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27/09/98
“Death-Strike” Delight For Worthy Champions
Despair For Lynn-Avon As Three Kings Claim “Grand Slam”
by Jeremy Ruane
The Auckland Premier Women’s Knockout Shield Final at Bill McKinlay Park on September 27 had just about everything you could wish for in a cup final between the two teams which have dominated women’s soccer in the Queen City during the last few seasons.
Lynn-Avon United and Three Kings United have fought out some pulsating battles in the six years since the former, then known as Avondale United, rose to prominence on the women’s soccer scene, with this showdown being the latest chapter in what, to date, has been a quite captivating saga.
This was the third consecutive final between the two sides, with Lynn-Avon looking to claim the silverware on this occasion to avoid their first barren season trophy-wise since 1994. Three Kings, meanwhile, were going for the “Grand Slam”, having already won the SWANZ Knockout Cup and the Bluebird Northern Premier League in an already memorable campaign.
As well, they went into the match, their fourth straight final, as holders of the silverware, and conscious that victory would see them claim not just the Shield again, but the Champion-of-Champions trophy, the ultimate symbol of supremacy in Auckland women’s soccer, which is awarded to any side which completes the League and Shield double.
Lynn-Avon went into the match with the advantage of having downed Three Kings 5-2 in their last league clash, a result which ended the 29-match winning streak of Sascha Viertal’s side. But the Shield holders haven’t lost a knockout match since 1996, and that was still the case come the last whistle of an enthralling final.
In winning 2-1, Three Kings proved themselves truly worthy of the title “Champions”, displaying character aplenty to come from behind and snatch the winner a minute into injury time.
The contrasting emotions brought on by this “death-strike” were manna from heaven for any sports photographer. Utter despair would best describe Lynn-Avon’s reaction to the sight of the ball nestling in the bottom right-hand corner of Danielle Hobby’s goal, extra time, if not victory, having been snatched away from them.
These scenes were reflected in the stand, the Lynn-Avon faithful, to that point the more vocal group of supporters, sitting in stunned silence, the Three Kings contingent anything but.
The first twenty-five minutes of the match had seen much thrust and counter-thrust emanating from the two sides, but the four chances which came about all went the way of the Shield holders.
Andersen fired into the sidenetting in the eighth minute, while Maria Wilkie, despite handling the ball as she turned past Lyn Pedruco, sent a twenty-yard drive flashing past Hobby’s left-hand upright eleven minutes later.
Beth Clark sent one whizzing wide in the 22nd minute, and was then called offside seconds after, as Hobby pulled off a superb save to deny the striker, following Michele Cox’s measured cross to the near post being flicked on by Wilkie.
Lynn-Avon’s first attack saw the deadlock being broken in the 26th minute. With her second attempt, Amanda Crawford sent a corner deep to the far post for Terry McCahill. Her effort was crowded out, but the ball fell to Pedruco some twelve yards out from goal. The former New Zealand international rifled her shot through the crowd into the top far corner of the net - 1-0.
It was the first time in over a year in which Three Kings had not scored the first goal of any match in which they had played. How would they respond? Initially, well, Marlies Oostdam’s inswinging 33rd minute free-kick being narrowly missed by both Andersen and Tarah Cox as it whizzed past the far post.
But the half ended with Steve Cain’s charges on top, Angela Vujnovich forcing a fine save from Michelle Hodge after a superb Crawford-led counter-attack eight minutes prior to the interval, with Dana Heiford sending a long-range effort just past the far upright five minutes later.
The scoreboard changed in the 56th minute, Clark heading Three Kings level from close-range after another teasing Oostdam inswinger, this time from a corner, was not dealt with by Lynn-Avon’s defence.
This clearly rattled the half-time leaders, so much so that, straight from the kick-off, Three Kings rampaged forward, Andersen, Michele Cox and Wilkie leading the charge. The last-mentioned whipped in a cross to the far post for Andersen, only for Alisse Robertson to pull off a desperate clearance to prevent Three Kings from turning the game on its head completely.
Lynn-Avon responded by twice putting the ball in Three Kings’ net within the next six minutes. But both efforts were ruled out, the first due to Vujnovich having strayed offside, the second a result of Jennifer Carlisle, undoubtedly Lynn-Avon’s best performer on the day, bundling Hodge over the line after the ‘keeper had cleanly caught an inswinging Katrina Sharpe corner in the shadow of her crossbar in the 63rd minute.
Two minutes later, Hobby pulled off a fine save to deny Andersen, after the well-performed Renee Brookland had linked with Wilkie on the left. Maia Jackman and Andersen both went close soon after, before Lynn-Avon charged again, in the 78th minute.
Sharpe, for once, got the better of Stacey O’Hara on Three Kings’ right. Her low cross picked out Carlisle, whose shot from the edge of a crowded penalty area arrowed a foot past Hodge’s right-hand post, the goalkeeper at full stretch as she dived in vain to get near the ball.
The midfielder was foiled by the shot-stopper again three minutes later, as Hodge smothered a long-range effort from Pedruco at the feet of the SWANZ international. The same scenario was seen in the ninetieth minute, Hodge this time smothering a Vujnovich cross at Carlisle’s feet.
The supplier of that chance had, three minutes earlier, volleyed over from the edge of the penalty area, just seconds after the alarm bells had well and truly been ringing in the Lynn-Avon penalty area. Brookland lobbed the ball into Michele Cox, who flicked it into the gap between McCahill and Robertson, but in front of Hobby.
Hesitance reigned among the trio, a recipe for disaster, particularly with someone like Wilkie in the opposition’s attack. The speedster appeared on the scene seemingly from nowhere to poke the ball at full stretch past the helpless Hobby, who was greatly relieved to see the shot creep inches past the upright.
Into injury time of a match in which referee Hengo Sioneloto had had his moments - Lynn-Avon in particular were far from amused by his actions on a couple of occasions. But all appeared set for extra-time until the New Zealand captain made a match-deciding blunder.
McCahill at first failed to fully control a hopeful Three Kings through ball, then compounded her error by under-hitting a pass to Robertson. Through charged Andersen with just Hobby to beat, McCahill unable to close the gap, despite her desperate efforts to do so.
Prior to this moment, Andersen had had a largely quiet game. But she saved her best for last, her 75th goal of the season arrowing past Hobby into the bottom far corner of the net to put Three Kings 2-1 up, an unerring “death-strike” which finally shattered the spirit of truly gallant opponents.
But to the victors, the spoils - the “Grand Slam”. Three Kings United - worthy champions.
Three Kings: Hodge; Jackman, Oostdam, Exler; O‘Hara, M. Cox, T. Cox, Brookland; Clark, Andersen, Wilkie
Lynn-Avon: Hobby; Robertson, McCahill, Pedruco; Reber (Roper, 66), Wileman, Carlisle, Heiford, Sharpe; Crawford, Vujnovich
Referee: Hengo Sioneloto
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