NJL Match Report: Essendon Royals triumph in North Geelong

Essendon Royals State 1 Womens successfully negotiated a potential banana skin match on the tough road trip to North Geelong Warriors.

On a day when the league’s heavyweights; Moreland Zebras and Spring Hills; were facing off against each other, Royals could not afford to slip up in Geelong.

The Warriors found themselves two points ahead of Royals on the ladder after the tough early-season draw for the Essendon ladies, and they started well. But it didn’t take long for the Royals to stamp their unmistakable first-half dominance on the match.

Plenty of early pressure was rewarded in the 22nd minute when a corner from Lydia Schifferegger was knocked down to Annabel Hosking, whose shot landed at the feet of Rachel Alonso; who, back to goal, swivelled and slotted past the keeper.

Royals doubled their lead just 9 minutes later when Marie Rampal’s ball found Rebecca Davies in space who didn’t waste the chance to slot past a hapless keeper in the Warriors’ goal.

The chances kept coming but some wastefulness in front of goal meant the game hung in the balance at 2-0 at the break.

Royals came out firing in the second half as they looked to put the game to bed and they got their just reward 9 minutes after the break to take a commanding 3-0 lead; Alonso slotting past the keeper from a Marcela Marques ball.

No sooner had they taken the three-goal advantage did the Warriors pull one back. An innocuous foul saw a free-kick lifted in with the Royals defence failing to deal with the bouncing ball, the finish slotted coolly past Mason-Jones in the Royals goal.

But it was merely a blip, and the Royals continued to command the match and be wasteful in front of goal.

A difficult proposition negotiated with three solid points with the margin unlucky not to be more.

The Reserves also won 1-0 in a tight top of the table clash, now sitting on top of the league alone after today’s gutsy win.