Women’s Match Report: Royals claim NPLW scalp on path to Nike FC Cup quarter-final

Essendon Royals VPLW secured a well deserved albeit tough fought Nike FC Cup win tonight claiming the WNPL scalp of Bayside United and booking a place in the Quarter Finals.

The Royals hit the ground running pinning their WNPL opponents in their half for the opening period of the match, an early chance by Marie Rampal parried by the keeper only to fall between two Royals following up.

Royals piled on the pressure with a succession of corners and they were unlucky not to capitalise on one. Bayside looked solid on the break but didn’t trouble the Royals defence in the first half other than an early deflection which had Royals keeper Beth Mason-Jones at full stretch to make the save.

All the Royals early pressure finally got reward when a Yuria Sasaki headed flick-on fell to striker Filomena Delic; who got herself between the two centre backs; and with the ball bouncing and the defence closing in; took her shot early from the edge of the box, catching the keeper off guard burying it into the top right hand corner.

Royals took that slender lead into the break but Bayside came out firing in the second half, and it took only 10 mins for the equaliser to come, albeit from an unlucky ricochet that was coolly slotted home by American import Deaver.

But instead of dropping their heads, the Royals ladies rose to the challenge; a Rebecca Davies free kick headed on by substitute Linda Sawa only for Ayano Koizumi to smash home from inside the box just 3 minutes later.

The game continued from end to end, Royals pressing hard and Bayside countering with lightning speed but in the end, the headstrong Essendon Royals pulled off a deserved upset triumphing with a 2-1 victory.

A quarter final beckons.