Reigning Northern Premier Women’s League champions Lynn-Avon United underlined their championship credentials and showed their depth of character at Madills Farm on May 1, as they came from behind to down Eastern Suburbs 3-2 to assume the outright lead in the competition. The early exchanges were fairly even, with United carving out the only two chances of note in the first fifteen minutes, Kura Richards being unable to capitalise on either occasion. Suburbs’ first opportunity proved more fruitful, as they opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute. A free-kick needlessly conceded by Rebecca Parkinson, who chopped down Vicki Chong with a knee-high lunge, was ruthlessly punished by Stacy Fraser, whose 25-yard bullet whizzed low past the wall and Stephanie Puckrin en route to the bottom right-hand corner of the net. That set the game up, as a Suburbs victory would have left United five points off the pace, and in danger of losing a crown they greatly cherish. Their attempts to redress the balance initially proved fruitless, as Parkinson neatly evaded two opponents in the 21st minute before sending Ria Percival careering clear with a pass which Suburbs simply couldn’t cope with throughout the game. Whenever United switched play from left flank to right, with a diagonal ball inside the wing-back (Fraser) to exploit Percival’s pace advantage, the home team were creaking like a ship at her moorings! It was one-dimensional, certainly, but as the saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” - and Lynn-Avon looked to make hay while the sun shone at every possible opportunity. On this occasion, Percival found herself one-on-one with Ginny Tan, who narrowed the angle well to force her opponent well wide of the goal. Unperturbed, the lively speedster let fly with an acute-angled effort, but Bobbie Moore had raced back to cover the target, and cleared this 21st minute opening off the line. Attempts by Melanie Gooch and Rebecca Tegg to extend Suburbs lead before the hour mark foundered on the respective rock-solid challenges of Anne Tansell and Jill Gilmore, although in both instances United were very much on the ropes and rolling with the punches. But by the time the former New Zealand international had foiled Suburbs’ leading markswoman, United were on level terms. Parkinson’s 28th minute corner picked out the head of Jen Carlisle, whose close-range effort crossed the line before the home team could scramble the ball clear - 1-1, and game on big-time! As the tackles thundered in from both teams, chances were still being carved out at both ends. Natalie Davies and Tegg combined to create an opening for Vicky Butterworth in the 34th minute, but Puckrin was cat-like in getting down to smother. Two minutes later, at the other end of the park, Vicki Rainbow headed a Percival cross across the face of goal. When the young United speedster next crossed the ball, in the 38th minute, the visitors enjoyed far greater reward. Rainbow threaded the money ball through for Percival to pursue, and she duly whipped in a cross with Parkinson its intended target. Ahead of her was Chong, whose hand the ball struck. As she cleared the sphere, perfectly placed referee Wayne Scott unhesitatingly pointed to the penalty spot, ruling, however harshly, that Chong had gained an unfair advantage for her team by her actions. Parkinson made no mistake with the spot-kick - 2-1 Lynn-Avon. Terry McCahill came within a foot of extending United’s advantage three minutes later, when her headed from a Parkinson corner careered narrowly over the crossbar. But just when the reigning champions appeared set to take their 2-1 advantage into the half-time break, Suburbs scored an equaliser their dogged resistance richly deserved. McCahill, not for the first time, stepped in to curtail Tegg’s latest threatening raid, in the 42nd minute. She duly played the ball back to Puckrin to clear, but the goalkeeper horribly sliced her attempt. In raced Gooch, who wasted no time in turning the ball home from a tight angle into the empty net - 2-2, a fitting conclusion to a titanic first half tussle. Territorially, Lynn-Avon certainly had the better of the second forty-five minutes, but it was Suburbs who had

the first chance to break the deadlock once more, Tegg firing wide of the target as Puckrin closed her down, the striker having teamed up with Gooch down the left eight minutes into the half. Back came the visitors, but Rainbow’s volley gave Tan little cause for concern, in stark contrast to United’s 63rd minute raid. Once again, Percival was given the chance to stretch her legs, this time by Parkinson. The youngster whipped in another inviting cross which two team-mates were lining up beyond the near post. At the head of the queue, however, was Moore, who couldn’t ignore the danger. How she dealt with it was very much reliant on Lady Luck - Suburbs’ skipper drove the ball at Tan, and it ricocheted off the ‘keeper to safety. Lynn-Avon kept pressing, a stream of Dana Heiford corners prompting close calls from the attempts of Percival, Parkinson and McCahill. But Suburbs rode out the storm, and charged downfield, Tegg ramming the ball home to give her team the lead once more … or so it appeared. Referee Scott, however, ruled the 68th minute “goal” out for offside, amid howls of protest from Suburbs, and with his assistant in that half of the pitch having been of no assistance whatsoever - the individual concerned was an inexperienced Suburbs substitute, who had been handed the flag at half-time without having the faintest clue what the basic rudiments of the role entailed. The situation left the official under an immense amount of pressure in this top-of-the-table fixture, and that a full compliment of match officials wasn’t appointed to this match, given its significance to the competition’s likely outcome, was extremely disappointing. It was a crucial moment in the contest, for, four minutes later, United regained the lead with a superb headed goal. Once again, Percival was the architect, teaming up with Rainbow to prise open Suburbs’ left flank once more. Another flighted cross to the near post found the hard-working Sam Selwyn steaming in between retreating defenders at a great rate of knots, and the talented teenager guided a delightful glancing header across the stunned figure of Tan and into the far corner of the net - Lynn-Avon, 3-2. From here on in, it was all on for young and old - Suburbs chasing another equaliser, United looking to preserve their lead and, if possible build on it still further. Ten minutes from time, Gooch made Gilmore and McCahill look rather pedestrian as she scythed past them at pace, only to find Melanie Hansen producing a stunning block tackle to thwart her former team-mate. Seconds later, a Tegg drive was grabbed at her near post by Puckrin, who launched another United raid - no prizes for guessing which flank they targeted! Rainbow sent Percival away once more, but her cross - with Parkinson and Kath Doubleday arriving on cue in the goalmouth - was delivered far too close to Tan for them to capitalise upon. Tan, who has developed a rather bizarre stutter-step when she launches the ball downfield, did so once more, and away went Tegg. Powering past McCahill, the striker was faced with just the advancing Puckrin to beat. She shot early, and high, to which the goalkeeper responded by flinging herself to her left to turn the ball to safety. It was a fine save, but the best stop of the match came six minutes from time, at the other end of the park. Another Heiford corner was cleared to Percival, who unleashed a perfectly struck dipping volley from twenty yards out on the angle. Over the heads of all and sundry it soared, and it looked a goal all the way, until Tan launched herself up and backwards to swat the ball to safety - a brilliant save from the shot-stopper, who kept her team in the contest in the process. Suburbs continued to press, but United’s stubborn rearguard wasn’t to be breached again, and the reigning champions held on for a riveting 3-2 victory which propels them back to the top of the table. Suburbs: Tan; Moore, Groves (A. McLeod, 46), Hui; Vincent, Chong, Davies, Fraser (F. McLeod, 79); Gooch, Tegg, Butterworth Lynn-Avon: Puckrin; Gilmore, Tansell, McCahill, Hansen; Percival, Rainbow, Carlisle (Heiford, 30), Richards (Doubleday, 52); Selwyn, Parkinson (Cox, 88) Referee: Wayne Scott