Reigning Lotto Northern Premier Women's League champions Three Kings United struck a crucial blow against title rivals Eastern Suburbs at Keith Hay Park on July 23, coming from behind to down "The Lilywhites" 2-1 and establish a three-point lead atop the table at a critical stage of the campaign. While Suburbs have a game in hand and a superior goal difference, thanks to this win United have the points on the board, although it must be said that didn't look like it would be the case during a first half in which the visitors largely held the upper hand. Straight from the kick-off, Suburbs took the initiative, forcing a corner inside the first sixty seconds of the contest. Tayla O'Brien's delivery struck the near post and rebounded back to her, the ball hotly pursued by Jess Philpot, who charged down O'Brien's attempt to send the ball back into the danger zone. This prompted a Three Kings counter-attack, which culminated in Rebecca Burrows getting in behind the defence on the right and delivering a cross which bounced just before Hannah Robert hit it, prompting her to snatch at the volleyed chance rather than execute a side-footed effort which would have given Corina Brown cause for concern. Suburbs' custodian - for mine, the best 'keeper in the league this season, by some distance - confidently kept out Isabella Richards' cross-shot in the sixth minute, while Brown's opposite number, Rivalina Fuimaono, was right behind a long-range attempt from Leah Mettam two minutes later, before the visitors struck the game's first blow. Aimee Phillips could start a riot in a phone booth! She certainly has the practice of causing chaos and panic alike in opposing defences down pat, and it was Georgia Martin who succumbed to the irresistible pressure of the striker in the fifteenth minute. Phillips caught Martin in two minds ten yards inside United's half, so made the decision for her, whisking the ball away before making a bee-line towards the Three Kings goal, all the time luring Philpot towards her. Phillips reached the edge of the penalty and promptly let fly, only to see Fuimaono parry her shot, the ball ricocheting upwards, perfectly into the path of the incoming and unmarked figure of O'Brien, who breasted the ball across the line to give "The Lilywhites" the lead. They were good value for it, too, as things panned out, comfortably repelling any threats Three Kings posed, all the while knowing that the threat of Phillips breaking on the counter-attack was something the home team couldn't afford to ignore. All United had to show for their efforts in the twenty minutes after going behind was a twenty-five yard effort from Lily Dowsett which Brown made light of. Suburbs, meanwhile, came desperately close to earning a 28th minute penalty which would surely have settled the contest. Kate Carlton sparked the attack, but it was O'Brien's pass to release Phillips down the right which was the key moment in the move, as it allowed the striker to accelerate away and hurdle the challenge of Martin before reaching the by-line, from where Phillips angled a ball into the goalmouth, O'Brien its intended target. How Shivi Anthony managed to spirit the ball away without handling it, and this despite being on the ground for precious seconds in this goalmouth incident, defied logic. But the well-performed makeshift midfielder employed her defensive talents superbly to keep Three Kings in the contest. Four minutes later, Phillips was on the charge again. Having left Jessie Mathews in her wake, she skipped past Martin and was about to take on Philpot when she was sent sprawling by Martin's late, deliberate trip. Every day of the week, a yellow card offence the world over. Except not in this top-of-the-table tussle in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League. Quite what referee Deb Stevens saw to make her refrain from carrying out her duties on this occasion … To cut a long story short, let's just say this wasn't her finest hour-and-a-half, because this was one of at least half-a-dozen key incidents which left patrons shaking their heads in disbelief, and muttering the phrase "What game are you watching, ref?" among themselves. For the bulk of the first half, Three Kings had been a shadow of their usual selves, something which didn't amuse Burrows one iota. Cue one of those rare occasions - especially so in big matches - when you see a player take charge of proceedings and effectively say to their team-mates, "Follow me". Six minutes before half-time, Mathews and Dowsett combined with the midfielder, who jinked inside two players before lashing a twenty yarder narrowly past Brown's right hand post. What followed sixty seconds later was astounding! There is no way on earth Burrows should have been able to find a way through four opponents inside a confined space inside Suburbs penalty area, particularly given she appeared to have lost her balance at one point in the manoeuvre. But she somehow forced her way through, leaving four white-clad opponents looking at each other, then at the referee, as Burrows accelerated towards the target. Upon reaching the goal area, she let rip, her shot taking a deflection to beat Brown at her near post, level the scores, and give United the sort of boost which only something as out of the ordinary as this goal could inspire. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, the title-holders held the upper hand in proceedings, and seven minutes into the second half, they took charge of proceedings on the scoreboard as well.

