Insight Body & Mind Women’s Match Preview: Can Royals Make It Five?
Four wins in a row is a run worth protecting, and Bentleigh Greens away on Friday night is the kind of fixture that will test whether this side is building something genuine or simply riding a fortunate stretch of the fixture list.
Bentleigh Greens has suffered a horrific start to their season, losing all nine games and conceding a total of 43 goals. A side with that record invites confidence from the opposition, and rightly so. But a team that is desperate for a result can be awkward opposition, particularly for a side with something to lose.
The Royals have plenty to lose. Fourth on 18 points, level with FC Bulleen Lions, and three points behind leaders Box Hill United Pythagoras on 21. A fifth consecutive Royals win would send a message to the teams above them.
The Royals have proven that they can perform on the road, winning their last three away from home. Travelling to Kingston Heath on Friday night shouldn’t faze them.
The central figure in all of it is Kelli McGroarty. Eleven goals from eight appearances, scoring in every match since returning from her Round 5 suspension. ‘Machine Gun Kelli’ arrives at Kingston Heath in the kind of form that makes her a problem for any defence, regardless of where the opponent sits on the ladder.
Sophie Dehne continues to cover for the injured Zara Board in goal, and she has done so with a composure that the defensive platform in front of her has matched all month – keeping a clean sheet in the last outing.
None of that makes Friday night a formality. Bentleigh will be playing for a first home victory of the season, on their ground, with a Friday night crowd behind them. The Royals have done the harder work over the past month, winning away from home and finding results against opposition with genuine quality. The question is whether this group can keep the standard up when the fixture looks, on the surface, like a straightforward one.
Forza Royals!