Lynn-Avon United's leading scorer, Megan Lee, led Fencibles United a merry dance during seven second half minutes of their Lotto Northern Premier Women's League encounter at Ken Maunder Park on 1 July to turn what had been a keenly contested affair into a 5-2 victory for the home side. The jet-heeled youngster had an eventful game when these teams clashed earlier in the season, scoring twice before stupidly getting herself sent off. This time, she struck a seven-minute treble to supplement her first half penalty, one of three awarded by referee Kevin McMillan throughout proceedings. The home team fired a warning shot across Fencibles' bows just 45 seconds into the contest, when a Dana Humby free-kick stung the palms of Summer Brooke. But the visitors recovered quickly and were soon imposing themselves on the contest with a tidy spell of possession. A mistake by Tayla Hetherington was pounced on by Ellie Jeurissen, however, and within seconds, Lee was haring through the Fencibles rearguard, only to drag her shot badly across the face of Brooke's goal. Seconds later, Jeurissen unleashed a twenty-five yarder which fizzed narrowly past Brooke's right-hand post as Lynn-Avon contrived their third shooting opportunity in the opening ten minutes. A fourth should have followed three minutes later, but Hannah Valentine stopped Lee in her tracks with a well-timed tackle, the defender then picking out Hannah Wall with her clearance. The talented 21-year-old swiftly worked a one-two with Lucy Carter which sent Wall dashing through the inside-right channel, clear of Lynn-Avon's defenders. A low drive flew inches past the diving figure of Jess Reddaway and her right-hand post, the closest either side had yet come to breaking the deadlock. On the quarter-hour, Claudia Crasborn clipped a ball through for Wall to pursue, but she was sent tumbling by Humby while still in pursuit of the sphere just outside the penalty area. Referee McMillan waved play on in response to Fencibles' free-kick appeals, the latest indication that this young referee was going to have a real mixed bag of a performance, about which more later. For this was shaping up to be a bit of an arm wrestle, Lynn-Avon largely being restricted to long-range efforts of scant consequence as Fencibles contained them in a newly-shaped team structure which was defensively solid, but lacked an attacking outlet which a fully fit Crasborn or Wall could have offered. Neither of Fencibles' stars was at the peak of their physical prowess, however, so Reddaway's goal was rarely under threat. Instead, it was Brooke's goal which came under fire in the 26th minute, Jeurissen bringing the ball out of defence before feeding Lee, who whipped in a gem of a cross which parted Daisy Cleverley's hair as she looked to meet it with a flying header. The deadlock was broken in the 29th minute. Chelsea Strickland stepped in to thwart Lee in the area, but the Lynn-Avon player went down, and referee McMillan had no hesitation whatsoever in pointing to the spot. Up stepped Lee, and after dusting herself down, she rifled home from twelve yards to give Lynn-Avon the lead, although it must be said it was a very harsh penalty, the sort which you've seen ignored as many times as they've been given. Lynn-Avon's advantage didn't last very long. Straight from the kick-off, Fencibles pressed forward, with Valentine sparking a raid which featured the perspiration of Hetherington and the inspiration of Wall. Crasborn, in the clear on the right, should have at least hit the target from the promising position in which she found herself. Not to worry, however, for Fencibles were on level terms in the 32nd minute, and this, too, was from the penalty spot. There were no doubts about this spot-kick, however, with Humby felling Jessica Snell in the area. Carter duly did the honours, affording Reddaway no chance - 1-1. Parity lasted for just six minutes, and after some enterprising play by Fencibles, Lynn-Avon struck back on the counter-attack. Jeurissen surged over half-way and drew Strickland out of position before rewarding Lee's well-timed run which sent her dashing through the inside-left channel. Past Valentine she scampered en route to the by-line, from where a pull-back into the goalmouth found Catherine Bott arriving on cue at a great rate of knots. From inside the six-yard box, she slammed the ball home beyond Brooke to restore Lynn-Avon's lead, 2-1. They retained their advantage until half-time, although a scare two minutes prior arose after Hetherington blocked a pass from Bott half-way inside Lynn-Avon's half. Wall swooped on the loose ball in an instant, and swiftly worked a one-two with Crasborn before unleashing a twenty-yarder which Reddaway smothered at the foot of her right-hand post. Lynn-Avon began the second spell in sprightly fashion, and should have increased their lead in the 48th minute. Lee swept past two opponents on the left before whipping in a cross to the far post which found Chloe Wilson ghosting in beyond all-comers to meet it. The look of anguish on her face after she thrashed a volley into the side-netting spoke volumes - this was 3-1 in everything but execution. Unperturbed, the home team pressed again three minutes later, Cleverley releasing Wilson down the right with a gem of a pass which allowed the frustrated Young Fern - FIFA have denied her the chance to represent New Zealand for now - to curl a devilish cross into the vicinity of the near post area. Lee, arriving on cue, was only denied by Brooke, who gleefully plucked the ball off the head of the scorer before sparking a counter-attack which Wall led with gusto.