Claudia Crasborn was the instigator of the raid, her ball down the right inviting Isabella Richards to stretch her legs and out-pace Lizzie Ellis before picking out Dowsett with a cross which she squeezed under the wrong-footed figure of Brown - the striker's last act of the match, ironically, as she had picked up an injury just prior to scoring what proved to be the winner. 2-1 United, and very nearly 3-1 two minutes later, after Burrows, latching onto a loose ball just inside her half, scooted forward then unleashed a booming thirty-five yarder which nearly caught Brown off-guard, the 'keeper forced to produce a scrambling save to keep the ball out. This was the cue for Suburbs to wrestle back control of the game, and for the bulk of the last half-hour they proceeded to pound away at United's goal, with the home team more often than not forced into a rearguard action, clearing their lines being priority one. In the 58th minute, a double-save by Fuimaono kept Suburbs at bay. Carlton and O'Brien combined to present Phillips with the chance to take on and beat Martin once more, before unleashing a shot which Fuimaono parried, before recovering to block Erin Roxburgh's shot from the rebound. Five minutes later, Fuimaono punched an O'Brien cross off Roxburgh's head, after Martin's error had let in the prolific former age-grade international, who is now hard on the heels of Phillips in the Golden Boot stakes. Soon after this, Mathews required treatment for an injury, forcing her to leave the field of play. This left United down to ten when defending a corner, and it goes without saying they were eager to get their captain back on the park prior to its being taken. So when Stevens waved her arm, Mathews took this to mean she could return to the fray. As far as the referee was concerned, however, it was for Mettam to take the corner … Suffice to say, Mathews ended up being booked for entering the field of play without permission, a technical offence which left many present wondering why such pedantry should take priority over challenges such as Martin's first half trip, a clear yellow card offence and one of far greater threat to a player's well-being, yet for which the only punishment administered was a free-kick. Phillips burst through on goal in the 68th minute, and hurdled both Fuimaono and Martin as both converged on the striker. Had she gone down, a penalty would surely have been the reward - although there could be no guarantees given referee Stevens' bemusing display - but Phillips powered on, only to fire into the side-netting from an acute angle. Twenty minutes from time, Suburbs had very strong claims for a penalty when Roxburgh, with Crasborn right on her shoulder, went down in the area when looking to meet O'Brien's cross. Referee Stevens waved away "The Lilywhites"' appeals, which came seconds after Burrows had lashed a thirty-five yarder narrowly over the bar at the other end of the park, a reminder to Suburbs that she remained as much a danger to them as Phillips was to the home team. If anyone was in doubt re Brown's status as the league's best 'keeper this season, the 78th minute of this contest would surely have dispelled such concerns. Burrows, inevitably, was central to events, latching onto a loose ball before buccaneering her way past two opponents, prior to unleashing a dipping twenty-five yarder which looked to have Brown's measure. But the 'keeper launched herself skywards to produce a genuine "worldie", a breathtaking fingertip save which diverted the ball over the bar to keep Suburbs in the contest - if there was a "Save of the Season" contest, this denial would definitely be a strong contender, make no mistake. Into the last ten minutes, and Suburbs continued to pound away in search of an equaliser. Kate Seatter grazed the roof of the net with a twenty-five yarder, seconds before colliding with team-mate Mettam. Thankfully, both were able to continue, as the visitors had already used their lone substitute, with injuries, international commitments and players on holiday - in the football season? - combining to severely restrict coach Mauro Donoso's options for this most pivotal of matches. Burrows wouldn't go away, and with the game entering stoppage time - of which there was a fair bit more than usual due to injury breaks - she swooped on a stray Erinna Wong pass and took on half the Suburbs team before rattling the hoardings with a thirty-yarder. Suburbs threw everything into the last few minutes of the match, with Phillips beating both Crasborn and Philpot before seeing a shot blocked. The rebound fell to Molly Bryans, whose shot on the turn was smothered by Fuimaono, the last act of note in a match which, while short on quality, certainly didn't lack for incident, and ultimately came down to which team wanted it more. On this occasion, as they have on a couple of others this season, most memorably when four goals down on this ground exactly three months ago, the reigning champions found a way to win, Three Kings' 2-1 victory wrestling back the advantage from Eastern Suburbs in this intriguing race for the 45th Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title. Three Kings:     Fuimaono; Crasborn, Philpot, Martin, Harrison; Anthony, Burrows, Mathews (booked, 66) (Bradley, 84); Richards, Dowsett (Morton, 54), Robert Suburbs:     Brown; Carlton, Ellis, Van Dort, Mettam; Bryans, Seatter, Wong; Phillips, O'Brien, Roxburgh (Whitley, 82) Referee:     Deb Stevens