Category: News

South Melbourne FC is excited to announce a triple-header event planned for this Sunday 5 June, with the club’s Lakeside Stadium home set for a jam-packed day of football and fun.

SMFC in conjunction with Lakeside Stadium will host the Greek National Football Team in preparation for their upcoming Melbourne friendly against the Caltex Socceroos. The Greek team will participate in an open training session on the Lakeside Stadium pitch after the SMFC Senior Men’s and Women’s teams play their scheduled matches.

Sunday will begin with our Senior Women hosting Melbourne University at 1pm, followed by the Senior Men taking on Northcote City at 4:00pm. Both of our teams sit on top of their respective league ladders and both are hoping to maintain that position with wins on Sunday. This will also be the first time that the entire SMFC Family will be at one match day at the same time, with all players encouraged to support our senior teams as “One Club”. The double headers also allow the club to showcase its continued work at the forefront of women’s football and equality for both male and female participants.

The Greek team will then commence training at 7:30pm (approximately 90 minutes after the completion of our Senior Men’s match), with the training session open to the public to attend, chant and welcome the return of the Greek team to Melbourne.

SMFC is very proud that its home Lakeside Stadium continues to play host to international teams, having previously hosted UEFA Euro 2000 winners France (2001), UEFA Euro 2004 winners Greece (2006) and the Socceroos, who have used our home as their base for many Asian and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers over the years.

Entry is free for all 2016 SMFC members.

The Greek National Team will be taking on the Socceroos at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday 7 June 2016 at 8:00pm.

South Melbourne FC defeated North Geelong 2-0 at SS Anderson Reserve on Wednesday night to progress in 2016 FFA Cup qualifying. Second half goals to Milos Lujic and Matthew Millar set up the win for South, who will now travel to play the Bentleigh Greens in an all-NPL tie.

Tim Mala made a welcome return to the starting eleven but played at centre-half and not right-back due to the absence of Kristian Konstantinidis and Luke Adams. Goalkeeper Zaim Zeneli made only his second appearance of the season, replacing Nikola Roganovic who was a late withdrawal after injuring himself in the pre-game warm-up.

The first half was an entertaining affair as South created plenty of chances but was unable to convert any into goals. Captain Michael Eagar came close with a goal-bound header but North Geelong goalkeeper Daniel Zilic made an excellent save to deny the centre-half. There was also a clearance off the line and an appeal for a handball turned down by the referee. At the other end, Matt Thorne had a shot whistle just wide of Zeneli’s goal as North Geelong sent a reminder that they were more than capable of hitting South on the break and causing damage.

On the hour mark, Nicholas Jurcic volleyed the ball into the back of the net but the linesman had already flagged him as offside in what looked to be a very close call. Things went from bad to worse for North Geelong when South took the lead just a few minutes later as Lujic met Brad Norton’s cross from the left to volley past Zilic. Lujic then turned provider on 82 minutes by heading the ball across goal for the incoming Millar to easily head home and secure a safe passage into the next round.

South’s win has set up an all-NPL tie against the Bentleigh Greens, with the tie to be played at some stage over the next 2-3 weeks at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex. The winners will qualify for the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 proper as well as the Dockerty Cup semi finals.

FINAL SCORE: NORTH GEELONG 0-2 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
0-1: Milos Lujic (64′)
0-2: Matthew Millar (82′)

North Geelong FC:
1. Daniel ZILIC (GK), 2. Darren LEWIS, 3. Matt TOWNLEY, 4. Michael SIMMS, 6. Josh PUGH, 8. Vito CHICHELLO, 10. Rudi SAGLAM (21. Ante KOZUL 80′), 11. Kene EZE (19. Michael ANDERSON 71′), 14. Matt THORNE, 17. Nicholas JURCIC, 99. Nathan LONG.
Unused Subs: 5. Anthony BANOVAC, 31. Hamish FLAVELL.

South Melbourne FC:
21. Zaim ZENELI (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 2. Tim MALA, 11. Brad NORTON / 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 99. Iqi JAWADI / 18. Matthew MILLAR, 17. Marcus SCHROEN (22. Andy KECOJEVIC 89′), 7. Nick EPIFANO (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 90+1′) / 9. Milos LUJIC (14. Chris IRWIN 90+3′).
Unused Subs: 1. Rory BRIAN (GK), 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Foschini
Venue: SS Anderson Reserve
Date: Wednesday 1 June 2016

South Melbourne FC meets North Geelong at SS Anderson Reserve on Wednesday night in Sixth Round FFA Cup Qualifying, with the winning team to move within one game of qualifying for the Round of 32 proper.

