Keen to take their first points

By Teo Pellizzeri

August 17 2007

Shepparton News

They're yet to win a game, but if attitude counts for anything then Kyabram Soccer Club's women aren't far away from their first three points.

Sitting on the bottom of the ladder in their first season of North Eastern Soccer League competition, the Go-Annas - nicknamed after a founding member of the club - are keen to snare a victory to avoid a winless debut year.

Things weren't looking too good in round three when Shepparton United put 23 goals past them, but since then the team has improved all over the park, keeping the defeats down and scoring its first goal against Shepparton in July.

Ros Riley captains the team and said that even when it was copping double-figure defeats the attitude in the rooms always remained upbeat.

"We never wanted to quit and always came away from our matches looking at the positives," Riley said.

"We've been working on defence all year and now our focus has been on how to attack."

Kyabram started as an indoor team before braving the outdoor pitch.

"In our first ever practice match we only had about eight and were literally grabbing children's mums off the sidelines to get on the field and play," Riley said.

Riley is 43, while teammate Carol Job is 41, two of the more senior players in the competition, but still new to the round ball game.

"When I lived in England I couldn't even watch the game, I hated it," Riley said.

"This is my first season, coming up against 13-yearolds is quite a challenge, but I'm an aggressive player," Job said.

Amy Wickham scored Kyabram's first goal earlier in the season.

"We were in disbelief and then there were a lot of girly squeals," Wickham said.

"I don't get many chances on goal, hopefully there will be a few against Cobram this weekend."

Riley is confident the GoAnnas will at least get their first draw, if not a win, against the second-lastplaced Tigers.

"We're not going to lose this weekend," Riley said.