By Peter Stephenson
Barkerettes (first) had their first home game in five weeks, hosting FC Melbourne SRBIJA (third),who are the only team to have beaten Mooroolbark in the league this season. Although the Barkers had won the last 11 at home (including a forfeit), this was, on paper, the toughest of their remaining games as they sought to stay ahead of the only realistic challengers, Collingwood City.
Barkers began well, stringing together some nice passes as the game was played mostly in Melbourne’s half. On six minutes, Kelly Butera found Eleanor Ridley, who released Gracie Touliatos on the right wing. She won a corner but it came to nothing. Then Barkers won a 50-50 in midfield and the ball was passed to Amy D’Ortenzio. She put a through ball in for Charlotte McCullough, but she couldn’t get it out from under her feet and the chance was gone.
On 18 minutes Barkers came close to scoring when Hannah Turnbull got to the byline. She crossed from the right to the near post, where D’Ortenzio tussled with keeper Sophie Toth, but couldn’t scramble the ball over the line. Then a corner from the left was cleared out to Ridley, who hit a first-time shot over. Next, a great passing move led to McCullough causing havoc in the Melbourne goal area, but Melbourne frantically cleared off their line.
Surely the visitors couldn’t hold out much longer? On the half hour, Alizah Jones and McCullough applied pressure on the Melbourne defence, they coughed up the ball and McCullough, as she has done often in recent games, was in the right spot to score from close range for the opener.
Four minutes later she did it again. Jones released McCullough, whose lightning pace took her clear of the defence to run on and score her second to make it 2-0. Having scored one goal in 19 games, she had now scored seven in her last three. Half-time: Barkers 2-0 FC Melbourne, with the home side well on top.
Two minutes into the second half, a corner from the right saw D’Ortenzio volley just over, then McCullough also shot over as Barkers began where they left off. Just before the hour, their pressure was further rewarded when a fast break saw the ball played to Turnbull, who hit an absolute beauty into the top corner for her first Barkers goal and 3-0.
To say this was one-way traffic is an understatement. On 65 minutes, Alexis Sketchley fed Turnbull on the left wing. She passed inside for D’Ortenzio, who shielded the ball before hitting a lovely shot against the bar, and McCullough’s follow-up was blocked by the keeper.
They nearly had yet another new scorer before the end. With 17 minutes left, a corner from the right found the head of Sketchley, who almost stooped to conquer, but the ball trickled wide. In the last minute, Butera played an arrow-like through ball to Jones. She was surrounded by defenders, but still managed to keep possession and find D’Ortenzio. She had only the keeper to beat but Toth saved – it just wouldn’t go in for the Goal Machine.
Full-time 3-0, and this was an absolutely dominant performance. Melbourne aren’t a bad team, but they simply weren’t allowed to play as Sketchley and Miranda Jackson did a wonderful job of protecting keeper Ashleigh Fraraccio, who was only occasionally aroused from her tea and biccies to play sweeper – Melbourne didn’t muster a single shot to test her. Up front, D’Ortenzio was occasionally smothered by markers, but this is pointless when you have four or five other players who know where the goal is. This was as good a performance as Barkerettes have given in a long time, and they stay two points clear with five games to play.