As the designated home team, North Geelong tried to have the lighting at their Elcho Park ground at a satisfactory level in order to host South in this cup tie but had to eventually concede and move the game to SS Anderson Reserve. The draw for the next round of the FFA Cup was held on Monday and both North Geelong and South know that the winner will be travelling to Kingston Heath to play the Bentleigh Greens for a spot in both the FFA Cup Round of 32 proper and the Dockerty Cup semi finals.

Both teams go into the game on the back of derby losses in their respective leagues. North Geelong suffered a 1-2 home defeat in their NPL 2 West derby against the St Albans Saints, whilst South was humiliated 5-0 by Heidelberg United at the Olympic Village on Sunday night. The only consolation for Chris Taylor’s side was the fact that Bentleigh stumbled against Bulleen Lions on Monday night, keeping South ahead of them by point on top of the NPL Victoria ladder.

North Geelong defeated South Shepparton in March (7-1) and FC Clifton Hill in April (5-2) to set up their cup tie against South, who started their cup campaign with a big win against Keysborough in March (10-0) before eventually getting over the line against Altona Magic in April (3-0). North Geelong – like Altona – will also prove to be difficult opposition, with Micky Colina’s side currently in second place on the NPL 2 West ladder and only a point behind leaders Melbourne City. South has struggled to play against the lower-ranked teams in the NPL this season, plus the 3-0 score against Altona Magic in the last round of the cup was not a true reflection of the game itself. Colina and his team will look at that as inspiration to cause an upset on Wednesday night.

South has won the two previous meetings between the sides, with both games played last year when North Geelong were in Victoria’s top flight before eventually being relegated. South won the first meeting at Elcho Park 3-0 (28 February) before enjoying a 7-1 home win at Lakeside Stadium (29 May).

Wednesday night’s cup tie kicks off at 7:30pm at SS Anderson Reserve, Port Melbourne.

Male NPL Teams (U12-Seniors)

Seniors: SMFC 0-5 Heidelberg United
U20s: SMFC 8-2 Heidelberg United (Maker 3′, 58′, Marafioti 18′, 61′, Jansz 23′, 53′, Iradukunda 35′, Hussainy 75′)
U18s: SMFC 2-2 Bulleen Lions (Egan, Hawthorne)
U16s: SMFC 2-0 Bulleen Lions (Pignalosa, Dobbyn)
U15s: SMFC 1-2 Bulleen Lions (Garrow)
U14s: SMFC 2-1 Bulleen Lions (Lewis-Hanafin, Abdou)
U13s: SMFC 2-2 Bulleen Lions (Panakos, Own Goal)
U12s: SMFC 1-4 Bulleen Lions (Dzadey)

Female State League Teams (U12-Seniors)

SL1 (Seniors): SMFC 1-0 South Yarra (Alberici 70′)
SL1 (Reserves): SMFC 1-2 South Yarra (Cachia 7′)
SL2: SMFC 2-3 Seaford United (Goal Scorers TBC)
SL3: SMFC 0-4 Mazenod United
SL4: SMFC 0-9 Harrisfield Hurricanes
U16s: SMFC 2-2 Ashburton United (Stoic, Trease-Hemming)
U14s: SMFC 2-2 Pascoe Vale (Nikolaus x2)
U12s: SMFC 2-1 Bentleigh Strikers (Hugh-Jones x2)

The two derby meetings between South Melbourne FC and Heidelberg United in 2016 have been extraordinary to say the least. In the first meeting at Lakeside Stadium back in February, South demolished Heidelberg 6-0 to record the club’s biggest ever winning margin against the Bergers in 82 league meetings since 1964. At the Olympic Village on Sunday evening, Heidelberg brushed South aside 5-0 to also record their biggest ever winning margin against their rivals.

The scoring was opened on the half hour mark. A free kick from the left side was only partially cleared as the ball fell for centre-back Steven Pace to smash home past Nikola Roganovic. The match was then over as a contest just before the halftime break with two quick goals from Kenny Athiu and Harry Noon that put the Bergers in a commanding 3-0 halftime lead. Athiu got on the end of a free kick to head home past Roganovic and Noon capitalised on a loose ball in the South area just two minutes later.

