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 WPL:
Champagne Football at Wembly Park
Monday
19 May
2008
(Victor Sekulov) - The Preston
Lions Womens team travelled to Wembly Park to face Premier
League powerhouse Box Hill in what ended up being a great
advertisement for the growth in skill and entertainment of
womens football in the country.
Box Hill lined up with none other than Melissa Barberi,
Australia's no. 1 goalkeeper, but it was Preston's Nabby
Saliba that entertained the crowd with an incredible world
class save late in the second half.
Both sides played entertaining and attacking football and
it was Box Hill who first tested the Preston defence,
which held firm. Despite the windy conditions both sides
handled the conditions well. It was Preston who applied
the first real threat when Peta Lipec played the ball in
for Ruadh Houston to have a shot at goal. It went straight
at the keeper and Australia's no.1 had little difficulty
dealing with it.
But Peta Lipec exposed her weakness minutes later and
beating the goalkeeper to the ball played it back into the
penalty area. The Box Hill defence got into difficulty as
they tried to get rid of the ball and it scrambled to
Sarah Sumner, whose shot at goal was fortunately saved by
Barberi, sprinting her way back into her area.
Box Hill were having difficulty dealing with the Preston
wing attacks as first Peta Lipec weaved her way around the
Box Hill defence and then Ruadh Houston doing the same on
the other wing.
But it was not all Preston's way. Box Hill were playing
intelligent football of their own and threatening. However
Sarah Lovett, playing in an unaccustomed defensive role,
was halting attacks and keeping the Box Hill attacks at
bay. Nevetheless Box Hill were moving the ball around and
trying to penetrate the Preston defence. As Preston broke
up the attack they quickly launched into one of their own.
The game was fast paced and the ball was going from one
end to the other as first one side threatened and then the
other.
It was Box Hill who scored. Preston's defence failed to
properly clear the danger and it gave Box Hill the easiest
of chances. Despite this the shot was expertly saved by
Nabby Saliba, only for the ball to bounce free to another
Box Hill player who was quick to capitalise on the free
ball and put it into the goal. It was 0-1.
Petra Van Egmond had a shot saved by the Box Hill
goalkeeper and Ruadh Houston weaved her way through the
Box Hill defence minutes later and the ball fell to Sarah
Sumner, but her shot was well saved.
Preston were playing with confidence and making their
higher fancied opponents work hard to keep them at bay.
But Box Hill were not resting on their one goal lead and
they too played a brilliant pass and move game.
Then in what could only be labelled as champagne football
from Preston came the best bit of play in the game. Diana
Piculovski moved to the sidelines with the ball, drawing
two Box Hill midfielders with her. Back heeling the ball
to Paula Massouh, Paula went away and passed it to Ruadh
Houston. Ruadh raced away from her defender and played the
ball into the middle. Box Hill defenders scrambed wildly
as they cleared the threat.
The first half ended, giving both sides and the crowd a
chance to get their collective breaths back.
The second half started with Box Hill providing the
initial pressure. A quick corner was headed into the
penalty area, cleared but only to the outside of the
penalty area. The shot went over the bar and Preston had
escaped. Sarah Lovett, playing up front now, put the Box
Hill defence under pressure and earned Preston a corner.
Unfortunately the corner was wasted.
Box Hill came back and earned another corner. The corner
came in and Box Hill were given a free header going
straight in the Preston goal. Everyone thoguth it was a
goal except for Nabby Saliba. She managed to dive and tip
the ball over the bar. It was a world class save and drew
loud applause from crowd and players.
The ball went from one end to the other as each side
attacked and counter attacked. Sarah Lovett bustled her
way through the middle of the Box Hill defence and was
held by the Box Hill goalkeeper, but the referee did nto
see it. Box Hill were having the better of the play now
and Preston were relying on the counterattack. Two
successsive attacks by Box Hill resulted in the shots
going well over. nevertheless Box Hill were now taking
control of the game.
Despite this Preston was always threatening and an attack
resulted in a corner for Preston, but the danger was
cleared by the ever alert Box Hill defence. Immediately
from this Box Hill moved the ball out of their half and
went down to score their second goal. Preston were caught
napping in defence and Box Hill made them pay.
Nevertheless Preston, true to their nature, did not give
up and attacked again. Sarah Lovett managed to score, but
was ruled offside. Thomay Nicolaou threatened the Box Hill
goal with her determined runs but to no avail. The game
ended.
The game was a fitting advertisement to the quality and
level of development of womens football in this country.
Both sets of players should be deservingly congratulated
for putting on a game of such high quality. Despite
Preston getting the win the Lionesses could walk off the
park with their heads held up high.
In the earlier game the Reserves matched their higher
ranked opponents and could have taken the lead but the
chances went begging. Box Hill scored a couple of easy
goals in the first half and a third in the second. Despite
the 0-3 loss the Cubs played well and some injuries to
players during key parts of the game robbed the Cubs of
making a stronger challenge. Overall it was a great
performance from the Preston Reserves as they too begin to
play intellgent football.
Preston's next game is against Casey Comets at BT Conner
Reserve on Saturday 24th May. Kick off is at 11.00am and
1.00pm.
Photo by John
Punshon
Seniors:
Box Hill Inter
2 –
Preston Lions WFC 0
Reserves: Box Hill Inter
3
– Preston Lions WFC 0
Wembley Park
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