Lynn-Avon United gained sweet revenge for being ousted from the ASB National Women's Knockout Cup by Eastern Suburbs a week ago by upsetting their rivals 2-1 at Madills Farm on June 10 to leapfrog "The Lilywhites" into third place on the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League table. It was a deserved win for the youngster-laden visitors, whose captain, Dana Humby, was the only player wearing red on the pitch aged twenty or more. But it was Suburbs who settled quicker, and they had the better of the early exchanges, with Evie Millynn's deflected seventh minute drive being smothered by Jess Reddaway, after Harriet Steele and Rebecca Tegg had combined on the right. Seconds later, Chelsey Wood linked with Steele, who released Jolene Muir down the right at pace. After dashing past two opponents, she picked out Tegg with a near post cross which Suburbs' captain touched onto the far post, where Flora McLeod was lurking. A splendid block by the covering figure of Kate Seatter thwarted the long-time campaigner, who was afforded a rare start against the club for whom she first played in this competition some fifteen seasons ago. McLeod whipped in the resulting corner, with Reddaway doing well to tip the ball onto the bar. The rebound fell invitingly for Tegg, whose volley was deflected to safety. Seatter sounded Lynn-Avon's intentions in the eleventh minute, a thirty yard thunderbolt which flew narrowly past the left-hand upright of the diving figure of Steph Puckrin, who showed on numerous occasions throughout the match that although she is no longer playing regularly, she remains one of the best custodians in New Zealand women's football. A sliced Jess Verdon clearance gave the one-time New Zealand number one cause for concern in the fourteenth minute, particularly when Catherine Bott swooped on the scene, catching Chelsey Wood off-guard. Bott's shot was blocked by the recovering figure of Verdon, but Chloe Wilson directed the rebound into the stride of Megan Lee, who let rip from fifteen yards, only to see Puckrin produce a solid smothering reflex save to maintain parity. Suburbs should have taken the lead in the sixteenth minute. Steele's throw-in found Tegg in the box, and she turned past two opponents before going to ground. While referee Zac Naylor was deferring her penalty appeals, the ball fell perfectly for Gooch to lash goalwards, but from ten yards, she scooped her effort over the bar - a bad miss. Extremely so, as it happened, for Lynn-Avon took the lead six minutes later. Hannah Carlsen was her usual lively self throughout proceedings, and on this occasion pounced on a loose ball in midfield, turned and played a pass which deflected delightfully into the stride of Bott, who had Lee up in close support. As Bott made a beeline for the by-line, Lee dashed infield, anticipating a cross towards the far post. That was certainly the plan, but when Bott delivered the ball, Puckrin's anticipation saw her get a hand to the cross. Sadly for the 'keeper, she didn't get enough purchase on the ball, and only succeeded in directing it inside the far post for an unlikely opening goal, but one Bott gleefully claimed. Suburbs were somewhat taken aback by this goal, and would have been two down five minutes later but for Puckrin. Ellie Jeurissen linked with Lee on the left to pick out Bott in the box. After evading a couple of challenges, she let fly from ten yards, only for Puckrin to produce a fine blocking save. Verdon completed the clearance, and sparked a Suburbs response which culminated in their equaliser, in the 31st minute. Gooch galloped down the left at pace, and got to the by-line before dashing along it and unleashing a fierce acute-angled drive. Reddaway could only parry the effort, but before she could recover the loose ball, McLeod dashed in and, at full stretch, rammed the ball into the top far corner of the net for the 33rd goal of an Eastern Suburbs career which is in its tenth season. Unlike Suburbs, Lynn-Avon made light of conceding the equaliser. They simply kept on doing what they had been doing prior to it, confident that their bright brand of football would pay dividends sooner rather than later. Four minutes before half-time, an enterprising move featuring Rachel Head, Jeurissen and Lee came to grief, but Carlsen retrieved the situation and picked out Daisy Cleverley with her pass. The fifteen-year-old let rip from twenty-five yards with a stinging drive which brought the very best out of Puckrin - a full-length fingertip save while in full flight to her left. And upon landing, she remained prone, albeit for a moment. When you haven't produced a "worldie" for a while, then do so, its price tag is the painful realisation that the muscles necessary to pull such saves off are still

