O’Connor strike gets job done for Geographe

The Geographe Bay women’s team have started to stamp their mark on the 2018 season with a league win against Bunbury United 4-1, and more recently, cup success against Dalyellup on Sunday.

The team travelled to Dalyellup for the South West Soccer Association Cup semifinal.

Almost a full-strength Geographe were keen to make amends for a previous loss to Dalyellup in the league.

A slow start gave Dalyellup some early chances but all were thwarted by the Hollett sisters, with Sarah in goal and Ashlee defending hard.

A tight defence consisted of the Hollett sisters, Dom Boshoff, Emily Hodder, and super pest Yvette Pradera, who banded together in time to keep Dalyellup on the back foot.

There was some hard work through the middle of the field, with Taylor Hunter, young gun Jess Gordon and the hardworking Portia Mann providing some excellent chances up front for Elli Howard-Turner, Elisha Saltarini and Brooke O’Connor.

Saltarini took a hard kick to the shin early on in the game from the goalkeeper which was deemed to be outside of the box, and the free kick did not result in success. This slowed Saltarini down for the day but she still provided excellent leadership as captain and the team were happy to have her back.

Brooke O’Connor provided the breakthrough after some slick work up the right from Boshoff and Mann combining.

O’Connor picked up the ball just inside the box and fired home.

The ball ricocheted off the crossbar and O’Connor took no prisoners by following up her shot and slamming the ball home.

The team went into the break 1-0 up and keen for more.

The Geographe women continued to dominate through the second half, helped by stalwart Jess Avery, Phoebe Telchadder and Sophie Pradera, all of whom made an impact on the game.

Hard work earned a corner early in the second half which Saltarini stepped up to take.

After some excellent movement off the ball space was created.

Saltarini dropped the ball deftly in to the space and Mann met the ball with zeal and slotted the ball home.

Geographe were not finished and put another goal on the board via Mann who also took out player of the match.

The team will take on the Australind reserve grade team in the SWSA Cup final. They have four league games left and have a chance at the title if they can win all their remaining games.

They are away against Capel, home against Manjimup, away against Dalyellup and the last game will be against Australind.

Interestingly Australind is the only team in the women’s competition that has both a reserve grade team, and a premier league team.

There is nothing in the SWSA by-laws which prevents the club from playing their premier league players in the reserve league.

The lead up to the end of the season will prove to be an interesting one for the Geographe Ladies who have nothing to lose, and everything to play for.