On a picture perfect autumn day in Melbourne, the lionesses took on Gisborne at home. The girls,missing Monica and Casey from injury, were fearlessly led out by Di.
The game started with both sides wanting to take control and Gisborne having the first clear goal scoring opportunity.It was ten minutes in when their striker was one on one with Nicole who stood her ground and made a brilliant text book save backed up by Jess B who cleared the ball out of danger. A minute later a through ball to a perfectly composed Oddo who made no mistake beating the oppositions keeper and the score-board read,one nil to Preston.
We seemed to have immediately changed the game by playing our passing game. There were moments where Gisborne must have thought it was a game of keeping’s off. They were running all over the park while we were stringing passes together and braking them down. In less than ten minutes from our first goal, Di hits a cracker from almost half way to score our second. The look on the opposition players said it all. They must have been thinking, that this was going to be a long drive home. Minutes later Bobby must have thought that, if Di can do it then so can i. Bobby, just outside the box lofts one over the keeper and made it three nil. Minutes later Di latches on to another from long distance and hits the cross-bar, Oddo cleverly follows the shot in after the rebound and just puts it centermeters wide of the post. Five minutes from half time, and all along our defenders were playing the ball brilliantly from the back, when oddo held the ball up perfectly to put a through ball in for young Malka who sent their keeper the other way to make it four nil. Our defence was so composed and clearly in control, with Nicole having not much to do all day. Again stringing together a multitude of passes from the back, we were creating so much room and with not long to go and no less than about seven or eight passes, Oddo makes it one more and that’s five nil at the break.
After the break and back to business. With beautiful blue skyies and a swelling of support from around the ground Lizzy makes it six nil, five minutes in. We clearly were having an enjoyable game with plenty of passes and off the ball movement. The opposition must have thought they’ve come up against a brick wall. There were one or two half chances by Gisborne but our formation in the back and middle was just to composed. It was a delight to watch and just when you thought it was all over, Bobby puts one in as what you can only describe as a rocket in the back of the net to make it seven zip.
Well done girls. Lets keep the momentum going and work hard this week in preparation for our game against Yarra Jets. Lets hear the lions roar after round four.
