A stunning near post header from Hannah Wall proved the catalyst for Fencibles United to score a come-from-behind 3-1 victory over Papatoetoe at Murdoch Park in their sixth round encounter in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League on May 12. The some-time Football Ferns star powered home one of the best headed goals seen in many a month by this writer to put the visitors in front in a keenly contested encounter between clubs which engaged in a fair bit of transfer activity during the close season. It meant there was a wee bit of an edge between the teams going into this match, but thankfully any pre-match boasting that may have taken place never carried over into reckless or malicious challenges, both teams rightly preferring to stick to their football-playing principles. And what they produced was a good contest, with Papatoetoe enjoying the first of many openings which came to pass in the fourth minute. Chelsea Strickland, starting in an unfamiliar left flank role, played a delightfully angled ball in behind the United rearguard from half-way which invited Jacqueline David, lurking between defenders, to cause a bit of chaos. She poked a shot goal wards, the ball beating the diving figure of Alex Vernon, but it crept the wrong side of the post as far as 'Toe were concerned. United heeded the warning, and responded with a great chance seven minutes later. A stray Kayla Spyve pass was pounced on by Cloe Posimani, who promptly gifted it back to 'Toe. Sarah Broadbent wasn't expecting the present, and she certainly didn't anticipate Sarah Fuller swooping to nick the ball off her and slip a pass to Steph Trowill. The Fencibles striker, playing a day after turning eighteen, promptly scooted clear of 'Toe's high defensive line and raced towards goal, only to shoot early. Her twenty-five yarder ended up nearer the corner flag than the target, so wildly did she hook the effort. Seven minutes later, Trowill attempted to wriggle her way through 'Toe's rearguard, having got the better of Tessa Povay near half-way and racing clear. The covering figure of Broadbent produced a vital tackle to deny the striker, a feat matched by Dani Vulinovich at the other end of the ground in the 23rd minute to prevent David from shooting on the turn upon receipt of Spyve's measured pass. David was undoubtedly the biggest attacking threat 'Toe offered, and in the 26th minute, Kirsten Wong sent her scooting through the inside right channel. Vernon plunged to her right to smother the striker's effort on this occasion, then saved at David's feet on the half-hour as she attempted to turn home a Tayla Hetherington free-kick which ricocheted off the defensive wall. It prompted a United counter-attack which saw Trowill thwarted by Popay as she looked to break clear. The ball broke for Sarah Blyde, who slipped Wall through the inside-right channel with a pass which the midfielder took on in her stride before letting rip from just inside the penalty area. Riva Fuimaono had had little to do to this point, but produced a stunning save to maintain parity on the scoreboard, flinging herself to her right to tip the far corner-bound effort round the post at full stretch - a top stop. Back came 'Toe, Hetherington just failing to punish Fencibles' defensive hesitancy with a rasping twenty-five yard snapshot which left Vernon clutching air as it flew narrowly past her right-hand post. United failed to heed this warning, and in the 36th minute, were guilty of the same offence - failing to clear their lines decisively. This time, they were punished mercilessly by Spyve, who unleashed a first time drive from fully thirty yards which fair soared over Vernon's head before crashing high into the net behind her - pick that one out! 1-0 'Toe, who were good value for their advantage to this point. The gauntlet thrown down, Fencibles responded to the challenge swiftly. Four minutes before the interval, Fuller and Broadbent tangled just outside 'Toe's penalty area, with referee Frey Head eventually deeming the incident worthy of a free-kick. To the frustration of the home team, and their vocal support base, the decision went United's way, inviting Lucy Carter to test the waters with a driven free-kick into the goalmouth. The ball ricocheted off Popay and crept inches past Fuimaono's right-hand post for a … goal-kick, as far as the referee was concerned. Cue voluminous United protests, which Mr Head eventually heeded, but why didn't he use the players' body language as a guide before making his call, instead of subjecting himself to an on-field earful and sideline accusations of decisions being based on who calls loudest? Nothing came of the corner, but on the stroke of half-time the visitors should have levelled the scores. Carter slipped Trowill through the inside-right channel with a pass which left the speedster one-on-one with Fuimaono once more. As before, she shot early, hooking her effort across the target. There was still time for one last opportunity for Fencibles to equalise before the break, and in stoppage time, they took it. Popay curtailed Blyde's progress just outside the penalty area, and referee Head correctly called a free-kick for what was a mistimed

