Win for Northerns’ girls at home

After earning their first point against Florida Ladies, with a 2-2 draw on Friday, June 6, Benoni Northerns Football Club’s girls’ Winter League team claimed their first three points, with a 2-0 victory at home, against Grupo, on Friday, June 13.

Coach Neil Senneck’s team, playing their fourth game of the Winter League, had to deal with and absorb some intense pressure from their opposition in the early stages of the game.

The Northerns back four worked well together as a unit and, after Northerns’ goalkeeper Michaela Senneck made a fantastic stop from a Grupo free kick, the game came alive and turned into a real humdinger of an encounter.

Northerns used the wings to their advantage and created a number of attacking runs through Aleks Antonijevic and Chene Biela, who put in many great crosses that put Grupo under a great deal of pressure.

The pressure from the Benoni girls continued in the second half, and Northerns would break the deadlock and go 1-0 up.

A powerful left footed volley from Antonijevic forced a good save from the Grupo keeper, but Chané Opperman followed up to head the ball into the back of the net and continue her recent goal-scoring form.

This lifted the Northerns girls, who attacked with menace.

Antonijevic was firing in shot after shot (one of which struck the crossbar) and was unlucky not to score on the night.

An attack through the middle opened up the Grupo defence and found Opperman, whose shot was palmed into the path of Tea Mmotong, who had an easy tap in to earn a 2-0 victory.

The coach praised his back four of Kirsten Barnard, Bianca de Klerk, Bianca Pretorius and Mabatho Dire, for an excellent defensive showing.

“It is awesome to see the progression of this side in such a short space of time together,” said Senneck.