By Peter Stephenson
A mild Friday evening at Esther Park saw the State 2 Barkerettes host State 1 side South Yarra (SY) in a bid to reach the fourth round of the Nike FC Cup for only the second time.
The first 10 minutes saw an open game, with both defences looking a little uncertain, but with no clear chances for either side. The first threat came from Barkers when Barkers won the ball in the attacking half, and Gracie Touliatos found Emily Stokes on the right wing. An inviting cross saw Amy D’Ortenzio mistime her jump. However, the play that began that move set the pattern for the game, as Barkers applied relentless pressure on SY whenever they had the ball. Barkers continued to have the upper hand, and on 20 minutes, Stokes broke on the right and cut in, but was tackled. Then a low cross from the left saw Charlotte McCullough just beaten to the ball – SY were living dangerously. A few minutes later came the first real chance. A corner from the right from Laelah Gundry saw D’Ortenzio volley just over from 10 yards.
SY didn’t offer the threat you’d expect from a State 1 side, but on 25 minutes, Barkers lost the ball in their own penalty area, and an angled shot was comfortably held by Ash Fraraccio. Barkers went straight up the field and Stokes crossed for Eleanor Ridley, who had two bites of the cherry, but the ball was cleared. SY replied when a throw-in from the left led to a smart turn and a shot wide. The game, which was already frantic, was now slowly becoming more physical. A Barker was barged off the ball on 33 minutes. D’Ortenzio’s free-kick cleared the wall, but was slightly too high and landed on top of the net. Going into the break, SY hit a low shot wide, then Gundry sent a corner from the right to the near post, but D’Ortenzio’s header was wide. Half-time 0-0, with Barkers on top, but failing to break the deadlock.
Five minutes into the second half, a sweeping move from back to front saw a thunderous shot from Stokes, which the away keeper did well to turn round her bear post. Then Barkers got a helping hand. A careless back pass all the way from the attacking half, was seized on by McCullough. She raced clear, kept her head and rounded the keeper before placing the ball into the empty net for the opening goal – 1-0 Barkers.
Within a minute, though, Fraraccio was called on in a goalmouth scramble at the other end and grabbed the ball. Then Gundry brought the ball out of defence and ran the length of the field to cross, but the keeper gathered after spilling the ball. More Barkers pressure saw SY cough up the ball for Stokes to hit a long shot just wide. SY now began to vent their frustration on Barkers, but the referee was letting a lot go until on 72 minutes, a clumsy challenge saw McCullough go down in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot. D’Ortenzio hit the ball to the keeper’s left and she got a hand to the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop it going into the net to double Barkers’ lead at 2-0.
A minute later, SY almost pulled one back, but Fraraccio came off best in a one-on-one. Further chances fell to Gundry and Alifya Loka before SY mounted a late rally to try to salvage the game, to no avail. Full-time 2-0 and Barkers advance to round 4 to host Avondale, of the Victorian Premier League. This performance ranks up with the very best of the Barkerettes – the first time they have beaten a side in a higher league. As coach Mark Brown said after the game, Barkers applied pressure on SY for 90 minutes, never allowing them to settle. The win was fully deserved, and now the intriguing challenge of Avondale awaits.
On Saturday, Knoxfield’s Egan Lee Reserve was bathed in sunshine for the local derby, as Barkers (2nd) visited Knox (3rd) in the State 2SE’s match of the day. Barkers, though they had won their opening two games, were still some way from having a fully fit squad, and made two changes to the side that beat Peninsula 1-0, with Sean Baeko and Ryan Smith coming in for Chris Potter and Christian Sapardanis.
Barkers began brightly without testing Matthew Krstina in goal. However, the first chance came on 8 minutes at the other end, as Leo McLeod had a shot beaten away by Vladi Velikin in the Barkers goal. Three minutes later, Barkers lost the ball, and although Anton Nardella went to ground, he kept the ball and found McLeod, whose shot was blocked. Knox were giving the Barkers defence plenty of work, but this was a cagey opening with both defences well-organised. Then on 21 minutes, a through ball found Nardella, who placed his shot wide of Velikin, but the keeper somehow got a hand to the ball to brilliantly tip it wide. Next, Sean Brimmer played a one-two with Nardella on the right, before cutting in and shooting wide of the far post. Again McLeod had a shot which warmed Velikin’s hands as Barkers gave the ball away regularly and were penned in their own half. Knox won a number of free kicks which were cleared, before Barkers finally broke out on the half hour. James Barber played a long ball for Marcus Watson to chase, Watson lobbed the ball over his marker, and Krstina raced out to punch clear. Then Barkers won a free kick on the right. Ross Clark sent a lovely ball to the far post, where Sean Perrin headed dangerously across goal in Barkers’ best chance so far. Perrin then did well to repel an attack by Nardella, but a shot from McLeod forced a superb tip wide from Velikin. The corner from Yianni Kourelis was played to the edge of the penalty area, from where Brimmer hit a first-time shot which skimmed past the far post. Barkers replied with Harry Rushton and Barber combining to set up Tristan Walker on the right wing, who fed Clark to go on a jinking run to win a corner. Then Christian Porcaro sent Anthony Di Crea down the left, Porcaro collected the ball back on the overlap and cut in, but Knox cleared. The half ended with Knox again applying pressure, and Barkers could consider themselves fortunate to go in at the break with the score still at 0-0. The second half began with Knox cashing in on their first half dominance. A throw from the right found McLeod on the edge of the box, and he curled a beauty with the outside of his boot beyond Velikin into the corner of the net to finally give Knox the lead. Five minutes later, a Knox corner on the left was cleared. The ball was sent back in to the far post to McLeod, who beat one man before slotting home from close range for his and Knox’s second – 2-0 Knox. McLeod could do no wrong, and just before the hour, a corner from the right saw a super leap and he headed just wide. Barkers tried to fight back on 62 minutes when Watson played in from the left for Clark, who was pulled down. Watson’s free kick was driven in towards goal, but Krstina gathered at the second attempt. The game was now more even and open. On 69 minutes, Knox’s Nardella crossed from the right for Peter Koskos to hit a first-time shot over. Then a quick clearance from Velikin saw Watson give chase and win a free-kick. However, the free-kick was driven into the wall and cleared. On 77 minutes Barkers almost halved the deficit – a quick throw-in on the right from Barber found Watson, who ran on and shot, hitting the post. The rebound fell to substitute Caleb Haberle, whose shot was blocked. The Barber and Clark set up Walker, who hit a first-time pass to Watson, who headed wide. With time running out, a long throw on the left from Perrin was headed on by Haberle, and Watson and Barber had shots blocked. Full time: Knox 2-0 Mooroolbark. In the end Knox, and especially McLeod, were too strong for Barkers on the day. A poor first half was partly redeemed in the second, but Barkers offered too little too late. On his return, Smith showed his character by playing most of the second half in obvious discomfort, and this young side has plenty of room for improvement. Next in a run of 3 away games is Berwick City. The reserves conceded two early goals and struggled to break down the Knox defence, eventually going down 0-3.