Rebecca Tegg shields from Kate Seatter Steph Puckrin Rachel Head Melanie Gooch Megan Lee wrongfoots Harriet Steele Lisa Kemp

there, but because they've been lying dormant for a spell, a wee bit of advanced warning as to their reactivation for duty would have been well appreciated! But Puckrin's efforts were on vain on the stroke of half-time, as Lynn-Avon took the lead for a second time. Carlsen robbed Millynn near half-way but was left nursing a knock as a result. While she lay doubled up in pain, Wilson assumed possession and kept the move alive with a perceptive pass for Bott to pursue down the right. Once gathered, the Young Ferns captaincy contender fired in a cross which Lee touched on at the near post. Dashing in behind her was Jeurissen, who slid the ball home with delight - 2-1 United. There was barely time for Suburbs to resume play. But when they returned to the fray for the second spell, the words of coach Richard Wilson were still ringing in their ears. And, but for the width of a post, they would have transferred them into actions in the 48th minute. Dayna Manak let fly from twenty-five yards with a shot which Reddaway was quite content to let fly by her goal, only to get a heck of a shock when it slammed into the inside of her left-hand post and ricocheted across the face of the target - a let-off for Lynn-Avon if ever there was one! It served as a wake-up call for the youngsters, and what followed was a tight tussle between two well-matched teams, neither of whom were prepared to give ground. Consequently, chances were few and far between, a Humby free-kick and a Seatter twenty-five yarder sandwiching a Tegg header and a quickly taken McLeod free-kick at the other end of the park in a ten-minute spell either side of the hour mark. On the hour itself came one of those moments which the player concerned will most likely reflect on afterwards and wonder just what the heck she thought she was doing! And if Head hasn't yet done so, now is as good a time as any to start! Heading back towards her own goal with Muir hard on her heels, the feisty fullback sent a bullet header back towards Reddaway which the 'keeper hadn't a prayer of grabbing, although she did manage to parry it to safety. Head quickly retrieved the ball, then began dribbling out of her penalty area before unleashing a no-look cross-field pass to where she expected Sivitha Boyce to be. But the leggy defender was nowhere within ten yards of the ball, unlike Gooch, who relished the chance to get to the by-line before linking with Tegg. Suburbs' goalscoring legend was lurking in between defenders, and deftly side-stepped them before letting fly from eight yards, only for Reddaway to produce a fine block with her outstretched leg - a terrific save, one which Head was greatly relieved to see being produced. The exchanges continued in the 66th minute, Tegg evading two challenges before releasing Muir to the by-line, from where she picked out McLeod with a far post cross. The striker fired this chance narrowly over the bar at full stretch, to which Lynn-Avon responded with a glorious miss, three minutes later. Lee, Seatter and Jeurissen linked neatly following a corner, with the last-mentioned firing in a lovely cross which found Wilson ghosting into the penalty area. From six yards, she contrived to lift her shot over the bar - how costly would that miss prove to be? Thankfully, for the visitors at least, not so. The arm wrestle continued, but United finally started to get the upper hand again in the closing stages. A slick counter-attack following a cleared Lisa Kemp corner saw Bott dashing through but shooting straight at Puckrin in the 83rd minute. Six minutes later, Lee's ball forward saw Bott and Verdon colliding, with the United player recovering the quicker of the two. She linked with Carlsen, who lashed a first time swerving drive past the far post, much to Suburbs' relief. Time was not the home team's friend, however, and their hopes of snatching a point were dissipating by the second. Indeed, they had just one chance left to do so, but while Kemp's stoppage time free-kick was tantalising in its trajectory and pinpoint in its accuracy, Tegg's header was less so. Soon after it flashed past Reddaway's right-hand post, the final whistle brought a hearty cheer from Lynn-Avon's fans, who had seen their young side gain sweet revenge for their cup defeat of seven days prior, as well as record United's first win at Madills Farm since August 2008. Suburbs:     Puckrin; Steele, Verdon, Wood, Kemp; Millynn, Tegg, Manak; Muir, McLeod (Lankshear, 70), Gooch (Harding, 86) Lynn-Avon:     Reddaway; Boyce, Humby, Head; Wilson, Cleverley, Seatter, Carlsen, Jeurissen; Bott, Lee Referee:     Zac Naylor