Reema Reserve a mudheap? Not on Sunday, as glorious sun shone on two sides seeking to break free of mid-table anonymity. Barkerettes (sixth) visited Endeavour United (fifth), on a run of three unbeaten and hoping to get back to winning ways after a draw against Berwick. An almost full-strength squad was missing only Miranda Jackson.
Barkers began well, but it was United who had the first chance when they hit the post in the fifth minute. They had another shot wide before Barkers, with more of the territory, created their first threat. This came on 16 minutes when a corner from the left saw Kelly Butera have a header blocked.
Endeavour had a shot saved comfortably by keeper Ash Fraraccio, before home keeper Jennifer De Baize lost the ball, allowing Charlotte Martin to shoot over. Then on 20 minutes, a Martin corner from the right was volleyed over by Alizah Jones.
On 26 minutes, an Endeavour corner on the left was sent into the six-yard box. A forward headed it from a couple of yards out – goal? No! Fraraccio not only got herself in the way but tipped the ball over the bar. How she did so, nobody knows – pure instinct and reflexes are my guesses. Either way, it was an amazing save.
Seven minutes before the break, Emily Stokes sent a high ball into the box but De Baize got to the ball first. Then, right on half time, Barkers won a corner on the right. Laelah Gundry sent the ball in, De Baize spilled the ball, and Eleanor Ridley stabbed the ball home from close range to give Barkers a deserved lead at a crucial point. Except that the half was not quite over…
Endeavour went straight back up the park and hit a cross in from the left wing. Confusion in the Barkers’ defence led to a defender deflecting the ball past her own keeper for an instant equaliser, so frustratingly, the sides went in 1-1 at half-time. A slow start from Barkers, but they had played themselves into it before getting careless.
If you think this is another tale of Barkers throwing away a lead while dominating, there’s good news. They began the second half well, while the United defence was looking shaky under pressure. Six minutes in, a Barkers corner from the left was again dropped by De Baize, and this time it was Jones on hand to mop up the crumbs to restore Barkers’ lead at 2-1.
The rest of the game was almost all Barkers. Kaity Farrance was again mopping up everything in the air at the back. Jones and Stokes, whose crossing was better this week, were tormenting the life out of the home defence, and United just didn’t know how to counter Amy D’Ortenzio’s aggression.
Fraraccio made a good double save on the hour, and the only real scare came six minutes from time, when complacency at the back allowed Endeavour to curl a shot just wide of the far post. Full-time: Endeavour United 1-2 Mooroolbark.
A well-deserved win puts the in-form Barkerettes fifth in the 10-team ladder with six games left. Next is Skye United at home.
