A hard-fought 5-2 win was Melbourne Victory Women’s reward for a first-ever visit to Shepparton as it downed the Northern Vipers in a practice match at McEwen Reserve on Saturday.
A hard-fought 5-2 win was Melbourne Victory Women’s reward for a first-ever visit to Shepparton as it downed the Northern Vipers in a practice match at McEwen Reserve on Saturday.
Melbourne Victory Women led start-to-finish in the three 30-minute period’s game, but were contained and on occasions tested by a Northern Vipers team featuring a number of women’s league players from Goulburn North East Football Association.
A goal for ex-Shepparton United player Amanda Lawless did the former Katandra West resident’s chances of a permanent role with Melbourne Victory Women no harm, as a number of triallists impressed for the Westfield W-League outfit on Saturday.
Vipers, for a team with just one win so far in the women’s state premier league this season, also played up to the occasion of taking on one of the nation’s top teams.
If not for conceding goals immediately after both occasions they scored, the Vipers could have kept Melbourne Victory Women on an tighter rein.
A conservative start from both teams meant 10 minutes before either put a shot on target, with Melbourne Victory Women breaking through via Caitlin Friend after she connected with Gulcan Koca’s cross.
Vipers equalised on 30 minutes when Paige Conder hit a powerful free kick past the Victory wall, with the state league team looking like they would go to the first break level.
But Melbourne Victory Women scored from kick off when Enza Barilla caught the Vipers defence cold to ensure the Westfield W-League team would lead 2-1 at the first interval.
Lawless scored directly from a corner kick 13 minutes into the second period for 3-1 but Victory were made to toil against the Vipers’ younger players who were rotated in at the first change.
Deanna Neceski ensured Melbourne Victory Women would take the points after nine minutes of the third period when she scored from close range for 4-1.
Conder netted her second free kick of the match to peg the score back to 4-2, but from kick off again the Vipers were undone when Neceski headed in a cross from the right flank to round out the scoring.
Melbourne Victory Women allowed Maika Ruyter-Hooley to play for Vipers due to her previous connection with the team, the tall defender the clear stand-out for the Vipers, while Conder, Rachael Claughton and Michelle Duffy were other good contributors.
