A Splendid Advertisement For NZ Women’s Soccer by Jeremy Ruane The feature match in the entire Northern League competition this weekend - and that statement embraces all the men’s action played the day beforehand, make no mistake! - fully lived up to its billing on June 23, as defending Northern Premier Women’s League champions Lynn-Avon United showed their mettle in coming from behind to defeat league leaders Ellerslie 3-2 in front of over two hundred spectators at Ken Maunder Park. Quite simply, it was a splendid advertisement for New Zealand women’s soccer, and if the two combatants progress to the Uncle Toby’s Women’s Knockout Cup Final, following next Sunday’s semi-final clashes, it would be well worth your while getting along early to North Harbour Stadium on July 20, because the better match on cup final day may well be the one which won‘t enjoy live television coverage. Ellerslie were first to draw their sword, Yvonne Vale saving Priscilla Duncan’s sixth minute effort, after a slick move involving Kim Rowney, Michele Keinzley and the overlapping Rebecca Sowden. Lynn-Avon weren’t long in retaliating, and when they did, in the fourteenth minute, they found Stephanie Puckrin in fine form. The goalkeeper hurtled off her line to block at the feet of the rampaging Amanda Crawford, and recovered quickly to deny Sara Clapham, as she looked to fire home the rebound. Duncan and Dana Heiford exchanged long-range efforts on goal in the next eight minutes, before Pip Meo set off on a stirring fifty yard run from well inside her own half, which culminated in a pass to Melanie Gooch, who had got in on the blindside of Terry McCahill. Vale turned the shot round the post for a corner, which Dana Humby delivered to the near post for Sowden, whose header fizzed across the face of the target. Ellerslie were getting on top at this point, and in the 28th minute, Vale kept her team in the contest once more, this time saving at the feet of Duncan, after Lily Somerfield and Keinzley had combined to reward the midfielder’s well-timed run from deep. Seconds later, another such break by Duncan earned its due reward, albeit with a little help from Gooch, who, in turning McCahill, did so using methods which a more experienced referee may well have been wise to - on this subject, more later. Gooch, meanwhile, slipped the ball through to Duncan, who avoided the outstanding Melissa Ray’s challenge and drilled home into Vale’s top left-hand corner from fifteen yards. Lynn-Avon sought to restore parity, and did so seconds before half-time. Both Clapham and Amber Hearn went close in the ten minutes after the goal, following Crawford’s creativity, but as running time moved into injury time at the end of the first half, United were gifted a goal, as much by the lack of an offside flag as an, at best, indifferent goal kick from Puckrin. The goalkeeper’s clearance was not one of her greatest, and it was played through to Clapham near the edge of the penalty area, with Puckrin the only Ellerslie player within ten yards of the striker. She dutifully potted the ball past the visitors’ custodian, who was appealing for offside from a woefully out-of-position flag-bearer, and couldn’t believe it when the goal was awarded. She wasn’t the only one!! It is appropriate, at this point, to visit the subject of those appointed to officiate in this match. For the first time this season, three officials were in charge of a Northern Premier Women’s League game, fully befitting a match of this standing. The trio concerned were referee Sam Tompsett, and assistants Trevor Bradford and Kerry Morison. While meaning no disrespect to the aforementioned gentlemen, this game, and the players involved - bearing in mind the number of age-grade or full internationals on the pitch was well into double figures - deserved appointments of a far higher standing in the local refereeing structure. Just because "it’s only a women’s match" does not mean the players should be treated any differently than their male counterparts - such double standards belong in the dark ages! For a match of this calibre, at least one FIFA badge-holder should have been among those appointed, just as would have been the case had the match been a top-of-the-table Northern Premier League men’s fixture. It is to be hoped the lessons learnt here will be heeded for future top-drawer women’s encounters. Back to the action, which resumed at 1-1, but with Lynn-Avon very much with their tails up after scoring just before the interval. McCahill sent a header flashing wide two minutes after the resumption, while two minutes later, the solidly-performed Heiford sent Crawford careering through Ellerslie’s sluggish defence. Puckrin raced off her line and out of her goal to successfully tackle the striker, with