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10/06/07
Springs' Title Hopes All But Dashed By Lynn-Avon
by Jeremy Ruane
Late goals from Katie Hoyle and Emma Kete secured former Northern Premier Women's League champions Lynn-Avon United a hard-earned 2-0 victory over Western Springs at a rain-slicked Ken Maunder Park on June 10, a result which all but kills off the beaten team's hopes of securing a maiden league title this season.
At the same time, it keeps the injury-hit United's hopes alive, as a draw would have left both teams some eight points adrift of leaders Three Kings United, although each has a game in hand on the reigning champions.
And for the bulk of this captivating encounter, a draw looked to be on the cards, both defences holding firm in the face of some concerted attacking efforts, which almost got off to the perfect start, as far as Springs were concerned.
Just forty seconds into the match, Priscilla Duncan surged downfield, sweeping past two opponents before threading a pass through United's defence to leave Rosie White one-on-one with the advancing Stephanie Puckrin. “Bam Bam” rounded the `keeper and looked certain to score, only for Petria Rennie - a top display given she rolled her ankle minutes before the kick-off - to race back and clear off the line.
It set the scene for a cracking contest which saw two well-matched teams going at it hammer and tongs throughout proceedings, occasionally exceeding the limits to which referee Wayne Scott was prepared to let them go in the slippery conditions.
The official could have wielded far more than the two yellow cards he did flourish - Rebecca O'Neill and Nicky Smith trod the line between fair means and foul a little too dangerously at times., while both Kete and Rebecca Parkinson were fortunate to end the game with just one caution apiece against them, the latter especially so.
Parkinson was guilty of a couple of nasty over-the-top challenges on both Abby Erceg (connected, but missed by the officials) and Maia Jackman (missed but seen and booked accordingly), and a cynical challenge from behind which sent Poppy Binning flying, just minutes after that yellow card.
It was smart management by coach Jill Gilmore to withdraw her striker soon afterwards, as Parkinson was fast heading for red mist territory, and a card of like hue to match it.
It was Parkinson who fired Lynn-Avon's first shot in anger in this match, a nineteenth minute effort straight at Pam Yates on receipt of a stray Duncan pass. Seconds later, Kete - her best performance yet in a red shirt - powered through from half-way and let loose a dipping twenty yarder which arced just over the bar.
Lynn-Avon were on top at this point in time, and the architect of this initial dominance was Hoyle - a massive display. In the 23rd minute, she gathered the ball inside her own half and set off on a mazy fifty-yard run which took her past three opponents down the left flank.
Looking up, she spotted Kete's supporting run inside her, and a suitably weighted pass presented the striker with a shooting opportunity. Kete battered the ball towards Yates' top right-hand corner, but the `keeper produced a stunning one-handed flying save to turn the ball round the post and maintain parity.
Kete and Ria Percival unleashed further efforts which were narrowly astray moments later, before Springs decided enough was enough, and promptly took charge of the game, Duncan, O'Neill and Annabelle Bramwell imposing themselves on the middle tussle with great aplomb.
This gave the twinkle-toed Smith a solid platform on which to weave her special brand of magic, and she wasted little time in doing so, leading Dana Humby a merry dance down the right in the 26th minute before whipping over a beautifully weighted cross which had White's name written all over it.
Unfortunately for Springs, Jenny Carlisle pays scant attention to such scripts, and in her usual no-nonsense manner, put paid to the visitors' prospects of scoring on this occasion.
Seconds later, Smith was rampaging again, a neat one-two with Bramwell allowing her to unleash a cross-shot which Stephanie Puckrin dealt with capably. Lynn-Avon's goalkeeper was in action again soon afterwards, racing out of her penalty area to clear from White, Lynn-Avon appealing in vain for the offside flag after Smith had turned Terry McCahill on half-way and sent her speedy side-kick scurrying through.
Following this flurry of activity, Hoyle and Vicki Rainbow began to get a grip on midfield again - this was developing into a riveting contest. Five minutes from half-time, the Lynn-Avon duo were both involved in a raid.
The former was left on her backside by Jackman's deft side-step, while the defender herself suddenly found Rainbow on top of her, producing a side-step of her own to evade Jackman's challenge, only to fall foul of Springs' captain's partner-in-crime, Abby Erceg - a timely tackle.
It was Rainbow's last contribution of note to the match, for she was replaced at half-time by Sam Selwyn. Within ninety seconds of the resumption, United had launched a dangerous raid which featured the full-of-running Percival - another to catch the eye in this enthralling encounter.
Sarah Gregorius and Hoyle teamed up to release their fleet-footed team-mate down the right, and she finally found some room to exploit. And how! Three opponents later, Percival whipped over a sumptuous cross which arced just over Parkinson's head, and just beyond the flying figure of Rennie, as she raced in on the far post in classic overlapping fullback fashion.
