Image courtesy: Anita Milas
By Gigi Silk
Sandringham has fought-off fourth-placed contenders, the Casey Comets with a strong 5-nil win at the Comets' home ground yesterday afternoon.
It was a fight for fourth spot with both teams showing promise in the lead up to the match; Sandringham was coming off a confident win over Preston the week before, whilst Casey was fresh after a bye last week.
Alice Maxwell - who has only just made the change from defender to midfielder - took the opener three minutes after the first whistle, when she crossed the ball into the target from the right hand side of the goal.
Casey had an opportunity to respond only five minutes later when Lorna Gover nearly converted a corner with a brilliant header that just skimmed the top of the net.
After these early shots, both teams manned-up and were able to limit the number of attacking opportunities of their opponents.
Peta Horman made an excellent save when Nicola Prins was able to shake-off her defenders in the 34th minute to try and score Casey’s first goal.
The first of Emma Runnalls’ goals came in the 36th minute when she headed the ball through a gap in the defenders.
Casey’s defence seemed to unravel in the second half, with Sandringham able to create more runs and bring the defensive wall down.
In the 68th minute a game of ‘keepings off’ in the goal square started. Sandringham was able to pass the ball around in a circle uncontested, before Stephanie Catley flicked the ball into the top of the net, bringing the score to 3-nil.
In a gutsy goal, Sienna Fogarty trusted her own skills to leap over Emma Bracken and past defenders to dribble right up to the net.
Despite the wind and rain, everything seemed to go right for Sandringham, while despite their gutsy efforts, things just weren’t going Casey’s way.
Substitute Danielle Lawrence had the Comets’ third shot on goal for the match when she was able to get around defenders and shoot at goal, but the ball was saved by Horman.
After two quick saves by Bracken, Runnalls and Catley put on an excellent display of teamwork, keeping their feet while the defenders and goalkeeper went to ground, leaving the goal open for Runnalls to pop it through in the dying stages of the match.
Sandringham will face top-team Box Hill next week in what is sure to be a tough match, while Casey will play South Melbourne.
Casey Comets: Emma BRACKEN (Gk), Jennifer BLACK (c), Shaunna MURRAY, Melissa ATHERTON, Rebecca SHERRY (Natalie HOLMES 78’), Nicola PRINS (Danielle LAWRENCE 84’), Talia SILVESTROS, Laura CROFT, Alexandra GUMMER, Lisa CLOKE, Lorna GOVER (Laura HAWS 60’)
Unused Subs: Medina ASANOVSKI, Natalie MITCHELL
Sandringham: Peta HORMAN (Gk), Christie PARTON, Rachel PEZZANO, Michelle PARTON, Paige DODDS, Emma RUNNALLS, Hannah STUART, Stephanie CATLEY, Sian ROGERS, Alice MAXWELL, Sienna FOGARTY
Unused subs: Hannah WHITTAKER, Lucy KAPUSTA
Goals Maxwell 3’, Runnalls 37’ 89’, Catley 69’, Fogarty 77’
Last updated: Monday July 19, 2010 2:36PM
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