulfield halving the margin through Bree Gurr, who tapped home a spilled set-piece that Coco Majstorovic failed to hold in.
Not to be outdone, another corner from South wasn’t dealt with by the Cobras, allowing Sarah Sumner to volley in from the edge of the area to make it 3-1 at the break.
Despite the rain easing before the break, the heavens opened again in time for for the restart in identical fashion to the first period.
The hosts came out firing and earned an early free-kick through Jackson, but the resulting shot flew over the bar.
Jackson then found Amy Kane through on goal, but the latter’s shot just missed wide.
Both sides were blistering on the counter, but while the hosts huffed and puffed to no avail, South did it much easier, with substitute Brittany Dudley-Smith the beneficiary of the back-four failing to clear their lines, making it 4-1.
Kane then went on a brilliant solo run down the left wing, beating her marker and cutting back in, but her curler from distance missed agonisingly wide.
For all their efforts, the home side were their own undoing when Dudley-Smith’s squaring ball was turned in for an own goal.
However, moments later the Cobras finally had some reward for effort when Malliaras ran towards the byline and cut back for Jackson to tuck home.
It should have been three just before the whistle when Jackson was fouled after flicking on a ball into the path of the oncoming Malliaras who was on the verge of being one-on-one with the ‘keeper, but not realising the advantage, the referee stopped play for a set-piece.
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Caulfield United Cobras 2 (Gurr 43′, Jackson 71′) defeated by South Melbourne Women’s 5 (Greiser 30′, Eliadis 40′, Sumner 45′, Dudley-Smith 63′, OG 69′) [HT: 1-3]
Caulfield United Cobras: 1. Jayde Shorter, 23. Victoria Argyropoulos, 8. Anita Les, 33. Louise McMullen, 16. Irena Malliaras, 14. Dani Jackson, 24. Hollie McDonald, 12. Bree Gurr, 19. Ruby Bingham, 35. Shelby Swiney (4. Jamie Brown 70′), 3. Amy Kane (22. Cassie Mayston 83′)
Unused Subs: 17. Zoe Haractsis, 20. Steph Locandro,
South Melbourne: 31. Coco Majstorovic, 6. Alex Cheal, 7. Rhea Schreuder, 8. Carol Howes, 9. Sarah Sumner, 10. Tiff Eliadis, 13. Marianna Anthony (3. Jade Feakes 60′), 18. Caitlin Grieser (2. Brittany Dudley-Smith 60′), 17. Alison Baker, 31. Jasmin Arezollo (19. Casey Aarons 83′), 32. Emily Heijden
Unused Subs: 1. Jenna Ibrahim