The scoring was completed just before the hour mark as the Bergers scored two early second half goals. Noon scored his second of the evening (and second goal within five minutes) when he reacted first to the loose ball in the area as the South defence failed to clear the ball. On 58 minutes, Jack Petrie scored the goal of the night when he got possession of the ball and fired home from the edge of the area with a low shot that had Roganovic stretching to his right but unable to keep out of the net.

South’s miserable night was completed when Nick Epifano’s late penalty kick curled over the crossbar and out for a goal kick in what was his second penalty miss in three matches. South has now lost two matches in their last three games and a Bentleigh win over FC Bulleen Lions tonight will see the Greens overtake South on top of the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder.

There was an incredible 10 goals scored in the Under 20s as South Melbourne defeated Heidelberg United 8-2. Maker Maker (x2), Giordano Marafioti (x2), Brandon Jansz (x2), Thierry Iradukunda and Nashir Hussainy scored South’s eight goals.

There is not much time for the Senior Team to regroup before facing NPL 1 opposition North Geelong in the Sixth Round of FFA Cup Qualifying in what is simply a must-win game on Wednesday night. The match will be played at Port Melbourne’s SS Anderson Reserve, with kick-off at 7:30pm.

FINAL SCORE: HEIDELBERG UNITED 5-0 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 3-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Steven Pace (29′)
2-0: Kenny Athiu (42′)
3-0: Harry Noon (44′)
4-0: Harry Noon (49′)
5-0: Jack Petrie (58′)

Heidelberg United FC:
1. Chris THEODORIDIS (GK), 2. Josh WILKINS, 6. Lewis HALL, 7. Reuben WAY, 10. Jack PETRIE, 11. Kosta KANAKARIS (24. Emmanuel TSAKIRIS 89′), 12. Kenny ATHIU, 13. Luke BYLES (C), 14. Harry NOON, 17. Steven PACE (21. Andreas GOVAS 66′), 19. Sean ELLIS (4. Johnny LAZARIDIS 62′).
Unused Subs: 8. Andrew CARTANOS, 23. Jack EVANS.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 11. Brad NORTON / 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS, 99. Iqi JAWADI (17. Marcus SCHROEN 46′) / 18. Matthew MILLAR, 8. Mathew THEODORE (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 56′), 7. Nick EPIFANO / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 14. Chris IRWIN, 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 23. Andy KECOJEVIC.

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Matthew Millar
Venue: Olympic Village
Date: Sunday 29 May 2016

(Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

The Senior Women’s team travelled to Fawkner Park on Sunday afternoon to take on South Yarra FC in what was a top of the table clash.

Coach Socrates Nicolaidis returned to lead the girls in this match, having spent the last week in Canberra pursuing his coaching A-Licence. Rachel Jarvis also returned to the pitch for the first time following her recent injury. Both teams were undefeated in the Women’s State League One North-West and as such, the fixture was expected to be a tough one.

South made an impressive start and had the bulk of possession but couldn’t find success on the scoreboard, though both teams had chances to hit the back of the net. Hayley Drain stood tall in goal, making a number of quality saves to prevent Yarra from scoring in one-on-one situations.

The South girls came out firing after the break and continued to have good control of the ball. Sara Alberici was having a superb game up front, forcing saves from the Yarra keeper consistently. After 70 minutes, Alberici latched on to a poor back-pass and went one-on-one with the keeper to finally break the deadlock and put the visitors in front.

Strong defence was the aim of the game from that point on and in the final few minutes Yarra almost scored the equaliser. It wasn’t to be though and South pushed through for a sixth win to remain the only team undefeated and with a 100% winning record in the division in 2016.

Caitlin Greiser spoke to Eliza Gleadell about the result post-match. “We played a good game, particularly in the second half where we came out raring to go and got the winning goal. Our defence was great today. As always Deryal [Aziz] is our big defender who can get rid of it, clear it out when she needs to but also play it on the ground as well. Renee [Laszczak] did really well in the midfield controlling play. The key positive for us today is that we played our style of football.”

