Women’s Match Report: Royals suffer rare off-day at Spring Hills

In a rare off day for the Essendon Royals Senior Women’s team, they suffered a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Spring Hills in Round 20 of the VPLW. The Royals, who have been in scintillating form throughout the season, were missing several key players after this league fixture had to be rescheduled due to the Nike FC Community Cup final.

The match started with Spring Hills taking the lead in the 9th minute through Dayna Stevens. The Royals responded quickly, with Filomena Delic capitalising on a mishandled cross by the Spring Hills goalkeeper to tap in from close range in the 17th minute.

However, Spring Hills regained the lead in the 33rd minute with a goal from Beth Gregory. The Royals struggled to find their rhythm and were further set back when Aleksandra Sinclair scored for Spring Hills in the 46th minute, extending their lead to 3-1.

Despite the Royals’ best efforts, they were unable to mount a comeback, and the match ended with a 3-1 victory for Spring Hills. The absence of key players like Rebecca Davies, Talia White, Marie Rampal, and Rosie Wild took a toll, as the Royals struggled to replicate their usual dominant performances.

The Royals remain in contention for the league title, with two matches remaining in the season, whilst promotion to NPLW has already been confirmed.

The Royals will be looking to bounce back from this setback and finish the season on a high note, with key players returning for the final two matches and the upcoming finals.

Despite the loss, the Royals have had an outstanding season and will be looking to continue their success in the finals. The team’s resilience and determination will be crucial as they aim to finish the season as VPLW champions.