Women’s Match Report: Royals Fall at Lakeside but Secure Finals Spot

Essendon Royals fell 2-1 to South Melbourne on Saturday afternoon at Lakeside Stadium, but other results across the round confirmed the Royals’ place in the NPLW Victoria finals.

It looked like the Royals might spoil South’s season entirely when Olivia Wood struck just after the half-hour mark. Pressing high, Essendon forced a mistake at the back, and Wood was alive to the rebound after the initial shot came back off the post. Her composure put the visitors 1-0 up against the run of play and gave her side a valuable lead to defend.

South had dominated possession to that point, but Essendon’s defensive discipline held firm through the opening 45 minutes. Zara Board wasn’t tested often, as the back four and midfield worked hard to keep the hosts to shots from range.

After the break, however, the pressure eventually told.

South’s substitutions gave them fresh impetus, and they found their equaliser in the 75th minute when Olivia Bomford broke free to score. Ten minutes later, Raquel Deralas completed the turnaround, finishing well after another spell of attacking play, to hand Hellas a 2-1 lead.

Essendon pushed in the final moments, but couldn’t find a late response, slipping to their first defeat in seven games.

Despite the loss, news filtering through from elsewhere meant the Royals could celebrate at the final whistle: finals football is guaranteed. Royals drop to fourth, but have a four-point buffer on South Melbourne, ensuring that heading into the final day of the season, finals football is confirmed.

For now, the Royals can reflect on a performance that showed resilience against one of the competition’s traditional powerhouses and focus on what’s ahead – the club’s second crack at an NPLW finals campaign in as many season.