So the Easter break has come and gone, and while we were caught up with the festivities we can now finally bring you the Team of the Week for Round 3.
The marquee fixture of the round between Sandringham and South Melbourne ended in a rather dour 0-0 draw, while Box Hill kept up their perfect start to the season with a 4-0 win over Cairnlea FC, and Bulleen made it two in a row with a 2-0 win over Casey Comets.
It was a return to winning ways for Bundoora, who swept Heidelberg aside in a 5-1 win, while Monbulk recorded their first ever victory with a come from behind 3-2 win against the FFV U17s. Boroondara also won their first game in the WPL with a 4-1 beating of Ashburton.
There is a lot to get to, so here is our pick for the round:
Starting XI: 4-3-3 formation
GK – Steph Dwyer (Casey Comets)
If it wasn’t for Dwyer’s unorthodox goalkeeping against Bulleen, it’s fair to say Casey may have gone home with a heavier defeat. The Comets’ shot stopper found effective ways to keep the ball out, and thwarted the likes of Lia Privitelli and Dani Gudelj particularly in the second half.
DR – Bella Scott (Bulleen Lions)
The former NTC product showed her potential in last Monday night’s game against Casey. She was strong on the ball and made sure no one was able to get past her on the night. Scott always made sure she was in position to help Bulleen play out from the back, and in turn her forays forward and link up play with Privitelli were highlights of the evening.
DC – Christie Parton (Sandringham)
Consistently a rock at the back for Sandringham, her efforts against South Melbourne in the Grand Final replay were particularly key in ensuring the game remained scoreless, at least in terms of shutting out her opponents. It wasn’t a classic game of football, but the contribution of Parton in Sandringham’s defence played a big part in it ending in a stalemate.
DC – Natalie Brajanovski (South Melbourne)
2013 wasn’t particularly fruitful for Brajanovski as far as first team appearances were concerned, but she has been put into the starting eleven alongside Alex Cheal and seems to be warming into the starting spot. She kept the likes of Emma Runnalls and and former South player Annabelle Gibney at bay all night, making sure her side kept their first clean sheet of the season.
READ MORE > Mihaloudis: It was a midfield battle
DL – Tyla-Jay Vlajnic (Bundoora United)
There really doesn’t need to be a description for the ever-consistent fullback. Vlajnic was again a presence for Bundoora, producing another commanding performance running up and down the left flank to help her team to a 5-1 win against Heidelberg.
DM – Nikki Ceeney (Monbulk Rangers)
While undoubtedly deserving of the spot because of her two wonder strikes against the FFV U17s, the defensive midfielder was a big part of why Monbulk were able to turnaround their two goal deficit. Her influence in the second half showed as she broke up plenty of attacks, while also setting the transition into attack in motion.
READ MORE > Wells: “Not bad for a defensive midfielder!”
MC – Ellie Brush (Box Hill United)
Brush showed once again why she is so highly regarded at W-League level with another commanding performance in the middle of the part for Box Hill. Apart from dictating play when the home side were in possession, her assist for the second goal just oozed class, while she outdid herself with a stunning 35 yard thunderbolt to round out the 4-0 win for Box Hill.
MC – Racheal Quigley (Boroondara Eagles)
Sticking with the W-League theme, Quigley also showed her difference in ability as she nabbed a hat trick from midfield in Boroondara’s comprehensive 4-1 win over Ashburton. Her first two strikes were almost carbon copies of each other, while the third was an opportunistic header inside the box. It was by no means a walkover for the Eagles, but Quigley proved to be the game changer on the night.
AMR – Lia Privitelli (Bulleen Lions)
If this was Football Manager, her performance indicator would read “Deserves a goal”. Privitelli was busy all night terrorising Casey’s defence with a display of pace and boundless energy. She was unlucky not to score as Dwyer and Shauna Murray thwarted her inside the box, but it was her industry on the right flank which opened the game up and helped Bulleen to their 2-0 win.
AML – Natalie Exon (Box Hill United)
Exon’s hat trick against Cairnlea shot her up to the top of the scorers charts with five goals in the first three games. After a fairly simple first couple of goals, she rounded off her milestone with a lob from the corner of the 18 yard box which left the keeper with no chance. The winger just seems to be getting better as the weeks go on, so watch this space.
ST – Beattie Goad (FFV U17s)
This was not a good week for strikers around the league, but Goad’s first half performance deserved a bit more reward as the U17s threatened to run riot against Monbulk. Apart from timing her run well and rounding Kamoda for her goal, she was the leader up front, harrying Monbulk’s defence and causing errors which the U17s were ultimately not able to fully punish the Rangers for.
Bench:
GK – Jamie Brown (FFV U17s)
Brown was a steady hand in goals for the U17s, making the saves that were required including a vital one on one with Alicia McKillen while the scores were locked at 2-2. Unfortunately she was beaten by three outstanding strikes on the day, and should not be disheartened by that.
Maria Patrikis (Ashburton)
Ashburton have endured a horror start to the season, but Patrikis performance against Boroondara deserved mention as she was key in helping Ashburton transition into attack. She played a couple of balls in particular from deep to the forwards, which almost resulted in goals. It’s also worth mentioning she was playing with a heavily bruised foot after injuring it during the cup game against Heidelberg, but she played through the pain barrier and put in a commendable performance.
Gulcan Koca (Bundoora United)
The Melbourne Victory midfielder returned to her usual ways with a solid performance in the middle of the park for Bundoora. She dictated play for the hosts throughout the match and capped off her performance with the team’s fifth goal on the day.
Emily Hulbert (Monbulk Rangers)
Hulbert has yet to set the world on fire in Monbulk colours this season, but she performed well in a more withdrawn midfield role against the FFV U17s. She played a key role in bringing the ball out of the Monbulk half after the break, and proved to be the vital link between the defence and the attack for the Rangers.
Janna Lawson (FFV U17s)
Lawson doesn’t make the starting eleven this week, but still put in a display of note. She scored the first for the U17s, ensuring Noel Boersma’s strike was tapped across the line, and even hit the bar minutes before the goal was scored. Lawson was unable to make the most of her chances in the second half though, failing to take advantage of some good positions.
That concludes the Team of the Week for Round 2. Once again many thanks to all our various writers, FFV writers and any others that have contributed to the picking of the team.