Marie-Yasmine Alidou netted the decisive goal from a penalty kick in the 55th minute, propelling the Montreal Roses to a 2-0 victory over AFC Toronto in Northern Super League competition on Sunday. Elyse Bennett secured the win with her ninth goal of the season for the second-ranked Roses (9-4-3), who were under the guidance of interim head coach Maryse Bard-Martel for their inaugural match under her leadership.
Despite Shelina Zadorsky’s apparent equalizer for Toronto in the 68th minute, the goal was disallowed due to an offside ruling. Roses’ goalkeeper Anna Karpenko made a commendable effort, facing 20 shots, with nine on target, to secure a clean sheet.
Toronto’s goalkeeper, Sabrina D’Angelo, faced seven shots, with five finding their mark. This match marked the Roses’ first appearance since parting ways with head coach Robert Rositoiu following a surprising 1-0 loss to semi-professional team Simcoe County in the W Canadian Championship.