Hannah Wall Kayla Spyve Sarah Blyde Tayla Hetherington Sarah Fuller Tessa Popay

challenge - Blyde had touched the ball on when Popay caught her. Cue another Carter free-kick into the danger zone, this time with delightful consequences as far as Fencibles were concerned, Fuller in particular. Arriving on the scene behind Summer Brooke, the midfielder bundled home a goal which her personal performance fully merited to bring about the 1-1 half-time score. The second spell was but three minutes old when Wall's super defence-splitting pass sent Trowill scampering through. The combined efforts of Popay and Strickland thwarted her progress on this occasion, but the threat posed by Trowill's pace wasn't something with which they coped overly well. 'Toe responded with some attacking threats of their own over the course of the next ten minutes, with Shontelle Stevens, David and the overlapping Sarah Reid combining neatly to create an opening for Spyve, who was racing through the middle in anticipation of the flank player's cross. Vernon reached it first, however, and was well placed to deal with another Spyve effort in the 56th minute, this a deft volley on the turn upon receipt of a Hetherington corner, 'Toe's set-piece specialist having gone close to restoring her team's advantage moments earlier with a fizzing thirty yarder. In the 58th minute, Vulinovich and Blyde combined to send Trowill scampering down the right once more, but with just Fuimaono to beat, the striker again wasted the chance, this time firing wide when a combination of composure and clinical precision were called for. Fencibles earned a corner soon after, which Carter delivered to the near post. Racing in to meet it was Wall, who leapt to execute a full-blooded flying power header, the ball fair cannoning off her forehead en route to the bottom far corner of the net for one of the best headed goals you'll see anywhere - a classic finish, and Wall knew it, too, her sheer delight at scoring a goal of such high quality evident for all to see. The Papatoetoe players were stunned, and they were still reeling from the blow six minutes later, when Wall robbed Broadbent in midfield and promptly sent Trowill through once more, despite Popay's best efforts to cut out the through ball. Trowill promptly let fly once more, and this time the crossbar came to 'Toe's rescue. The rebound fell invitingly into the stride of Posimani, who was following in, but who was prevented from scoring by a superb reaction save from Fuimaono, who had recovered quickly having dived in vain in an effort to keep out Trowill's effort. That stirred 'Toe from their stupefaction, Strickland leading the way with a probing ball into United's penalty area which once again exposed the visitors' Achilles heel - defensive uncertainty. Alana Hislop's desperate headed clearance prevented substitute Talei Kidd from pouncing twenty minutes from time. United had the bit between their teeth, however, but after Fuimaono had survived her "Lotto ticket moment" - every 'keeper has one, hers being an attempted clearance which ricocheted off Trowill straight to Popay - the visitors suffered a blow when Trowill landed heavily after hurdling 'Toe's 'keeper as Fuimaono saved at her feet. There was genuine concern from both teams for the injured player, who barely moved to begin with after her back slammed into the hard ground. She was eventually helped to her feet, but looked decidedly unsteady as she was helped off the pitch, her day's dash done. Her departure gave frisky substitute Timea Egan the chance of a run, but it was another Fencibles substitute who had caught the eye with her efforts after entering the fray who played a vital part in setting up the visitors' clinching goal, four minutes from time. Hayley Bilk's ball-winning skills and willingness to battle for possession had helped United shade the midfield tussle, after she had replaced the similarly hard-working Fuller after the hour mark. On this occasion, Bilk's battling saw the ball break for Wall, lurking unmarked on the right. 'Toe paid the price for not covering the lone full international on the park, who powered into the penalty area before producing an inch-perfect low cross to the far post, just out of Fuimaono's reach. But not that of Posimani, who gleefully tapped in to wrap up a 3-1 win. It could have been 4-1, 'Toe's failure to clear Carter's stoppage time corner presenting Wall with a half-chance. Swivelling, she let fly with a rising volley which flashed inches over the bar. Fencibles had already done enough, however, and were soon savouring their come-from-behind triumph over a competitive 'Toe team which is a welcome addition to the Premier League environment - they certainly won't be one-season wonders on the evidence of this performance. Papatoetoe:     Fuimaono; McErlean (Kidd, 64), Popay, Strickland; Stevens, Wong (Carson, 27), Spyve, Broadbent, Reid; Hetherington, David Fencibles:     Vernon; Vulinovich, Wintle, Hislop, Brooke (Cooper, 71); Blyde, Fuller (Bilk, 64), Wall, Carter, Posimani; Trowill (Egan, 76) Referee:     Frey Head