Extreme weather and the possibility of a cancelled match greeted the Trafalgar ladies as they journeyed to Phillip Island for their round eight South Gippsland match. After numerous phone calls and text messages it was eventually decided the match was to go ahead. By the end of the days play, this was the only South Gippsland venue to complete any scheduled matches, with all others being cancelled due to heavy rain.
The match was evenly fought with both teams having to work really hard in the extremely heavy conditions. The roll of the ball was a matter of luck with some passes skidding through, whilst others pulling up really short.
With only a matter of minutes remaining in the first half it was a Haylee Murphy who broke the deadlock with a strong strike from the top of the box. The strike had sufficient power to skid through the Phillip Island keeper’s hands, thereby giving Trafalgar a handy 1 – 0 lead at half time. In all honesty the Trafalgar girls had the majority of scoring opportunities in the first half of play and deserved to have at least one of the board by the major break.
In the second half it was Phillip Island who took the game up to Trafalgar. The Island repeatedly threatened to score. However, excellent defence from Kristy Hines and Caycee Tatterson made scoring extremely difficult for the home team. Keeper Amanda Hines was called upon at times, but always had control of the situation and indeed the ball.
Emma Hudson played her best game for the season and made numerous clearing kicks in the last line of defence. Tabbatha Mallia also played a great game in her first game for several months following and absence from the game. Danelle and Shirley once again controlled the middle of the park and produced many forward passes to the various strikers on the day.
Jaiden, Amanda and Jo all looked dangerous up front and each had opportunities to score throughout the game. In the end it was Jo who put the game beyond Phillip Island’s reach when she made what was a beautifully timed run to create a one on one with the opposition goal keeper. Following Coach Warren’s recent instructions, Jo kept her cool, used the space to draw the goalie and pushed the ball into the side of the net. A lovely finish by the soon to be birthday girl.
By the games end the score line of 2-0 was a fitting result for a team that worked consistently throughout the match and effectively wore their opponents into the ground. There wasn’t a week link across the park with every player doing their part to ensure the victory. Coach Warren would have been delighted by the performance of his chargers. For the time being, the ladies currently sit atop the ladder. However, all other teams have a match in hand following the cancellation of scheduled games.
