Natalie Mitchell could not prevent the Casey Comets from a 3-1 defeat to Heidelberg United on Sunday. Picture: Meagan RogersBy Marc McGowan
CASEY Comets goalkeeper April Huijbregsen is not going to forget Sunday’s 3-1 Women’s Premier League loss to Heidelberg United at Comets Stadium in a hurry.
Huijbregsen has enjoyed a relatively incident-free time since number-one keeper Emma Bracken went down with a foot injury, but she endured a nightmare afternoon on the weekend.
The Bergers scored twice inside the opening eight minutes, with Huijbregsen letting in an embarrassing second goal.
Melanie Camilleri put the visitors ahead in the fifth minute before team-mate Gabbie Angelucci’s seemingly innocuous shot on goal three minutes later somehow found its way underneath Huijbregsen’s legs.
Comets striker Nicola Prins almost hit back with one of her trademark brilliant corners.
She curled the ball in beautifully and Heidelberg United goalkeeper Katie Neville could only knock the ball away.
But it was the Bergers who had the next strong chance.
Casey’s defence stopped in anticipation of an unforthcoming referee call and Kirstin Segond broke clear and should have scored, but Huijbregsen was able to hold her up and Gabrielle Lee kicked the ball to safety.
Belinda Pannella also just failed to score on a long ball after a timid Huijbregsen hung back in goals and watched the shot just clear the crossbar.
But the Comets’ luck soon ran out when Camilleri sidestepped Vanessa Hellar and blasted the ball into the net in the 37th minute to complete her brace. There was confusion shortly after when referee George Karageorgiou presented Casey midfielder Lisa Cloke with a red card for a crude tackle before correcting himself and showing the more appropriate yellow.
It was just as well for the Comets because Cloke burst down the wing moments later and sent a perfect cross into Prins, who tapped the ball in on the goal-line for her sixth score of the year.
There was further drama just before half-time when Heidelberg United’s Chrissy Baxendale made a late play at the ball and crashed into Huijbregsen, leaving both players motionless for several minutes.
The game cooled off in the second half and Casey was unable to make inroads on its two-goal deficit.
Prins and Linda Restrepo – playing in place of in-form forward Talia Silivestros, who suffered ligament damage in a state schoolgirl trial last week – both had opportunities, but Neville produced a host of good saves to deny the hosts.
Comets coach Debbie Nichols brought reserves hat-trick hero Lana Bonneti on in the last 15 minutes to try to spark her team, but it was not to be.
Casey is now hanging to its spot in the top four by a thread, with fifth-placed Ashburton just one point adrift.
Nichols was in no doubt as to what cost her team victory on Sunday.
“It was a game of two keepers … our keeper had a shocker and their keeper was superb,” she said.
“If you sit down and analyse it, we certainly had our chances.
“We got away with having Bracken injured in a couple of games without it having a major impact, but, obviously, long term it did seriously impact the side and it is probably indicating just how important she is to the side.”
The Comets face unbeaten ladder-leader Box Hill on Friday, 12 June, at 8.30pm after the Queen’s Birthday weekend.
Jeni Black will return to the Casey line-up for the important fixture and Nichols may replace Huijbregsen.
