2019 Grand Final 151219

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Holders Prevail As Grand Final Decided On Penalties

by Jeremy Ruane

Canterbury United Pride retained their National Women's League title in nail-biting fashion at English Park on December 15, edging Northern Lights 4-2 on penalties after these well-matched sides had fought out a 1-1 draw over the preceding two hours of Grand Final football.

There was very little to choose between the sides in the first spell, and, indeed, throughout the majority of the match, with both defences dominating proceedings, meaning chances were at a premium.

Northern enjoyed the first of them in the third minute, with Aneka Mittendorff - she was outstanding - and Maggie Jenkins combining on the left. The Young Ferns captain surged forward before threading a pass through for Ava Pritchard, who raced into the penalty area before directing a pass just beyond the bows of the incoming Kelli Brown and Arabella Maynard.

The visitors threatened again on the quarter hour. Saskia Vosper's throw-in allowed Chloe Knott to get to the byline, from where she curled a cross around two covering defenders and onto the head of Pritchard at the near post. Her glancing header flashed across the face of goal and narrowly past the far upright.

United responded via Macey Fraser, whose twenty-five yard free-kick drifted past Lily Alfeld's right-hand post. It was the fourth set-piece in succession which United had forced, but the only one which threatened the target.

The electric pace of Gabrielle Rennie was United's foremost attacking weapon in the first half, and she used it to lung-busting effect in the 32nd minute. Maynard was among those left gasping in her slipstream as the speedster stormed down the left on a counter-attack which culminated in Alfeld confidently cutting out the resulting cross-shot.

Knott was having a fine game in midfield, where much of the contest was being played, and it was from another of her attacking thrusts that Northern were afforded the final chance of the half, on the stroke of half-time - a thirty yard free-kick which Brown landed on the roof of United's net.

The second spell started with a great deal more urgency in evidence, with Chloe Jones' timely 48th minute challenge denying Knott in the act of shooting after a Jenkins cross hadn't been cleared.

Canterbury responded with a Rennie-led counter-attack, the striker outpacing Claudia Bunge - no mean feat - to latch onto Tahlia Herman-Watt's through ball. Rennie's cross-shot sizzled across the face of goal.

Back came Northern, Brown latching onto a stray Fraser pass to unleash a first-time shot which stung the gloves of Una Foyle, who was beaten two minutes later by an angled shot from Knott which missed the far post by inches, after Brown and Jenkins had again given Canterbury cause for concern.

The usually influential Fraser had been rather quiet by her standards, and she was about to be withdrawn from the fray. But her last contribution of note allowed the deadlock to be broken - a defence-splitting pass in the 56th minute which sent Nicola Dominikovich hurtling through Northern's rearguard.

As Bunge lunged in to tackle her, the striker, who also had the fast-approaching figure of Alfeld bearing down on her, deftly flicked the ball between the defender's boot and the 'keeper's left hand and into the far corner of the net - 1-0 Canterbury, much to the delight of the locals.

They were nearly cheering again five minutes later, after Fraser's replacement, Lauren Dabner, had robbed Brown of possession and invited Marisa Van der Meer to race onto the ball before inviting Dominikovich to shoot.

Alfeld grabbed her attempt, and instantly launched a Northern counter-attack in which Brown and Jenkins were again prominent. The latter's first attempt on goal was blocked, while her second was spilled by Foyle under pressure from Pritchard. Lake - she led by example throughout for the home team - stepped in to avert the danger.

It didn't go away, however, for within seconds, Brown was on the ball again, and this time she picked out a right royal gem of an equaliser, a twenty-five yard rocket which stormed into the top far corner of the net to bring about parity in the 64th minute.

There can be no denying those goals opened up the game, and allowed both teams to cast aside any inhibitions and go all out for a winner in the time remaining. Straight from the kick-off, United were afforded a great chance as Alfeld handled a back-pass in order to prevent Dominikovich from latching onto the ball.

It presented Canterbury with an indirect free-kick in the penalty area - a "Tap and Goal" opportunity which saw Whitney Hepburn let fly. Her shot was blocked, and in the ensuing scramble, United had strong penalty claims rebuffed by referee Anna-Marie Keighley as a shot struck Mackenzie Barry at point-blank range.

