NJL Match Report: Royals overcome difficult conditions to secure important win at Keilor Park

The Essendon Royals Senior Women secured a grinding win in torrential conditions at Keilor Park. From the outset, the conditions were not conducive to the expansive brand of football the Royals like to play with both the boggy, almost unplayable pitch and the gale-forced winds an issue.

The first half saw the Royals with the wind in their faces and it made life very difficult, the squad finding it difficult to play out of their own back third. Despite this, the two best chances of the first half fell to the Royals – a Rachel Alonso effort tipped wide by the keeper and a Bec Davies shot going straight to the keeper.

Keilor Park played a spoiling game knocking the ball into areas that were difficult to play out of, but despite the pressure, the Royals held firm for a scoreless first half, looking to turn the tables in the second half with the wind in their backs.

And it didn’t take long for them to get on top, pinning Keilor Park in the own half with constant pressure from the start of the second half. And they were duly rewarded in the 61st minute when a cross from Alonso on the right beat the defensive line for Mary Hubeek to slot home at the far post.

It wasn’t long before the Royals were peppering the Keilor Park goal looking for the second, which eventually came in the 74th minute, Hubeek returning the favour by sliding a through ball for Alonso to slot home and make it 2-0.

The issue was put beyond doubt with 7 minutes to go when Alonso netted her second; a ball from Marques hitting Alonso but falling favourably for her to race away and slot passed the hapless keeper.

A tough grinding result on a day that proved the pitch and the conditions as difficult an opponent as Keilor Park.