Lotto Northern Premier Women’s League leaders Glenfield Rovers scored a last-gasp 3-2 victory over Lynn-Avon United at McFetridge Park on July 25 to condemn the outgoing champions to the Premier Plate competition, while confirming Three Kings United as the final team among the top four in the race for the title. The happiest people in the ground were the watching members of the Three Kings squad, who erupted with delight when the winning goal was struck twenty seconds from time, after having suffered the footballing equivalent of death by a thousand cuts, the Imperial Chinese method of torture and execution, as their arch-rivals fought back from two goals down and looked like holding out for the draw they needed to clinch fourth place. Instead, Lynn-Avon will be looking to replenish their trophy cabinet via the new competition, after a drama-laden affair which took just fifty seconds to ignite. Rebecca Gage and Megan Lee combined on the left before linking with Emily Cooper, whose delightful ball through found Kelly Drummond dashing through with just Pam Yates to beat. The youngster fired wide, however, an effort which sparked a strong response from Glenfield, who should have had the game sewn up well before half-time, such was their dominance. Some early Sarah Gibbs corners gave Lynn-Avon cause for concern, before Katie Hoyle sent a twenty-five yarder fizzing wide, following good work by Katie Bowen, Liz Milne - far from her most memorable match - and Jackie Pretswell, whose finishing in this fixture left a great deal to be desired. Rovers took the lead in the tenth minute. Bowen, playing in a more advanced role, stood Therese Saito up a treat before crossing from the by-line. Tessa McPherson cleared the ball back to Saito, who was promptly stripped of possession by Bowen. This time, the Young Ferns captain’s low cross to the near post was parried by Ashleigh Cox, straight to the feet of Briar McNamara … Within ninety seconds, the home team had doubled their advantage. Dana Humby - a strong central defensive display - won a tackle half-way inside her own half, but the loose ball was swooped on by Hoyle, whose delightfully weighted ball over the defence found Gibbs ghosting in on the far post. Her volley sizzled off the underside of the bar and crashed down before bouncing into the goalmouth. Perfectly placed referee’s assistant Morgan Breuer instantly signalled the ball had crossed the line - only just, mind - and referee Renee Silvester awarded the goal, much to Lynn-Avon’s chagrin. The title-holders were on the ropes, and Pretswell should have finished them off twice inside the next ten minutes. But the reigning NPWL Golden Boot spurned two glorious one-on-one opportunities to further increase Glenfield’s lead, shooting straight at Cox on the second occasion, moments after Humby had calmly cleared off the line after the striker had poked the ball past the advancing custodian in the nineteenth minute. The second miss saw Cox catapult the ball upfield, prompting Rebecca O’Neill into a rare error - hers was a solid display. Gage took control as referee Silvester applied a good advantage, and slipped a pass through to Lee, whose rasping drive was parried to seeming safety by Yates in the 23rd minute. The Young Fern is a genuine terrier, however, and didn’t stop to admire her shot, nor the save which denied her. Instead, she hunted down the loose ball and, from an acute angle, curled in a teasing cross which clipped the crossbar and careered down straight into the path of the retreating Priscilla Duncan, off whom the ball ricocheted into the net. 2-1, then, and a bit of belief began to cascade through Lynn-Avon’s ranks as a result, although Rovers spurned two chances to snuff it out before the half-hour mark. Pretswell squandered the first of them, firing wide from twenty yards in the 27th minute following Yates’ raking clearance. Two minutes later, Saito’s poor first touch was swooped on by Hoyle, whose cross for McNamara saw Cox thwart the striker at close quarters. Bowen was onto the rebound in an instant, but shot straight at the quickly-recovering custodian. Gibbs, by now, was getting more than a tad frustrated with her team-mates’ failings in front of goal, and when she saw McNamara shoot well wide after Gibbs had flicked a Milne free-kick into her path ten minutes before half-time, the feisty flank player groaned then growled, "Get your laser on!", for laser-guided this effort most definitely was not! Why Glenfield didn’t utilise their right flank more often in this match defies logic, because Bowen had the beating of Saito every time. In the 37th minute, the Young Ferns starlet gave the fullback another roasting before working a one-two with McNamara and lashing a low left-foot drive narrowly past the near post from the edge of the penalty area. Despite these numerous Rovers raids, United were still in contention, and five minutes before half-time came within a fingertip of drawing level. Saito, enjoying some temporary relief from Bowen’s bravura, made the most of the opportunity, and linked up with Lee and Melissa Ray. Lynn-Avon’s captain played a gorgeous through ball into the stride of Drummond, whose angled run in off the right across Rovers’ rearguard opened the way to goal for the young flank player, who promptly let fly from twenty yards. At full stretch, Yates brilliantly tipped the shot round the post, and was rewarded for her athleticism with a goal-kick - referee Silvester’s position in relation to player and shot meant she simply couldn’t see if any contact with the ball had been made by the ‘keeper. The second spell was barely 65 seconds old when Cooper sent a shot thundering narrowly past Yates’ right-hand post, a signal of Lynn-Avon’s intent if ever there was one! Rovers replied via Pretswell, whose nightmare form in front of goal continued in the 48th minute as she horribly sliced a shot across the face of the target following Gibbs’ foraging on the left. Two minutes later, Lynn-Avon missed a difficult chance to equalise, Gage’s progress being curtailed by Yates, who sliced her clearance straight to Drummond. The youngster had no option but to shoot first time from thirty yards at an unguarded target, and much to Yates’ relief, the ball cleared the ball by an ever-diminishing margin. Talking of which, what had once been a two-goal lead

