Marie-Yasmine Alidou secured the decisive goal from a penalty kick in the 55th minute as Montreal Roses triumphed 2-0 over AFC Toronto in the latest Northern Super League clash on Sunday. Elyse Bennett, scoring her ninth goal this season, provided additional assurance for the Roses, who hold the second spot with a record of 9-4-3. This match marked the debut of interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel for the team.
Although Shelina Zadorsky seemingly equalized for third-place Toronto (7-5-4) in the 68th minute, her goal was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Roses’ goalkeeper Anna Karpenko was put to the test, facing a total of 20 shots, nine of which were on target, but managed to secure a clean sheet.
On the opposing side, Toronto’s goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo dealt with seven shots, five of which were on target. The Roses took to the field for the first time since parting ways with head coach Robert Rositoiu following a surprising 1-0 defeat to semi-pro outfit Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.
The match result signifies a significant victory for Montreal Roses under their new leadership and sets the tone for their future performances in the league.