Women’s State League Round 10 Review

Round 10 of the Women’s State League saw some very important results, highlighted by APIA Leichhardt claiming the round’s biggest upset, while the Western NSW Mariners and Bankstown City have begun to run away from the pack at the top of the table.
MATCH OF THE ROUND 
Bankstown City vs. Gladesville Ravens: 4-1
With an important three points on the line, Jensen Park hosted Bankstown City FC and the Gladesville Ravens on Sunday afternoon.
The first chance of the game came five minutes in, where Ravens’ playmaker Daniella Fierro was fouled on the edge of the Bankstown goal box. Paige Vansaarloos lined up the freekick, but fired her shot just wide of the left upright.
Gladesville looked more alert from kick off, and with high amounts of energy, continued to hassle the Bankstown back four in the opening period of the game.
However, against the run of play, it would be Samantha Muscat for Bankstown to open the scoring in the eighth minute. On the counter attack, Muscat used her pace to run directly forward from halfway, bursting through the Ravens defence with incredible speed before slotting the ball home. Despite Ravens dominance, it only took one piece of individual brilliance to throw them immediately on the back foot.
Visibly shell shocked, the Ravens took some time to regain their composure. However, things picked up and they came agonizingly close to an equaliser in the sixteenth minute. Vansaarloos fired a long freekick into the box, which Eleanor Jones got a head to. Her looping header crashed off the cross bar, and Bankstown were able to clear the rebound.
In the twenty first minute, Bankstown came close to a second. Melissah Parlato burst into the Ravens box, but her powerful shot sailed over the goal.
As the half wore on, the Ravens pulled themselves further and further into the game but failed to find a goal. They appeared to be missing the presence of striker Noelle Loyzaga, who scored four goals last week, and she was substituted on in only the twenty seventh minute.
Bankstown kicked off the second half in perfect style. Just a minute into play, Parlato found herself completely unmarked at the back post and fired in a second. It was a well deserved goal for Parlato, who had been the side’s most dangerous looking player for most of the game.
In the sixty second minute Bankstown added another goal, thanks again to a superb effort from Muscat. Using her strength, she manoeuvred through two Gladesville defenders before chipping the ball over the goalkeeper. Her chipped shot rattled off the crossbar, but Kelly O’Leary swept the ball into the net from the rebound.
The Ravens found a well earned goal in the seventy sixth minute, in bizarre fashion. They were awarded an indirect freekick inside of the goal box, much to the confusion of onlookers, after the Bankstown goalkeeper was ruled to have picked up the ball from a back pass. The freekick was played to the back post where Eleanor Jones headed in.
Nevertheless, Bankstown City well and truly put the game away in the eighty second minute. Liana Babic played a superb throughball to Samantha Muscat, who rounded the goalkeeper and finished calmly. This sealed a very important victory for Bankstown.
Match Stats
Bansktown City FC                          4  (Samantha Muscat 8’ / 82’, Mellisah Parlato 46’, Kelly O’Leary 63’)
Gladesville Ravens                         1  (Eleanor Jones 76’)
Sunday, 14th of June, 2015
Jensen Park, Regent’s Park
Bankstown City FC: 8. Jessica Abrahim , 5. Abir Awad, 17. Tania Baban (9. Jami-Lee Mussett 70’), 4. Liana Babic, 7. Melissah Parlato (28. Elise Robbins 76’), 26. Jessica Burgess (13. Marie Sim-Sing 62’), 1. Lana Ferreira, 39. Kristen McMahon, 10. Maniso Micheal (18. Davlina Lobra 86’), 21. Samantha Muscat, 6. Allegra Vickas, 38. Kelly O’Leary.
Substitutes Not Used:
Yellow Cards: 8. Jessica Abrahim 54’, 10. Maniso Micheal 58’ and Liana Babic 73’.
Red Cards:
Gladesville Ravens  : 16. Isabella Breukelaar, 8. Kate Butler-Howell, 9. Natalie Cesarone, 23. Amanda Holmes (13. Alex Beattie 63’), 20. Eleanor Jones, (13. Alex Beattie 79’), 21. Heather Madgwick (1. Lauren Scaramuzza 63’), 29. Ashleigh Smith, 5. Paige Vansaarloos, 10. Daniella Fierro (17. Noelle Loyzaga 27’), 14. Madeleine Paslis (3. Rebecca Kundrat HT), 18. Celeste Loyzaga, 15. Pragya Goswami
Substitutes Not Used: 27. Hannah Taylor
Yellow Cards: 17. Noelle Loyzaga 74’.
Red Cards:
Round 10 Summaries
Southern District Emeralds vs. Mt. Druitt Town Rangers FC: 1-5
Mt. Druitt reignited their season with a large victory away from home against the Emeralds. Two goals each to Brianna Trigg and Nubia Lopez, as well as an effort from Lisa Fressard was too much for the home side, who now languish at the bottom of the table. Mt. Druitt sit five points behind the top four, with much work to do. This weekend’s victory has given them a solid foundation to build upon in the second half of the season.
Western NSW Mariners FC vs. St. George FC: 5-1
The Mariners are well and truly back, emphasised by a confident victory over the travelling St. George this weekend. Meg Embleton and Jess Salamoni each scored a brace, while another was added by Katherine Henley-Sadgrove. A single effort from Jessica Carosi for St. George provided mere consolation for the long journey back home from Proctor Park. The Mariners now sit on top of the table, with a game in hand. St. George still hold on to third place, but will have to eventually start beating the top two teams if they are to achieve their objectives this season.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers vs. Parramatta FC: 2-0
The Tigers have seemed unable to defeat anyone this season, except for Parramatta FC. The Tigers beat a red hot Parramatta in a Wednesday night catchup game a week ago (their first win of the season, which I missed in my preview – apologies!), and have doubled this up with another shock victory on Sunday. They now have six points, all claimed against Parramatta, and move from the bottom of the table for the first time this season. Parramatta will be shaking their heads, and must determine why APIA Leichhardt have their number. Their surge towards the top three has been halted in its tracks.
-by Daniel Palmer, Women’s State League Reporter