Kristy Hill on hand to mop up a raid which roused the visitors out of their lethargy. For they came storming back in the 53rd minute with a well-constructed raid. Somerfield, Vicki Rainbow and Duncan combined to send Keinzley through. McCahill successfully challenged the speedster, but the loose ball fell invitingly for Gooch, who hammered narrowly wide of Vale’s left-hand post, the ‘keeper scrambling frantically to cover the threat. Back came Lynn-Avon - it was classic hammer and tongs action! Heiford sent a free-kick to the far post which picked out McCahill’s run to perfection, and her towering header screamed inches over Puckrin’s crossbar, the same one under which she needed two attempts to grab another twenty-five yard free-kick from Heiford two minutes later. On the hour, Duncan sent Sowden scooting down the right, past the ineffective Eloise Young. The resulting cross found both Keinzley and Gooch licking their lips in anticipation of restoring Ellerslie’s advantage, but they hadn’t reckoned on Vale’s anticipation, New Zealand’s number one women’s goalkeeper pouncing before the pair had a chance to capitalise. Seconds after Crawford sent a shot sizzling across the face of Puckrin’s goal, Lynn-Avon took the lead in the 68th minute, and the goalkeeper couldn’t direct her despair at a referee’s assistant on this occasion. For it was her goal kick which landed straight at the feet of Clapham, who promptly let fly at the target. Puckrin scrambled across her goal, but the ball hit the far post and spun into the net, leaving the crestfallen goalkeeper to bury her head in her hands as Clapham and company celebrated the scoring of a second opportunist strike. But their joy was short-lived, for within ninety seconds, Ellerslie were level once more. Meo motored past the challenges of Rachel Doody, Heiford and Melita Harrison as she careered down the left, before threading the ball inside to Keinzley. Vale parried the striker’s shot, but Gooch was following in, and walloped the ball into the unguarded goal. Within a minute, Hill hit the crossbar from twenty-five yards, while a further two minutes elapsed before Hearn somehow failed to turn the ball home from inside the six-yard area, following another driven Crawford corner. Puckrin was grateful for this lapse, but it was her opposite number’s goal which came under siege in the next three minutes, as Ellerslie twice threatened to regain the lead. But Vale proved equal to the task on both occasions, hurtling off her line to clear off the toe of Keinzley in the 74th minute, before flying to her right to deny the striker’s twenty-yard drive two minutes later. Eleven minutes from time, Crawford and Claudia Hicks were tussling for possession near Ellerslie’s left-hand corner flag when a free-kick was awarded against the defender for what seemed, from a distance, an innocuous offence. Crawford extracted ample revenge, however, hoisting a free-kick into the goalmouth. Flying through the crowd came McCahill, who crowned a rock-solid personal performance with her trademark finish, a thumping close-range header from a set-piece which sent the ball crashing into the back of the net - 3-2 Lynn-Avon, and a grandstand finish in store. Three minutes later, Hicks clipped Crawford’s heels again, the striker going to ground in the penalty area. Spot-kick? Not according to the match officials, much to Ellerslie’s undisguised relief. Back came the visitors in search of an equaliser, with Hill sending a cross-shot sizzling narrowly over Vale’s crossbar after the midfielder had careered past Young - one wonders how Ellerslie would have fared had the lively Meo been raiding down their right flank, rather than the left, as United were invariably exposed whenever Ellerslie asked the question on that side of the park. Mind, Meo was making her fair share of headway down the left, and in the 87th minute, evaded two challenges before teaming up with Sowden, who clipped the ball into the penalty spot area, Keinzley her target. Vale read the situation to a nicety, and grabbed the dropping sphere before the striker could let fly. In stoppage time, Rowney surged past Young on Ellerslie’s right, cut inside and let loose a low cross-shot which screamed towards the target. Incredibly, no-one got a touch on it, and Vale was decidedly relieved to see the sphere sear narrowly past her right-hand post, an effort which proved to be the last shot of a splendid advertisement for women’s soccer, won by the defending champions, 3-2. Lynn-Avon:     Vale; Harrison, McCahill, Ray; Yallop, Heiford, Hearn, Moorwood, Young; Crawford, Clapham.      Sub:     Doody Ellerslie:          Puckrin; Humby, Somerfield, Hill; Rowney, Rainbow, Duncan, Sowden, Meo; Keinzley, Gooch.     Sub:     Hicks Referee:           Sam Tompsett