IN A match charged with emotion, the Ballarat Eureka Strikers farewelled veteran Beth Taylor with a 16-0 victory against Doncaster Rovers.
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In her speech at the end of the contest, Taylor reflected on the development of the female game in her 23-year playing career. When she started at seven she was one of two females in her team. As she hangs up her boots, there are two Ballarat female teams in FFV state leagues, as well as a Ballarat senior female competition and under-16 and 11 girls’ divisions.
It looked like the game had got off to a disastrous start for Ballarat at Morshead Park on Sunday, with Jordan Ivey injured in the opening 30 seconds. The left midfielder injured her ankle and it was game over.
It was Ivey’s replacement Vanessa Yung who opened the scoring in the fifth minute. The rest of the half belonged to Alyson Pym, who netted four goals and set up one for Al-Huneidi.
Leading 6-0 at half-time, it would have been easy for the Eureka Strikers to slip into cruise mode. Instead, the home team turned up even stronger, with Nat Barbara scoring the first within a minute of the restart. Nine further goals were scored with Al-Huneidi netting three, Barbara scoring a second, Hannah Kozaris beating the goalkeeper and youngster Molly Esmonde also getting in on the act. Fittingly, Taylor also got on the scoresheet, scoring twice. An own goal added to Doncaster’s difficult day.
Taylor left the field for the last time in the 89th minute, to rousing applause from supporters and teammates.
MEANWHILE, Sebastopol Vikings suffered their first defeat of the FFV women’s state league four season at the hands of Altona Magic and have dropped to second behind the Magic.
STATE LEAGUE 1
SENIORS: Ballarat 16 d Doncaster 0. Ladder: Uni of Melbourne 31, Ballarat 28, North Geelong 24, Keilor Park 19, Yarra 18, Cairnlea 16, Brighton 16, Preston 9, Monbulk 9, Doncaster 1
RESERVES: Ballarat 6 d Doncaster 0. Ladder: Brighton 36, Uni of Melbourne 33, Ballarat 28, Yarra 25, Keilor Park 20, Monbulk 17, Cairnlea 9, Preston 9, North Geelong 7, Doncaster 0
STATE LEAGUE 4
Altona 2 d Sebastopol 1. Ladder: Altona 36 (71 goal difference), Sebastopol 36 (67), St Albans 34, Yarraville 29, North Sunshine 24, Truganina 22, Maribyrnong 18, Keilor Park 15, Sunbury United 15, Keilor Wolves 15, Melton 15, Kyneton 14, Point Cook 7, Altona East 5, Gisborne 4, Brimbank 1
