Marie-Yasmine Alidou secured victory with a penalty goal in the 55th minute as the Montreal Roses triumphed 2-0 over AFC Toronto in Northern Super League action on Sunday. Elyse Bennett contributed her ninth goal of the season to provide additional assurance for the Roses, who currently hold second place with a record of 9-4-3. This match marked their debut under interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel.
Despite a goal attempt by Shelina Zadorsky in the 68th minute, which seemed to level the score for third-place Toronto (7-5-4), it was disallowed due to an offside call. Roses’ goalkeeper Anna Karpenko showcased an impressive performance, facing a total of 20 shots, with nine on target, and securing a clean sheet.
Toronto’s goalkeeper, Sabrina D’Angelo, encountered seven shots during the game, with five on target. The Roses took the field for the first time since dismissing head coach Robert Rositoiu on Thursday following a surprising 1-0 defeat to semi-pro team Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.