Friday night’s final home game of the season saw sixth-placed Barkerettes take on league leaders Aspendale.
Barkers began the game at a furious pace, and in the third minute Laelah Gundry crossed from the left to Alizah Jones, who hit a first time shot wide.
Two minutes later, though, Aspendale broke quickly and forward Lily Smith was in a race with keeper Ash Fraraccio for the ball.
Smith managed to head the ball past Fraraccio and it just crept inside the post for 1-0 Aspendale.
Three minutes later it got worse when Barkers coughed the ball up from a goal kick, and Aspendale’s Sage Kirby hit a low shot into the net for 2-0 with only nine minutes gone.
The game settled down after that, with both sides having chances and Aspendale looking speedy up front.
Half-time: Barkers 0-2 Aspendale.
Five minutes into the second half, a sweeping move across the park found Gundry on the left, but she put too much on the cross.
Six minutes later, Aspendale broke through the middle and Kirby hit a low shot into the net to make it 3-0.
Just after the hour, Barkers had a glimmer of hope.
A free kick outside the box on the left was floated beautifully by Charlotte Martin over keeper Lauren Mills into the net to make it 3-1 Aspendale.
Alas, seven minutes from time Aspendale were through on goal, Smith and Fraraccio collided as the ball ran towards goal, and it was Smith who got there first to make the final score Mooroolbark 1-4 Aspendale.
Yes this was a disappointing result, but the three goal margin flattered the visitors, who are now promoted to State One.
Aspendale took their chances very well, while, as has often been the case this season, Barkers were putting plenty of balls in from the wings without finishing them off.
They still have a chance to do the double over third-placed Melbourne University when they visit them next week in the final game of the season.
Sixth-placed Barkers played their final away game at 10th-placed Chisholm United, at Oakleigh’s Jack Edwards Reserve.
Following the shenanigans at Casey last week, Barkers were forced to make four changes.
Out went Ben Cooper, Ray Markley, Sean Perrin and Marcus Watson.
In came Sean Baeko, Ross Clark, Mario Rivera and Joe White, with Nate Turner and Michael Pezzano poised to debut off the bench.
The same fixture last season saw United lead 4-0 at half-time before going on to win 5-0.
On 25 minutes, United got to the byline on the right, and an angled shot saw keeper Vladi Velikin get down well at his near post to save.
Barkers replied with Cooper sending Clark down the right wing, but his cross was cleared.
Then a Barkers corner on the right was played out to Cooper.
He put White through on goal, but he was offside.
Then on 32 minutes United were through on goal but put the ball miles wide.
Coming up to half time and the Barkers’ remnants weren’t doing too badly.
Then it happened.
United broke down the right, Barkers fouled inside the box and it was a penalty.
Jamie Mammino put the spot kick to Velikin’s left, making the score 1-0.
Straight from kick-off, Vasilios Floros lobbed Velikin from miles out and the score was 2-0.
Within another minute Barkers lost the ball at left back and almost conceded a third.
Then two minutes later, they did.
The ball was played from the right to the far post, where Frank Kanesoulis nodded the ball back across Velikin and into the net to make the score 3-0.
Then four minutes before the break, the ball was crossed from the left, cleared out to Louis Hasapis, and his shot took a wicked deflection out of Velikin’s reach.
Four goals in eight minutes, and the halftime score was a repeat of last season.
This was déjà vu all over again.
Eight minutes into the second half, United reached the byline on the right.
What followed was the worst cutback since Markley went to the barbers, but it was still headed into the net by Oscar Curcio for 5-0.
A bit of normality was restored when Chris Potter got his weekly yellow, and debutant Turner showed some nice touches.
Overall, though, a day to forget – full-time: Chisholm United 5-0 Mooroolbark.
Next Saturday at the Kennel, Barkers have their final game of the season, at home to champions St Kilda.
