Amongst the boos and cries of the 6000 primary-school-aged Jets fans (and one angry Dad, I think?), there was actually a game of football going on. And a good one at that.
In a fast paced match which saw plenty of chances, hard tackles and positive play, it was City who came out on top with a massive three-nil win. While furthering our utter dominance over the Jets, we come away with a resounding lead ahead of the second leg in Melbourne next weekend. In the other semi-final, Sydney FC went one-nil up against the Mariners away from home.
Our City girls got off to the perfect start with Daniela Galic tapping home the opening goal after Rhianna Pollicina hit the crossbar in the opening five minutes. Our defence remained solid for the remainder of the half to go into the sheds with a slight advantage.
Lauren Hughes made herself known in an attacking sense, placing the ball ahead of Galic and Emina Ekic, the latter getting the final touch to double our lead. Finally, it was the youngster Shelby McMahon who found space in the box, before smashing it over the head of the Jets keeper to close out the game.
Our defence scrambled towards the end in order to keep a clean sheet, and Dario Vidosic will be very happy with our chances going back to Melbourne for the second leg.
Here are the three things we learned from the match:
We’re on for the double
It was only a few months ago I was calling the season a complete bust. Haven’t these girls made a fool out of me! It has been a sequence of amazing circumstance and determination that allowed us to win the Premier’s Plate at the death of the regular season, and now we look to be in some fabulous form to push for the Championship.
As Julia Grosso stated earlier in the week, we’ve got our eyes on it, and now I certainly believe it. We were pushed by the Jets, and were still able to keep our focus, play out of tricky situations, and keep them out of our goal.
It has been a very impressive end to this season, and with a clear job to do next weekend prior to the highly regarded Grand Final on the 4th of May (Star Wars round anyone?), we’re looking in good sorts to earn more silverware.
The kids are good
Seriously, we’ve all known that Galic is a baller, but how about McMahon? Coming onto the pitch in front of a fairly hostile group of year fours, Shelby was able to keep her head and make some important touches around the pitch.
Not to mention, this kid knows how to score a goal. After getting a couple of starts in a row, it was quite interesting to see her score a Premiership winning goal against Perth after coming on quite late. Now, she has done it again! Off the bench, in the back of the net.
She has got a lot of football and even a few years ahead of her before she is even an adult, so a talent like this must be managed properly. If we can enable Shelby to come on as a substitute for the majority of the next few seasons games, we will have a confident, level-headed player ready to start for us for years to come.
That’s if she and Galic don’t head off to Real Madrid by then.
Our girls love the atmosphere
It is almost a bit of a shame that we will be playing at AAMI Park for the second leg next week. In a smaller stadium such, even 6000 fans can get the place rocking. Our City women absolutely thrived under that pressure, and almost had them toying with the emotions of the Jets fans.
If we could replicate that in Melbourne on a consistent basis, we’d be unstoppable. Hence my advocacy for the stadium in Dandenong. Anyway, we must hope that those fans who are coming to see the men later in the day will plan ahead and egg on the women to absolutely smash Newcastle and inflict fear in the Mariners or Sydney come Grand Final day.
Getting ahead of myself? Yes. But do I have faith that we can hold the Jets and keep our lead intact? Absolutely.
Go on girls.