Goal scorer Sara Alberici also took a moment from her post-match celebrations to talk with smfc.com.au. “It was pretty tough until the second half. It was a good start for us. They are a physical side and a good team so we tried to play the ball around as much as you can. Keep the ball on the ground and keep it moving. For my goal, to be honest it was very lucky. But we try and try and try, I am so happy. I think we deserved to win and be first on the ladder.”

The girls continue their journey of three matches in eight days when they travel to the Veneto Club on Wednesday evening for the Team App Cup Quarter Finals. South are one of four State League teams remaining in the competition and now face traditional rivals FC Bulleen Lions, who are currently on top of the Women’s NPL Victoria as the best performing team. No Women’s NPL Victoria team has so far lost to a State League team in the Team App Cup, so the opportunity presents itself for a big upset and also the chance to measure our squad performance against Bulleen.

Next Sunday the women will face the strong attacking Melbourne University team. The uni squad are in form and are certainly a team to watch this year. In their first seven matches they have scored an impressive 31 goals and amassed a goal difference of +20.

Coach Nicolaidis has the girls clearly focused on one match at a time and that means Bulleen at Veneto Club this coming Wednesday night.

South Melbourne FC begins the second half of its PS4 NPL Victoria season with a trip to the Olympic Village to face Heidelberg United this Sunday evening.

South got its 2016 season off to the best possible start back in February with a 6-0 demolition of Heidelberg at Lakeside Stadium, historically the club’s biggest ever winning margin against the Bergers since the sides first met competitively back in 1964.

Since that defeat, George Katsakis’ side have been very impressive in the league, only losing two other times in their opening 13 matches and their 4-2 win against Melbourne Victory’s NPL side last Sunday elevated them over Green Gully (on goal difference) into third spot on the NPL Victoria ladder. Playing finals football and winning the NPL Victoria Championship is what will drive the Bergers for the rest of the season following their elimination from the FFA Cup after a 2-0 loss to Green Gully in their Sixth Round FFA Cup tie.

Chris Taylor’s side will travel to the Olympic Village hoping to do the double over Heidelberg in 2016, plus win a second consecutive match on the road following the hard-fought 0-1 win at Green Gully last Saturday. In terms of league games only, South has five home games in a row following Sunday’s derby, giving the team a great opportunity to consolidate their position at the top of the table.

With the FFA Cup Sixth Round tie against North Geelong coming up next Wednesday night, it is crucial that South continues winning matches as the season heads into the busy June/July period.

A win on Sunday will put South five points ahead of the Bentleigh Greens, who will then be under pressure themselves to defeat the Bulleen Lions when they visit Veneto Club on Monday night. On the other hand, if both Heidelberg and Bentleigh win, Bentleigh will overtake South by a point on the ladder and Heidelberg will reduce their deficit against South to just five points.

The margins are close at the very top of the ladder but the good news is that South has its fate in its own hands at the moment.

Sunday’s match at Olympic Village kicks off at 6pm.

SMFC v Heidelberg – Head to Head (League & Finals)

Matches Played: 82
Wins (SMFC): 41
Wins (HUFC): 22
Draws: 19

First match: South Melbourne 2-1 Heidelberg (30 March 1964, Middle Park)
Last match: South Melbourne 6-0 Heidelberg (21 February 2016, Lakeside Stadium)

Biggest Winning Margin (SMFC): 6-0 (21 February 2016, Lakeside Stadium)
Biggest Winning Margin (HUFC): 5-2 (3 July 1977, Olympic Park)

Most Goals in a Match (SMFC): 7 (7-3 win) – (2 April 1967, Middle Park)
Most Goals in a Match (HUFC): 5 (5-2 win) – (3 July 1977, Olympic Park)

Biggest Finals Win (SMFC): 4-2 (21 October 1984, Olympic Park)
Biggest Finals Win (HUFC): 4-1 (18 October 1980, Olympic Park)

Heidelberg was not in the same division as SMFC in the following seasons: 1965, 1969 (State League); 1988, 1989/90, 1995/96 to 2003/04 (National League); 2013 (Premier League)

South Melbourne FC returned to winning ways with an excellent team performance against Green Gully, triumphing 0-1 at Green Gully Reserve on Saturday afternoon. Nick Epifano’s penalty shortly before halftime was the difference between the two sides as South remained on top of the PS4 NPL Victoria ladder at the halfway mark of the season.

