Willowburn women start title defence with win over Rockville

Willowburn have started their defence with a narrow win. Who got the job done for the premiers?

Willowburn’s Hayley Gray (centre) scored in her side’s 2-1 against Rockville Rovers in their Toowoomba Football League Premier Women round one clash. Picture: Kevin Farmer

FOOTBALL: Striker Madison Lockwood made an almost instant impact for her new club at the weekend.

Rockville Rovers signed the South West Queensland Thunder starlet a week before the start of the TFL Premier Women’s season, and Lockwood scored 16 minutes into her debut.

Defending premiers Willowburn were not to be denied though and claimed a 2-1 win in the match.

Shandell Robertson (26th minute) and Hayley Gray (45th) scored the goals for Willowburn.

Up against a traditional TFL Premier Women’s powerhouse, Willowburn coach Mark Fildes was happy with how his team responded to the early goal and throughout the game.

“Obviously when you’re the defending premiers you want to start off with a win,” Fildes said.

“It was good to come up against Rockville who are traditionally one of the stronger sides every season as well.

“I thought we responded really well to the early goal.

“The girls didn’t panic, we just focused on our game and got the goals we needed to win.”

Away to Gatton this weekend, little if anything at all will change in Willowburn’s game plan.

“We want to develop a possession-based game as the season progresses, and that won’t change,” Fildes said.

“Against Rockville, one of the pleasing things was how the things we worked on at training and in pre-season were there on the field.

“It’s all about improving across the park as we go.”

In Premier Men’s division, West Wanderers went to the top of the table with a win over premiers Willowburn.

Goals to captain Brian Ardley and Duncan Fowler coupled with a Willowburn own goal, all in the first half, gave Wanderers a 3-0 win.

St Albans thumped Highfields 11-2 in their round two fixture.

Mannyx Smith and Daniel Weber scored four goals each and Riley Lobwein scored three for Saints.

Dylan Brown scored Highfields’ goals.

Premier Women: Highfields 4 df USQ 3, Gatton 2 Rockville Rubies 2, Hawks 6 df Warwick 0, Chinchilla 4 df West Wanderers 0, Willowburn 2 df Rockville 1.

Premier Men: Stanthorpe 2 Rockville 2, West Wanderers 3 df Willowburn 0, Warwick 4 Gatton 4. St Alban 11 df Highfields 2.

Originally published as Willowburn women start title defence with win over Rockville