Women’s Match Report: Royals Beaten by Preston in Semi-Final Rematch
Essendon Royals received another harsh lesson in the importance of moments at Cross Keys Reserve on Saturday, losing 3-1 to Preston Lions in a rematch of last year’s NPLW semi-final
Vince Battiato’s side played plenty of good football, and made some great chances on the day, but in the end a 17-minute spell in which Preston scored three goals undid a strong start after Ava Groba had given the Royals an early lead.
Essendon started brightly and looked keen to make a statement in front of a strong crowd gathered for the club’s Homecoming Double Header.
In the 7th minute, Audrey Oastler whipped a low ball across the face of goal, where Groba was waiting to tap home and hand the Royals a 1-0 advantage.
A slip in midfield gifted possession to the Lions, and in the 18th minute, Eri Narita’s cutback fell kindly for Valentine Pursey to fire home the equaliser.
Essendon continued to push, with Airi Fujiwara and Grace Paradis both going close. Paradis forced a strong diving save from Preston keeper Sophie Dehne, while Fujiwara threatened with a smart run and shot just wide.
However, defensive lapses proved costly. Preston took the lead in the 28th minute through Ellie Vlaeminck, capitalising on a failed clearance inside the Royals box.
Just six minutes later, Georgia Henderson added a third with a stunning long-range strike that flew past Zara Board to cap a ruthless 15-minute spell for the visitors.
The second half saw a more controlled performance from the Royals, who created several chances to claw their way back into the contest. Fujiwara’s attempted chip narrowly cleared the bar, while Paradis once again forced Dehne into a sharp save.
Mia Lantieri-Bartley picked up a yellow card in the 68th minute as the Royals tried to stifle Preston’s momentum and build from the back. Substitute Filomena Delic entered the match late, replacing Langley as Essendon chased the game.
Preston continued to press from set pieces and nearly added a fourth through Emma Checker, but some desperate defending and alert goalkeeping from Board kept the deficit to two.
Ultimately, it was a match decided by clinical finishing and key moments in the first half.
While the Royals showed plenty of attacking promise, they’ll rue missed chances and costly errors in their defensive third.