Changes were made to the South team that suffered a very disappointing home defeat against Pascoe Vale the previous Friday. There was a defensive re-shuffle, with Luke Adams absent due to an international call-up to the New Zealand side and Tim Mala and Kristian Konstantinidis both still recovering from injury. Matthew Foschini replaced Adams at centre-back, with his usual defensive midfield spot taken over by Stephen Hatzikostas. Iqi Jawadi also made a return to the starting eleven.

South were the better side in the first half but despite plenty of huffing and puffing, could not get past Rani Dowisha in the Gully goal. This changed three minutes before the halftime break, when right-back Amadu Koroma was fouled in the penalty area as he charged forward for his side. Epifano stepped up to take the spot kick and shot low to Dowisha’s right to open the scoring. The half ended with Mathew Theodore hitting a fierce shot that hit the crossbar, before Nick Krousouratis put an equalising chance for Gully wide of the goal at the other end.

South continued to take the game to the hosts in the second half as it chased a second goal to kill the match off as a contest. In a replica of the first half, plenty of positive play by Chris Taylor’s side ended in no additions to the scoreboard as South fans nervously awaited the typical late Green Gully onslaught that had occurred in so many previous meetings between the two clubs.

As expected, Arthur Papas’ side roared home in the final twenty minutes in what was their most dominant period of the game. Nikola Roganovic denied Liam Boland before doing the same from an Evan Christodoulou shot. Krousouratis came closest to scoring for the home side with a long-distance shot that beat Roganovic but was cleared off the line as South’s defence dug deep to preserve the clean sheet. When Roganovic made another save from George Lambadaridis, it seemed destined to be South’s day. At the other end, Gully scrambled to clear a goal-bound shot off the line, with the linesman ignoring suggestions from the away team that the ball had crossed the line.

After six tense minutes of injury time, referee Shaun Evans signalled the end of the match that confirmed South had returned to the top of the NPL Victoria table, having been temporarily overtaken by Bentleigh Greens the night before. Oddly, South have now won four straight league matches at Green Gully Reserve from 2013 onwards, having struggled to get two draws from nine matches (including a final) at the venue between 2005 and 2012.

The news was not as good in the Under 20s, with Brian MacNicol’s side suffering only their second defeat of the season as Green Gully comprehensively won 4-0.

South begin the second half of the 2016 NPL Victoria season with a trip to the Olympic Village to face old rivals Heidelberg United. The match kicks off at 6pm next Sunday.

FINAL SCORE: GREEN GULLY 0-1 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-1)

Goal Scorer:
0-1: Nick Epifano (42’p)

Green Gully FC:
23. Rani DOWISHA (GK), 2. Matthew REID (7. Tom MURPHY 74′), 3. Yohei IWASAKI, 5. Rodrigo VARGAS (C), 6. Callum RICHARDSON (4. Daniel JONES 74′), 8. George LAMBADARIDIS, 11. Evan CHRISTODOULOU, 12. Nick KROUSOURATIS, 16. Kliment TASESKI (9. Anthony RAGUSA 90′), 19. Luke WALKER, 38. Liam BOLAND.
Unused Subs: 1. Sebastian MATTEI (GK), 17. Alon BLUMGART.

South Melbourne FC:
1. Nikola ROGANOVIC (GK) / 12. Amadu KOROMA, 4. Michael EAGAR (C), 23. Matthew FOSCHINI, 11. Brad NORTON / 77. Stephen HATZIKOSTAS, 99. Iqi JAWADI (14. Chris IRWIN 77′) / 18. Matthew MILLAR, 8. Mathew THEODORE (17. Marcus SCHROEN 72′), 7. Nick EPIFANO (27. Leigh MINOPOULOS 90+1′) / 9. Milos LUJIC.
Unused Subs: 6. Filzgerald MBAKA, 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK).

