THE surprise packet of the Women’s State League hockey 1, Footscray is mixing it with the big teams in its first season in the top division.
Promoted after last season, Footscray is looking a serious finals contender after its 2-1 win against Essendon on Saturday at Fenton Street Reserve.
The Bulldogs started underdogs, but were able to make the most of their opportunities as Essendon missed a number of chances to tie the game.
Click on the image below for our gallery of the big game.
Coach Luke Michael said he was happy that his side was mixing it with teams like Essendon.
“We hoped for the best and were looking to get a draw out of the match. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the improvement of the 18 players we’ve used so far.
“We’re a young team. Only two of our players are over 23 and many are under 18.”
Michael said he was impressed with the way the team handled the pressure in the game’s final 15minutes. “We didn’t have many shots and Essendon had a lot more.
“We took our chances to get the lead and the last 15 minutes we were a bit nervous. But we held our nerve and it will give us more confidence.”
The win moves the Bulldogs to equal second on the ladder.
“The next few weeks will work out our season,” Michael said. “We play MCC, who defeated us in last year’s grand final in league 2, and then we play the two top teams.”
Essendon coach Janine Keating said her team had kept Footscray’s chances to a minimum but squandered its own chances.
“We didn’t take our opportunities,” Keating said. “[Footscray] stacked their defensive half and we just couldn’t find space.
“We didn’t convert our penalty corners. We had about five or six and put most of them wide.
“We need to change our structure so we play the ball better.”
