Wayne Rooney once said, “You just want to keep playing consistently now and keep working hard, and I’m sure the goals will come”.
Funnily enough, Wayne Rooney was right, at least in Sale United Football Club’s case, the local soccer club scoring a massive 30 goals across the senior men, senior women, reserves and second division competitions at the weekend.
Hosting Churchill United on Saturday for Round 4 of the Latrobe Valley Soccer League, with Sale United White second division team travelling to Bairnsdale on Sunday, the Swans were one win short of a 15-point party.
Sale United Green defeated Churchill 6-0 in second division, the Swans won 7-1 in the reserves, 9-0 in the senior women’s and 5-0 win in senior men’s.
Sale United White was unable to top a strong East Gippsland United in Bairnsdale, going down 5-3 to the hosts.
The weather was textbook perfect for soccer on Saturday afternoon, almost no wind, clouded sky and light misty rain only beginning as Churchill United descended on Sale’s Godfrey Baldwin Reserve for the opening games of Round 4.
Kicking-off on the main pitch at 3pm was SUFCs senior women.
The Swanettes entered the Round 4 match against the Rams determined to keep another clean sheet and claim a third consecutive win, after defeating Tyers Lightning and Monash in their first two season games, scoring 18 goals and conceding zero, putting them second on the ladder.
With Churchill having not fielded a women’s side last season, Sale was unsure what to expect from their Latrobe Valley opponents, who lost 6-1 to Traralgon City in Round 1, 2-0 to returning side Morwell Pegasus in Round 2 and 3-0 to Falcons 2000 in Round 3.
The referee blew his whistle calling captains to the pitch’s centre – Sale had the first kick-off.
Sale monopolised the game from the beginning, but although the home team dominated possession, the Swanettes struggled to find the back of the net early doors.
Maybe it was too much chocolate over Easter, or just the fact there was a week break; whatever it was, the Swanettes took their time kicking into gear, the lethargic vibe ceasing after winger Hollie Ryan found the back of the net in the 10th minute, igniting a goal-scoring spree from the home side.
Playing coach Madeline Breakspear scored the Swanettes’ second goal in the 15th minute, with SUFC senior men’s coach Anouk Meereboer adding a third a minute later.
Sale led 7-0 at the end of the half, with Ryan earning herself a hat-trick, Meereboer scoring a second goal, and Swanettes striker Dani Wilson also finding the back of the net before the break.
The home team continued to dominate possession in the second half, striking countless shots toward the goal, much to the disappointment of a hard-working Churchill keeper, but the Swanettes struggled to find the back of the net.
Zoe Askew scored Sale United’s eighth goal just past the hour mark with a toe-knuckle hybrid strike through the keeper’s legs.
Meereboer scored her third goal, earning herself a hat-trick in the game’s closing minutes, sealing Sale United’s 9-0 win.
Sale United senior women’s assistant coach Romi Bitar said the highlight of the game was the Swanettes’ dominance in possession.
“We played the ball around with purpose and found the right passes to space, leading to several great passages of coast-to-coast goals,” Bitar said.
“With the comfortable lead, we were able to purposely rotate newer players to get some experience; this made the second half a more even contest, but a valuable lesson nonetheless.
“The best players this week were Zoe Askew, Hollie Ryan, Bec Stobie, Anouk Meereboer and Izzy Hearsey.”
The Swanettes hit the road this Sunday, playing Newborough Yallourn United.
“Newborough play a dogged physical style, and we need to bring our physical match and a heightened sense of match vibe to overrun the Combine on the expansive deck of Burrage Reserve,” Bitar said.
“It is a top-of-the-ladder match, and after their high-scoring drawn match on Sunday with last year’s premiers Falcons, the match shapes up as season-defining.”
Daylight had far since slipped away as Sale United’s senior men took the field for their Round 4 clash against Churchill United, teams kicking-off for the day’s final match at 7pm.
Suffice to say, Saturday’s game under the lights was a match of two halves, with Sale United returning to the pitch after a scoreless first half to put away five goals and claim the three points in a 5-0 victory over the Latrobe Valley side.
Swans’ winger Isaak Jondahl earned himself a hat-trick, while midfielder Jamie Penn and striker Marrien Van Den Heuvel also found the back of the net.
Sale United’s 5-0 win made it three consecutive wins for the senior men’s side.
“This hasn’t happened for some time for the senior men’s team,” Sale United senior men’s coach Anouk Meereboer said.
“The team was able to keep possession really well in the first half; it only just wasn’t quick enough to put the final passes in.
“They kept their patience and kept on finding each other, with Mace Irvine playing a beautiful pass straight through the middle that Marrien Van Den Heuvel reacted really well on.
“Marrien turned away from his opponent, which left him with a one-on-one with the goalie. He placed the ball in the corner, putting the 1-0 on the score sheet, opening the gates for us to score another four.”
Meereboer said there was a noticeable difference in the squad this year, one which is evidently earning wins.
“The difference with last year is that we’re able to find each other better and are playing more like a team,” Meereboer said.
“More of a fighting spirit.”
In the reserves, Sale United defeated Churchill United 7-1 with goals from Richard Kemp, Rowan Crinall, Jake Jeung, Nick Bartlett, Jordan Frend, and two from header-loving striker Josh Deschepper.
Adam King scored a hat-trick in Sale United Green’s match against Churchill United in second division. Mark Cockell, Callum Park and Mitch Brewis also added goals to the Swans’ 6-0 win.
Luke Williams scored two goals for Sale United White in the Round 4 match against East Gippsland United, and Thomas Dyer scored one.
Sale United senior women are currently first on the Latrobe Valley Soccer League ladder, senior men fourth, and reserves fifth.