Penalty? The ref thought so, deeming that Chelsea Strickland tripped Megan Lee ... cue a Tui's ad!! Hannah Wall edges out Ellie Jeurissen Claudia Crasborn Daisy Cleverley Tayla Hetherington Jess Reddaway's fine save thwarts Lucy Carter Rachel Head

Skipping past a challenge near half-way, she spotted Crasborn setting off on a run down the right which was rewarded with a measured pass into her stride. After getting to the by-line, Crasborn craftily wrong-footed Rachel Head before picking out Hetherington with a cross which the midfielder headed into the stride of Kirstyn Oldfield. Reddaway dealt with her cross-shot comfortably, far more so than the next denial she was forced to produce, in the 53rd minute. Oldfield was allowed to progress far too far down Lynn-Avon's right flank before being fouled by timid defenders. Carter stepped up to take the free-kick, and whipped in a beauty which had 'top near corner' written all over it until Reddaway launched herself to her right and produced a fine parried save to keep her team in front on the scoreboard. By the time the 69th minute rolled round, they were well and truly on top and Fencibles were left wondering what they had done to deserve the fate which had just befallen them. Three goals in a seven-minute spell had turned the game on its head and left Lynn-Avon savouring a 5-1 lead, a scoreline which far from reflected the closeness of the contest. The first of the salvo came in the 61st minute, and saw Bott send Lee careering through the offside trap, defenders in hot pursuit. Substitute Alison Wintle made a desperate lunge towards the ball as Lee, by now in the penalty area, let fly, and her intervention was enough to deflect the effort past the completely wrong-footed figure of Brooke - 3-1. Two minutes later, Lee sprung the offside trap again, Head this time the architect of the opportunity with a measured through ball. Lee dashed through the inside left channel once more before deftly flicking the sphere past the approaching figure of Brooke, who could only turn and look as the ball bounced past her and over the line in the shadows of the far post. Fencibles were stunned, two mortal blows to their hopes of getting a result from the match having been administered in as many minutes. And just as they began to regroup, another devastating counter-attack killed the game as a contest in the 68th minute. Humby's first-time ball forward was met by Daphne Latzelsberger, whose volleyed pass was neatly controlled by Lee before she deftly steered the ball home beyond Reddaway once more - 5-1, game over contest-wise. And so nearly a sixth goal two minutes later. India Fremaux combined with Cleverley on the right, the latter's cross deflecting off the chasing figure of Wall into an area by the near post in which Latzelsberger was lurking. She somehow contrived to lift the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box - it appeared easier to score than miss. Fencibles could have succumbed to the inevitable, but Crasborn is made of sterner stuff, and in the 71st minute, she pounced on another wayward Bott pass and promptly powered past two opponents en route down the right, before being stopped dead in her tracks by a ball 'n' all tackle from Humby which left the speedster prone on the pitch. Referee McMillan waved away the visitors' appeals for a free-kick, but had to stop play seconds later as Crasborn hadn't moved since being felled. Eventually, winded and wounded, she unsteadily got back to her feet, but her effectiveness had been blunted. Not so that of substitute Sarah Williamson, however. The newcomer had only been on the pitch eight minutes when she got into a shoulder-to-shoulder tussle with Kate Seatter which left the Fencibles player on the ground and referee McMillan pointing to the penalty spot for the third time in the match. Carter duly did the honours sixteen minutes from time, and six minutes later, 5-2 very nearly became 5-3, as Williamson led another Fencibles raid, on receipt of Carter's pass. The substitute rolled Humby before, with Hetherington handily placed in support, letting fly from thirty yards with a chip which arced over the head of the retreating figure of Reddaway but just over the crossbar. Laura McErlean's super tackle denied Cleverley on the counter-attack seconds later as Lynn-Avon looked to finish with a flourish, but they had to settle for a 5-2 victory over their fourth-placed opponents, Lee's contribution to the afternoon ultimately the key difference between two fairly well matched sides in a game which saw Fencibles turn up in their traditional colours of red-and-blue halved shirts, blue shorts and socks. Lynn-Avon, of course, wear red shirts, blue shorts and socks … colour clash time. There was the inevitable delay to the start of proceedings while Fencibles donned their white training shirts, but no other alterations were made - both would be sporting the same-coloured shorts and socks throughout proceedings. Cue a potential nightmare for referees' assistants when trying to ascertain off whom the ball last ricocheted prior to going out of play. But the referee was happy with the situation, although come the end of each half, he failed to add on any time to proceedings to make up for that lost with substitutions, etc.. Throw in the penalty incidents and the fouls which saw play continue, rather than a free-kick awarded, and it's fair to say Mr McMillan put in an interesting afternoon's work at Ken Maunder Park, to put it mildly. Thankfully, it didn't adversely influence the game very noticeably - Megan Lee's contribution to the contest saw to that. Lynn-Avon:     Reddaway; Seatter, Humby, Head; Wilson (Poata, 86), Cleverley, Bott, Latzelsberger (Morris, 82), Jeurissen (Fremaux, 66); O'Brien, Lee Fencibles:     Brooke; Strickland, Valentine (Wintle, 46), McErlean, Van Heerden; Wall, Carter, Hetherington (Posimani, 84), Oldfield; Crasborn, Snell (Williamson, 66) Referee:     Kevin McMillan