Women’s Match Report: Royals Battle but Fall Short Against Clinical Alamein
Essendon Royals fought bravely but couldn’t stop a late Alamein surge, falling 4-2 in an entertaining clash at Cross Keys Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
In a match full of attacking intent and momentum swings, the Royals twice took the lead but were ultimately undone by a ruthless Alamein side that showed exactly why they sit near the top of the NPLW Victoria table.
The Royals struck first just before the break, with a flowing move that showed their growing attacking cohesion. Emma Langley threaded a ball forward to Ava Groba, who played an intelligent pass into the path of the onrushing Airi Fujiwara.
Fujiwara kept her composure, driving a low shot that slipped past the Alamein goalkeeper despite a desperate hand, giving the Royals a deserved 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
Unfortunately, the advantage didn’t last long after the restart.
Alamein levelled the scores in the 48th minute after a scramble in the Royals box. The ball eventually fell to Zoe Houghton, who cleverly flicked a shot with the outside of her boot beyond Zara Board from close range.
Ten minutes later, Alamein struck again. After a smart build-up, Paige Clemenson’s driven cross was parried by Board, only for Savanna Anastasopoulos to pounce at the far post and tap home, turning the match on its head.
The Royals, however, showed their character and resilience. In the 66th minute, they drew level from a set piece. A corner caused chaos in the Alamein penalty area, and when the goalkeeper failed to clear decisively, Kendrah Smith reacted quickest to poke the ball into the back of the net, restoring parity at 2-2.
The game hung in the balance, but it was Alamein who found the extra gear late on.
In the 81st minute, Chinatsu Shidara’s lofted ball found Emma Runnalls, who timed her run perfectly and glanced a header past the advancing Board to give Alamein the lead once more.
Just four minutes later, Alamein sealed the points. Runnalls turned provider, winning the ball high up the pitch and setting up Houghton, who in turn threaded a perfect through ball for Clemenson to run onto and fire home with a composed low finish.
Despite the result, there were positives for the Royals to take from the contest. The attacking combinations of Groba, Fujiwara, and Langley continued to threaten against one of the league’s benchmark teams.
Vince Battiato’s side remains firmly in the mix in a congested NPLW table and will look to regroup and return to winning ways next weekend.