Katie Bowen (Rovers) - match-winner Natalie Wimbrow (LAU) chased by Jackie Pretswell (Rovers) Katie Hoyle (Rovers) Briar McNamara (Rovers) and Tessa McPherson (LAU) Megan Lee (LAU) and Priscilla Duncan (Rovers, obscured) Sarah Gibbs (Rovers) Ashleigh Cox (LAU)

was wiped out in the 51st minute, much to Lynn-Avon’s delight. A right royal mix-up at the back between Yates and the uncharacteristically out-of-sorts Duncan was pounced on by Lee, who crowned an extremely impressive personal performance with a lobbed finish over the advancing ‘keeper - 2-2, the outcome which United needed to advance to the top four. The goal clearly rattled Rovers, who visibly wilted confidence-wise and imagination-wise as United sensed the game was theirs for the taking. Cooper’s teasing twenty-five yarder had Yates back-pedalling, either side of which O’Neill directed an unchallenged header wide in the 57th minute, and Hoyle sent an improvised bicycle kick over the bar on the hour mark as the home team sought to kick-start their performance. There was only one area of the park where it was happening for them, and they suddenly remembered the threat Bowen posed in the 71st minute, and gave her an opportunity to sweep past Saito once more. This she did, with the aid of a one-two with Milne, which gave Bowen the space to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Gibbs, whose right-foot snap-shot was destined for the back of the net until Pretswell stepped into its path at just the wrong moment … "Jackie!" screeched her clearly frustrated team-mate, as another chance went begging. With Gage now tiring - she led the line well for the title-holders, Lee quickly became United’s "go to" option in attack, and she certainly lived up to it in the 73rd minute. Milne and Michele Hogg were given the runaround by the youngster, whose shot was greedily grabbed by Yates. Lee then went close on receipt of a through ball from Ray, as the watching Three Kings players became increasingly agitated, their fate at the mercy of those on the pitch before them, the prospect of the dreaded day trip to Papamoa looking more likely by the second. Conspiracy theories abounded, especially when McNamara, with the goal at her mercy, saw the ball scooped to safety by the defiant figure of Humby - a superbly timed tackle. After Yates had thwarted Ray in fine fashion to prevent United’s captain capitalising on a Natalie Wimbrow pass, Gibbs and Alice Bresnahan combined to play Pretswell in twelve minutes from time. She got the better of Tessa McPherson, but finding the target proved beyond her once more, due to Cox’s anticipation. Seconds later, all hell broke loose, Rovers and Three Kings players alike baying for a penalty after Pretswell went down under the challenge of Cox on the penalty spot itself. The home team had a very strong case, no question, but referee Silvester wasn’t so sure. Her whistle to her lips, she looked across to her assistant, Anna-Marie Keighley, for an indication from her perspective, but nothing of a positive nature was forthcoming, prompting the referee to give the benefit of the doubt to the goalkeeper, her leniency ensuring the keenly- but cleanly-fought eleven-a-side contest continued unabated - had she pointed to the spot, the red card had to follow, for Cox was the last defender. Rovers couldn’t believe it, and as for the Three Kings’ players - cats on a hot tin roof barely describes their anxiety at this point, and they still had ten minutes to endure. Bowen was unleashed once more, her teasing cross a gift for Pretswell to savour … But no! From three yards, she headed over the bar. Two minutes later, Cox grabbed the ball under it, Gibbs having picked out the head of O’Neill with another corner. Cue a couple of Lynn-Avon attacks, Lee again prominent, Cooper and Ray also, substitute Caitlin Campbell too. All appeared to be in vain, however, a draw inevitable. Ray urged her charges on - "Two more minutes", she stressed, as the watching Three Kings players looked on helplessly, all but resigned to their fate, their arch-rivals having bettered them once more. Seemingly. Glenfield mounted one final attack, in the third minute of stoppage time. Hoyle led the charge, getting the better of Wimbrow on the left before picking out Gibbs with her cross to the edge of the penalty area. Cue an almightly scramble, desperate United defensive efforts defying shots from all angles, until one from O’Neill ricocheted off an opponent and landed invitingly at the feet of Bowen, some eight yards from goal … For a few seconds, time seemed to stand still. One touch to control. Cox flew off her line. Another to shoot. The ‘keeper plunged to her left. The ball brushed her fingertips. A look of horror creased Humby’s face. The ball’s trajectory remained true. The net bulged. Right in the corner. The watching Three Kings players exploded with joy. Rovers’ players, too, were jubilant, Bowen central to their celebrations, the scorer acknowledging the cheers from the sidelines as she headed back to half-way. Meanwhile, Lynn-Avon’s players simply stood,  stunned, shell-shocked, their faces a mixture of horror, despair, disbelief. The clock read 92 minutes, 40 seconds. There was no way back for them now. Indeed, there was barely time to kick off. Campbell let fly straight from the restart, and as Yates grabbed the ball, referee Silvester blew for full-time, the sound sweet music to the ears of six Three Kings players who had endured an emotional roller-coaster ride over the course of the preceding two hours. Glenfield, too, relished it for another reason - it extended their lead to seven points in the title race, and means they require no more than four wins from their final six games to crown the club’s Golden Jubilee season by clinching a maiden Lotto Northern Premier Women’s League title. The outgoing champions were understandably shattered, having been just twenty seconds away from realising their season-long goal, one which, six weeks before the start of the campaign, seemed barely possible. At that stage, Lynn-Avon didn’t even have a team to speak of. In the circumstances, they’ve done well to even get this close to retaining their title. But the Premier Plate is now their reality. Glenfield:     Yates; Milne, Hogg, Duncan, Bresnahan; Bowen, Hoyle, O’Neill, Gibbs; Pretswell, McNamara Lynn-Avon:     Cox; Wimbrow, McPherson, Humby, Saito; Drummond (Ridsdale, 72), Cooper, Phipps (Seatter, 74), Ray, Lee; Gage (Campbell, 82) Referee:     Renee Silvester