The Swan Hill under-16 girls soccer team have continued their strong start to the season with a hard fought 1-0 win over Kyneton District SC at the Bendigo Amateur Soccer League’s (BASL) Female Football Round event.
The Swans were made earn the three points against the bottom-placed Ranges, with a first-half goal from Judaya Majur proving to be the decisive moment in the match.
Overnight rain made for difficult ball handling for both teams, with Swan Hill’s midfield creating the better chances, despite their inability to convert on the scoreboard.
Trinity Shelton was dominant up forward for Swan Hill, creating several opportunities and providing a constant threat to Kyneton’s defence, with the young striker earning herself the Female Football Round player of the match medal.
Ella Semeia and Maddi Muir-Howie also were strong contributors for the Swans, while captain Charley Baskin was resolute and a clear standout in the Swan Hill defence.
After her performance in the morning, Shelton then backed up to play in the afternoon for Swan Hill’s women’s team, where she would provide the Swans with their only goal on their way to a 5-1 loss to Golden City SC.
After allowing the Rams to score the opening two goals of the match within the first 20 minutes, the Swans soon recovered, with Shelton scoring before halftime to cut the margin to just one goal at the break.
That would prove to be the only joy for Swan Hill however, with an early second-half goal to Golden City extending the margin again, before the Swans conceded two more goals in the final minutes of the game.
Despite the final score, Swan Hill showed plenty of potential ahead of winnable games against Kyneton and Epsom in the next fortnight.
Defenders Amity Scott and Abbey Houlihan, along with midfielders Heidi Annand, Ruby Smith and Maddi Muir-Howie – who also was playing her second match for the day – were some of Swan Hill’s other better players.
The other game in which Swan Hill featured was in the youth boys division, with the Swans suffering a 7-1 away loss to Shepparton South SC.
After conceding five first-half goals, the Swans tightened their defence in a much-improved second half to build momentum ahead of a must-win home game against Shepparton United SC on Sunday.
Qarin Zulkarnain was the only Swan to get one past the Shepparton South defence, with his first-half strike giving Swan Hill their third goal of the season.
Swan Hill’s men’s team remain on top of the BASL division 2 ladder, after their round 4 match against Golden City ended before it started, with the Rams forfeiting over the weekend and handing the Swans a 3-0 win and outright top spot on the ladder.