SMFC Melbourne City Toyota Man of the Match: Stephen Hatzikostas
Venue: Green Gully Reserve
Date: Saturday 21 May 2016

Male NPL Teams (U12-Seniors)

Seniors: SMFC 1-0 Green Gully (Epifano 42’p)
U20s: SMFC 0-4 Green Gully
U18s: SMFC 0-1 Heidelberg United
U16s: SMFC 0-3 Heidelberg United
U15s: SMFC 1-0 Heidelberg United (Garrow)
U14s: SMFC 5-0 Heidelberg United (Mitsonis x2, Rosemond x2, Rosenzweig)
U13s: SMFC 2-2 Heidelberg United (Polymenopoulos, Chong)
U12s: SMFC 1-1 Heidelberg United (Sdregas)

Female State League Teams (U12-Seniors)

SL1 (Seniors): SMFC 2-1 Preston Lions (Alberici 9′, Martineau 60′)
SL1 (Reserves): SMFC 1-0 Preston Lions (Singleton 90′)
SL2: SMFC 1-0 Old Xaverians (Sinclair)
SL3: SMFC 2-2 Monash University (Farmer, Weller)
SL4: SMFC 2-2 Peninsula Strikers (Owen, Hubbard)
U16s: SMFC 4-4 Brighton Athletic (Boyd, Karp, Stoic, Trease-Hemming)
U14s: SMFC 4-2 Brighton Sharks (Scolaro x2, Ciancio-Knauer, Louloudis)
U12s: SMFC 9-0 Monash City (Goal Scorers TBC)

The Women’s Reserves returned to Lakeside for the second time in 2016, looking to continue their undefeated run against Lara United.

Lara had made a very positive start to their season by winning three of their four matches and finding the back of the net an impressive 22 times. Injuries and illness continue to plague the Senior and Reserves squads, leaving SMFC Reserves Coach Stuart Smith no choice but to field a squad of just eleven players, including two stepping up from the Under 16s.

The first half was a relatively balanced encounter between the two teams, although South had a number of opportunities pushing forward into the final third. After the break, it was Lara that got on the scoreboard first. A defensive error from a back pass allowed Lara striker Maddi Dragt to go one-on-one with keeper Alexia Karatzikos and she made no mistake in giving Lara the advantage.

South lifted immediately and within a minute the girls found space on the counter attack. Surging into the area, the shot was on target but a quality save from the Lara keeper Miki Tatlic prevented the equaliser. The South girls continued to press high and attack using the width of the Lakeside pitch to their advantage. A superbly lofted kick came in from the ‘Clarendon Corner’ side and Ciara Singleton was there to head the ball into the bottom right corner of the net for the equalising goal.

Not content with the draw, the girls continued to push and it was again a fast break that gave them the advantage. Kala Rosebirch provided an excellent through-ball and Bianca Cachia pounced to beat the keeper and put South 2-1 ahead. That’s where it ended, giving the Women’s Reserve team a second win of the season, with the girls still undefeated in 2016.

After the match, Caitlin Greiser spoke with winning goal scorer Bianca Cachia, who shared her thoughts on the match. “I think we played really well as a team. We didn’t start at half-time like we usually do, we started from the first minute. Our midfield came together, played through-balls and helped get the ball up front so we can actually shoot. We took a lot of shots today – something we haven’t been doing lately – and clearly it paid off.”

“Hannah [DeLorenzis] played an absolutely amazing game. She was pressing all the time and did really well. Also Ciara [Singleton] getting the ball up the front, she really moved the game forward for us” added Bianca when talking about the positive influence her team mates had on the match. About the opposition in Lara United, she added that “they are a really respectable team. They kept their heads up throughout the whole game and kept calm about the match. They were a good team to play against.”

Caitlin asked Bianca about her winning goal in the last minute of the match that delivered the win for the home team. “I was injured for the whole game. I tried to stay there and support the passes and play through-balls so we could shoot and get goals. It worked and we did it!”

Caitlin also spoke with Coach Stuart Smith, who reflected on the match. “The 2-1  score says to me that the team that played the better football won, which I credit completely to the girls. We struck to our principles, our game plan and at the end of the day, although we’ve conceded a number of injuries, I thought we were the better team and deserved the points. All eleven of the girls deserve credit, Ciara [Singleton] specifically bossed the game today. She won everything and she got a goal straight from the corner so I am really pleased for her. I thought our forwards did really well when in possession of the ball in the middle.”

“It was really a key that the girls never gave up. We copped a soft goal, I’m not going to lie about that. It was a really poor goal to concede, but they stuck their heads up and stuck to the game plan. So really all eleven girls deserve credit and Ciara is my player of the game. Lara were a really physical team and I can see why they have been scoring goals every week as they are very quick up front. They play some good passing football, however at times we were able to easily break them down. They’ll do well if they keep playing the football they are playing.”

The Women’s Reserves are back in action on Friday night at BT Connor Reserve against the Preston Lions.