Melbourne Victory Women finished the inaugural Westfield W-League season just out of the Finals Series race in fifth position.
Melbourne Victory Women finished the inaugural Westfield W-League season just out of the Finals Series race in fifth position.
Victory Women showed patches of brilliance throughout the season, but cost itself a Finals Series berth with three losses to finish the 2008/09 season.
Victory Women went down 3-1 to Queensland Roar Women at Bob Jane Stadium, 3-2 in a tough battle with Canberra United in Canberra, and 2-0 to Central Coast Mariners Women in the last round.
The loss saw Victory Women finish two points behind archrival Sydney FC Women, which scratched its way to fourth position.
”The way the final round shaped up did not help us much,” Victory Women Coach Matt Shepherd said.
”But we didn’t play well enough on the day against Central Coast.”
Roar Women was the standout team, finishing eight points clear on top and will go into the Finals Series a hot favourite to secure first Westfield W-League title.
Newcastle Jets Women and Canberra were second and third respectively.
Victory Women gained a massive amount of confidence and experience in the first season of the new national women-s football competition, and will only strengthen its squad over the off-season.
Shepherd said it was disappointing to miss out on a Final Series berth, but praised his squad-s commitment across the 10-round competition.
”The girls were fantastic and I couldn-t have really asked for much more from them,” Shepherd said.
”The commitment they showed with training and the travel was exemplary, and with a little more consistency and belief, we should have made the finals.
”All in all, it was a learning experience for everyone, and being the first year of a new national competition you are always going to have a few teething problems.
”All in all I think we can take a lot out of the season and build from here.”