Two minutes later, Humby's wicked cross had Yates flapping, much to Kete's delight. But she was harshly ruled offside in the ensuing scramble, the ball having
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 Katie Hoyle (LAU) and Rosie White (Springs) admire Helen Collins' heading technique
 Rebecca O'Neill (Springs) races past Ria Percival (LAU)
 Katie Hoyle (LAU) takes on Priscilla Duncan (Springs)
 Neat technique from Nicky Smith (Springs)
 Petria Rennie (LAU) in full flight
 Emma Kete (LAU) shields from the fast-closing Poppy Binning (Springs)
 Jenny Carlisle (LAU) assesses her options
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been played towards her by a Springs defender in her desperation to clear the sphere.
After Jackman had blocked a Gregorius drive and Selwyn had sent the ricochet careering past the post, some defensive dallying by Lynn-Avon nearly proved costly in the 57th minute.
Rennie, who had recovered superbly to foil half-time substitute Helen Collins after she had latched onto Duncan's perceptive pass, found herself cornered by her NZ U-20 team-mate.
Her attempts to resolve the matter in tandem with Humby foundered on the quick-thinking Smith, who swooped on the uncertain defender to create the space from which she whipped over a cross. It arced over Puckrin, but also over White, who was lurking on the far post.
Back came Lynn-Avon, Kete and Gregorius linking to present Percival with a cross-shot chance. Yates smothered it well, given it bounced viciously right in front of her. But Springs' goalkeeper dodged a bullet in the 66th minute, as she brought Parkinson down inside the goal area.
Referee Scott ignored United's penalty pleas, his attention having been diverted by Jackman's clearance, which sent Smith careering downfield at the other end of the park. She outpaced the defence, only to be foiled by a brilliant full-length diving save by Puckrin, who got down low to her left as Smith attempted to thrash the ball home just inside her near post.
In the 71st minute, a stray Jackman pass was pounced on by her former Three Kings' team-mate, Kete, who surged forward before presenting the ball to Parkinson. She turned Binning superbly, but undid all her good work by directing something more akin to a pass-back than a shot into the grateful gloves of Yates.
She cleared the ball downfield, and Hoyle picked up the pieces, only to gift possession to Smith, who found herself on the edge of the penalty area with just Puckrin to beat. The `keeper stood her ground well before producing a super stop at the striker's feet - it's a pity she wasn't given the chance to display her prowess for her country during the recent home international series.
Those two saves were to prove crucial, for in the 77th minute, Lynn-Avon took the lead. Jackman, dribbling out of defence, soon discovered she'd turned up a one-way street, as Kete and Parkinson moved in to dispossess her. The first to react to the loose ball was Hoyle, who spotted Yates off her line some thirty yards away and promptly smashed a snorter over the head of the back-pedalling goalkeeper high into the net.
United's joy was unconfined - in the context of the match, and of their league title ambitions, this strike, in such a closely fought contest, was pivotal, and they celebrated with gusto.
While they were coming down to earth, Smith unleashed a thirty yard free-kick which warmed Puckrin's gloves. She promptly sent the ball downfield, unleashing the pace of Percival on Springs' unsuspecting defence.
Down the right she raced before linking with Kete, who lashed a shot goalwards. Yates parried it, the rebound falling to Parkinson. Her effort was blocked by Jackman, but the danger was only temporarily avoided.
For within seconds, Puckrin launched the ball forward once more, and this time it was Gregorius who was marauding with menace as she scythed into Springs' half of the pitch. She timed her through ball to perfection, and Kete was away, the striker shooting early and clinically past the advancing Yates to double Lynn-Avon's advantage in the 79th minute.
Springs now faced the proverbial mountain-climbing expedition, and after Collins had blazed over under pressure on receipt of a Jessica Rollings pass, they should have pulled a goal back.
Puckrin's poor goal-kick was pounced on by Jackman, who had been sent forward for the remaining minutes in Springs' quest to effectively save their league season. The versatile star turned the ball into O'Neill's path, and her lobbed effort cleared the crossbar by not a lot.
A minute later, Rennie dived in on Smith, but the striker was still able to play Rollings in. She let fly, but again Puckrin prevailed low to her left.
Four minutes from time, Carlisle rampaged down the right and fired over a cross which was met in spectacular fashion by the flying figure of Selwyn. Had her header sailed into the top corner of the net, all bets on “Goal of the Month” would have been off!
As it was, it indirectly presented Lynn-Avon with another chance seconds later. Duncan was caught in possession by Gregorius, who looked to beat Yates with a curling twenty-five yarder. The ball crept past the post.
There was still time for Springs to mount a final flourish, and it's one from which they should have halved the deficit. O'Neill, Rollings and Smith teamed up in stoppage time to prise open United's rearguard on the left.
Collins was the intended beneficiary of their industry, but with McCahill, Rennie and Puckrin closing in on her, she unleashed an air-shot which allowed Lynn-Avon to mop up the danger and celebrate a hard-earned 2-0 win, a result which says much for their character in such an injury-hit campaign.
Lynn-Avon: Puckrin; Carlisle, Humby, McCahill, Rennie; Percival, Hoyle, Rainbow (Selwyn, 46), Gregorius; Kete (booked, 58), Parkinson (booked, 72) (Hansen, 81)
Springs: Yates; Binning (Nelson, 81), Jackman, Erceg, Verdon; Bramwell, Wood (Collins, 46), O'Neill, Duncan; Smith, White (Rollings, 75)
Referee: Wayne Scott
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