By Lance Jenkinson
Calder United claimed all three points from a seven-goal epic with Alamein in the NPL Victoria Women’s at HA Smith Reserve on Saturday.
Calder held on for a 4-3 victory, extending its lead at the top of the ladder to eight points and bringing Alamein’s six-game unbeaten run to an end.
Aleks Sinclair put Calder in front when she nodded home a rebound off the crossbar in the 22nd minute.
The visitors’ doubled their lead in the 28th minute when Angela Beard pounced on a looping pass from Stacey Papadopoulos and cut the ball back to Adriana Taranto, who calmly finished with her left foot.
Only seconds after the restart, Alamein took the ball forward uncontested and halved the deficit through Lucy Johnson.
Straight after half-time, Calder United restored its two-goal advantage through a spectacular curling strike by Taranto.
Alamein refused to yield, again cutting the deficit to a goal after a 76th minute goal to Johnson.
Two minutes later, Calder rebuilt its two-goal lead when Sinclair played in substitute Polly Doran for a tap in.
A late goal to Alamein’s Marielle Pastor made for a few nervous minutes for Calder, but it managed to hold on for a fourth straight win.
In NPL Victoria men’s, Green Gully Cavaliers claimed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Hume City at Green Gully Reserve.
Melbourne Knights played out a 1-1 draw with Kingston City at Knights Stadium on Friday night.
In NPL 2 west, St Albans Saints came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Melbourne Victory 4-2 at Epping Stadium.
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