NJL Match Report: Brunswick Juventus end Essendon Royals unbeaten streak
The Essendon Royals saw their State League 1 North-West undefeated run come to an end at the hands of league-leading Brunswick Juventus on Sunday afternoon.
The Royals had not lost since round two heading into the round 12 clash, but succumbed to some struggles at set-pieces and failed to take the numerous chances they created in a 3-0 defeat.
The match itself was relatively end-to-end, with the Royals creating some great chances from open play, but in the first half it seemed like every time they created a good opening in attack, they would concede a goal moments later.
After 15 minutes, the Royals had their first big chance when a cleared corner fell kindly to Sarah Karlik. The American full-back hammered a shot back into the box, which bounced off a number of players eventually falling to team-mate Marcela Marques.
The drop of the ball came at an awkward height and Marques could only really throw a knee at the ball, lobbing it over the keeper but just wide of the net.
Four minutes later, Brunswick had opened the scoring courtesy of a well-taken Cindy Lay header from a corner kick.
At the 20-minute mark, the Royals had another glorious chance, when Mary Hubeek beat the offside trap to run onto a well-placed long-ball. With the Brunswick keeper rushing out, Hubeek nodded the ball over the keeper, collecting it on the other side of her, but she couldn’t get her shot off into an empty net before the Brunswick defence recovered and pressured the eventual shot wide.
Brunswick made it 2-0 via a massive deflection on a Laura Spiranovic strike that did Royals keeper Beth Mason-Jones no favours in response.
Hubeek and Linda Sawa combined well in the 29th minute to create another opening, but they just could not scramble the ball over the line with the keeper beaten once again.
Marques saw a header go wide after 31 minutes, and once against the home side would punish the Royals’ failure to score, with Spiranovic grabbing her second goal – this one from yet another corner.
Sawa tested the keeper in the 35th minute in the last chance of the half as the Royals were left wondering how they could possibly be three goals down and without a goal of their own to show for their second-half efforts.
In the second half, Mason-Jones was called into action after 53 minutes, making a brave save to deny a certain goal.
The Royals were restricted to shots from distance and set-pieces for much of the rest of the half as a disciplined Brunswick held their structure well to keep the visitors at bay.
In the end, the Zebras were victors despite the Royals’ best efforts.
The loss is a blow to Essendon’s title challenges but they remain firmly in control of their promotion destiny and have plenty to play for in the weeks ahead to ensure there is plenty to celebrate come the end of the season.