By Peter Stephenson
It was a chilly Friday night at the Kennel as Barkerettes had their first-ever meeting with Aspendale, in round 5 of Women’s State 3 South.
The visitors were top and Barkers were 4th, but only 1 point separated the sides.
Ominously, Aspendale had scored 22 goals in only 4 games (one of which was a 0-0 draw), so the home defence looked in for a busy night.
Or was it?
Barkers began cautiously, but on 8 minutes, Gracie Touliatos crossed from the right, the ball was flicked on to Amy D’Ortenzio and she shot over in an early warning to the excitingly-named Stingrays.
The visitors were looking competent up front but shaky at the back.
Sure enough, on the half hour, Lisa Walsh attacked on the left side of the penalty area, and as she did so, she was barged off the ball.
She appealed for a penalty – and got it.
Walsh took the spot kick herself and put the ball to the right of keeper Brooke Todero.
It grazed the inside of the post and crept into the net to put Barkers 1-0 up.
Barkers then went for the jugular, and Aspendale couldn’t cope as Barkers mounted a series of
Attacks.
Two minutes after the first goal, Aspendale under hit a pass in their own half, and D’Ortenzio won the ball, burst through the defence and put the ball wide of the keeper to make it 2-0.
Then Touliatos ripped through the defence but, with only Todero to beat, her lofted shot didn’t
quite have enough on it to beat the keeper.
Next, the ball was crossed in for Walsh to shoot, but the shot was straight at the keeper.
Once more it was D’Ortenzio who showed how to finish a chance.
Aspendale gave away the ball from a goal kick, and D’Ortenzio pounced.
She hit a blistering shot from the edge of the box, and the keeper got a hand to it, but could only deflect it into the net – three goals in seven minutes and Barkers were flying.
Of course, when you fly, you have to come back down to earth.
Sure enough, Aspendale found their feet in the last few minutes of the half and began to threaten the home side.
In stoppage time, they won a corner on the right.
It was hit to the penalty spot and a first-time touch diverted the ball into the far corner of the net giving keeper Ashleigh Fraraccio no chance.
Half-time arrived with Barkers 3-1 up and deservedly so.
Barkers threatened regularly on the right through D’Ortenzio and Touliatos, and on one occasion, youngster Alizah Jones put a terrific cross in.
Barkers almost had a dream start to the second half when Walsh was through on the keeper, but again the shot was too straight.
Eventually, Barkers saw out the second half comfortably, and the destiny of the 3 points was never really in doubt.
Full-time: Mooroolbark 3-1.
So Barkers took the sting out of the free-scoring Stingrays, which surely is a credit to the defence.
At the other end, D’Ortenzio was as lethal as ever, Walsh could have had a hatful, Touliatos is looking very much a senior player, and there were very encouraging signs from Jones and Zoe Crouch.
All in all the best Barkerettes display for some time.
Oh and we’re TOP OF THE LEAGUE (at least until Sunday).
WATSON HAT-TRICK AS BARKERS DOWN HEATHERTON
A mainly sunny afternoon at the Kennel saw Barkers (4th) host Heatherton United (11th).
They say you should never change a winning team, so after battering North Caulfield 5-0 last week, coach Paul Burrows brought back Brett Tronconi, for whom Eddie Clark made way.
Barkers began well, and in 5 minutes Nick Andrejic hit a pinpoint pass from midfield out to John-Paul Cooper on the left, but keeper Famara Djiba cut out his cross.
At this point, we were enjoying perfect weather for farmers – it was raining at the creek end, but dry at the Esther Crescent end.
Three minutes later, we were to witness surely the best Barker goal for years. Barkers won a free kick on the right.
The ball was driven in by Liam Seaye, and Marcus Watson executed a spectacular
overhead kick to leave Djiba grasping at thin air and the ball in the net – 1-0 Barkers.
A couple of minutes later, though, Barkers got careless. They conceded a soft free kick just outside the box.
Meldin Klehic hit a low ball through the Barkers wall, but keeper Mark Naumowicz, who
must have been unsighted, managed to cling on to the ball as he dived. Barkers failed to learn their lesson and conceded another dangerous free kick, which Klehic hit over the wall, but thankfully also over the bar.
Barkers rode their luck and, on 23 minutes, Watson struck again when he followed up his own shot to bury the ball in the net for his second of the day – 2-0 to Barkers.
Barkers were now fully switched on and playing well.
Four minutes later, they worked the ball across the pitch from left to right through Andrejic, leaving Seaye with time to line up a shot, but it was hit just wide.
Seaye then played a one-two with Watson before his shot was blocked and turned out for a corner, which came to nothing.
Five minutes before the break Watson was in the clear and crossed from the left, but his effort was blocked.
Then a scare for Barkers as United put the ball into Barkers’ box.
A defender stumbled, and Mat Luak turned and hit a snapshot over.
Half-time: Mooroolbark 2-0 Heatherton United.
The second half began more evenly as both sides had chances.
On 48 minutes, the visitors’ Klehic hit a low shot wide, then four minutes later, Paul McEvoy hit a shot which would surely have caused mischief among any satellites nearby.
Heatherton hit straight back when Ali Sanad squared the ball to Klehic, who in turn found Nedzib Ramic, whose shot was held by Naumowicz.
That was as good as it got for United, as Barkers now tried to consolidate their lead.
On the hour, Maxim Solovyev went down the right and found Steve Nittoli in space, but he skied his shot, maybe to keep McEvoy’s ball company in the stratosphere.
Eight minutes later, a ball from the left found Watson in the clear.
He chipped but the ball went wide.
Then Solovyev hit a cracking ball from the right into the near post, where McEvoy hit a first-time shot wide.
Watson was on a mission, and when Geordie Scott found himself some space and crossed to him, he had the goal at his mercy but hit the bar.
Meanwhile, McEvoy managed to fall over and then win a tackle in the process, a skill many of us have yet to master.
Finally, the cherry on the cake.
Tronconi did well to win a tackle in the Barkers’ half and sent a lovely through ball to Watson, who ran on to the ball and buried it for his second hat-trick of the season – a feat no male Barker has achieved for 20 years.
This was an outstanding display from Watson, but it’s unfair to single him out.
The whole side was switched on for 90 minutes and as we all know, that is a sound basis for success.
Next is a Friday night date at Doncaster Rovers.
The reserves endured a see-saw game, going 0-1 down in the 8th minute.
Two minutes later, Van Thawng followed up with a shot to make it 1-1.
Just after the half hour, a great cross from the right was beautifully finished by Jack Buglass to give Barkers a 2-1 lead at the break.
Alas, Heatherton equalised on 63 minutes, before a late glancing header broke Barkers hearts – final score Mooroolbark 2-3 Heatherton United.
In other games, the men’s thirds lost 2-3 at Somerville, the men’s over 35s beat Mornington Pirates 7-1, the boys’ under 18s lost 2-6 at home to Watsonia Heights, and the boys’ under 12 Kangaroos lost 2-3 at home to Whitehorse United.
Next week, the men travel to Doncaster Rovers (Friday 6.30pm and 8.30pm, Anderson Park,
Doncaster East) and the women visit Endeavour United (Sunday 3pm, Reema Reserve, Endeavour Hills).
See you down the Kennel!
