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23/07/00
Advantage Lynn-Avon In Title Race
by Jeremy Ruane
Lynn-Avon United took a giant step towards winning the Bluebird Northern Premier Women’s League championship for the first time since 1997 on July 23, 2000, downing defending champions Three Kings United 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter at Keith Hay Park.
The visitors came within inches of opening the scoring after just eighty-five seconds. An Amanda Crawford corner was headed clear by Emma Lothian to Melissa Wileman, who unleashed a twenty-five yard volley which hit the crossbar. Patrice Bourke was unable to convert the rebound, allowing Three Kings, with the wind at their backs in the first spell, to breathe a sigh of relief.
After Yvonne Vale had dealt comfortably with an Anne-Marie Scott shot from distance, Crawford had the breakfast knocked out of her - literally - following a collision with Michelle Hodge as the two players, and Lyn Pedruco’s through ball, arrived at the same point instantaneously. The striker was out of action for some six minutes while she recovered her senses.
She was quickly back into her stride, however, twice going close soon after, although on the second occasion, the hard-working Mary-Lou Hendriks, who never gave the SWANZ international a moment’s piece all day, prevented Crawford from getting a clear shot at the target.
As the match wore on, endeavour was plentiful in midfield, but defences began to dominate, as these old foes gave no quarter in a rugged encounter. Chances were at a premium in a match in which Jill Corner, Wileman and Bourke excelled for the visitors, likewise Simone Ferrara, Caroline Crittenden and Hendriks for the home side.
Three Kings were finding the job of penetrating Lynn-Avon’s defence decidedly challenging. At the other end of the park, Lynn-Avon were faring little better, their final chance of the half coming five minutes before its conclusion, Angela Vujnovich seeing Hodge save her volley at the near post.
Lynn-Avon enjoyed the elements at their backs in the second spell, conditions which were better suited to their more direct style of football as opposed to the passing game which Three Kings prefer to employ.
But it was the home side who started the stronger in this period, Ferrara rattling the sidenetting with a rasping twenty-five yard drive two minutes into the second half, then firing across the face of goal on the run four minutes later.
An error by Lothian allowed Vujnovich a clear shot on goal in the 54th minute, but she found the sidenetting with just Hodge to beat. Three Kings charged up the other end of the park, but conceded a free-kick, which Terry McCahill promptly kicked straight back to the home team- the Lynn-Avon captain’s distribution was ordinary at best in this match, but more often than not bordered on woeful.
Kim Rowney and Maia Jackman looked to take full advantage of this gift, working a slick one-two which culminated in Vale hurtling off her line to save at the feet of the SWANZ international, as she homed in on her young team-mate’s inviting cross.
The visitors’ riposte was decisive, a thirty yard strike from half-time substitute Dana Heiford in the 58th minute. Hodge misjudged the dipping drive as it approached her, and had the misfortune to help the ball into the net after it struck the back-pedalling custodian upon ricocheting down off the crossbar.
The goal gave Lynn-Avon renewed inspiration. Crawford started and finished a move which featured Jennifer Carlisle and Corner soon afterwards, the striker’s diving header being saved by Hodge, who was beaten by Vujnovich in the 67th minute, as she met a Crawford cross on the run. This time, the post saved Three Kings.
Wileman and Jackman - a spectacular miss - exchanged efforts on goal inside the next seven minutes, while Rebecca Parkinson missed a gilt-edged opportunity in stoppage time, firing high and wide of the target when through on goal with just Hodge to beat.
But Lynn-Avon had done enough to ensure themselves of victory, and as a result of their 1-0 win, are now four points clear of the defending champions in the Bluebird Northern Premier Women’s League title race, with a game in hand to boot.
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