Northern survived that scare, after which play went from end to end with both teams enjoying opportunities to score. Jenkins and Maynard combined to play in Pritchard in the 67th minute - Foyle foiled that opportunity - while after Alfeld had intervened to prevent Dominikovich from latching onto Dabner's through ball, Foyle was right behind a twenty-yarder from Jenkins which came about following a Vosper throw-in.

Thirteen minutes from time, Liz Savage set off on a charging run through the heart of Canterbury's midfield, eventually threading a through ball for Pritchard to latch onto. Lake's superb block - United's skipper was massive throughout - foiled the striker as she looked to steer the ball home, while Maynard, following up, curled the ball past the near post.

United coach Alana Gunn has warmly embraced the five substitutions rule which applies in this competition, and two of her introductions to the game, Jayda Stewart and Britney-Lee Nicholson, teamed up to create an opening for Rennie seven minutes from time. Mittendorff shut down that threat with a fine covering tackle.

Back came Northern, Vosper swooping on a poor clearance from Foyle to present Jenkins with a shooting chance in the 89th minute. Jones blocked her shot, but from Jenkins' resulting corner, both Bunge and Mittendorff saw shots blocked by the United defence as they held on for extra time.

Lake ensured we would witness an extra half-hour of play when preventing Pritchard from getting on the end of a Mittendorff cross deep in stoppage time. The additional thirty minutes saw few chances materialise, however, as players, many of whom have been playing and training since February, dug deep into their energy reserves for one last time in 2019, coming up short in the cases of cramp victims Bunge and Vosper.

Jenkins fired the first shot in anger in extra time past the post in the 97th minute, prompting a response from the Dabner and Dominikovich combination which culminated in Alfeld smothering the latter's effort two minutes later.

Cue Knott, who produced the pass of the final to send Maynard through the inside left channel with seventeen minutes still to play in this showpiece fixture. But the midfield marauder didn't back herself, opting instead to try to pick out Pritchard with a pass which Annie Gilchrist blocked - a shot would have offered far greater threat.

How no-one touched the ball when Nicholson whipped a vicious 105th minute corner into Northern's goalmouth Lord alone knows, while after the turnaround, the visitors offered late threats on goal via Jenkins' set-piece deliveries. But the reigning champions held firm, and to penalties we went.

Lake and Savage got the ball rolling with fine strikes which respectively sent Alfeld and Foyle the wrong way. Northern's goalkeeper then got a hand to Belinda Van Noorden's effort, but couldn't keep it out - 2-1 Canterbury.

Up stepped Knott, for much of this NWL season the heartbeat of Northern's attacking thrusts. But she executed an "Eden Park Special" - a guaranteed three points at our national stadium, but in the middle of a penalty shootout, a head-in-hands moment for the former age-grade international, one she'll likely replay in her mind until she next kicks a ball in anger. Don't beat yourself up over one miss, lass - it's not worth it!

Advantage Canterbury, something Dabner confirmed at the second attempt after Alfeld saved her first effort, only for the 'keeper to have been adjudged to have moved off her line before the kick was taken.

Jenkins sent Foyle the wrong way - 3-2, but Nicholson restored United's two-goal cushion by confidently steering the ball beyond Alfeld, a conversion which piled the pressure on Brown, Northern's next spot-kick taker.

The journey twixt the half-way line and the penalty spot in a shoot-out is one which can often determine whether a penalty taker will be successful or not. For those exuding confidence, success usually results, but Brown's was the slow trudge of the condemned woman, the weight of the world seemingly on her young shoulders as she plodded towards her fate.

Sure enough … Foyle dived to her left to parry Brown's spot-kick to safety, and was immediately engulfed by her team-mates as Canterbury United Pride celebrated winning their fifth National Women's League title at the conclusion of this, their seventh successive Grand Final, four of which have been between this year's contenders.

Canterbury: Foyle; Gilchrist, Jones (Taylor, 106), Lake; Van der Meer (Stewart, 78), Fraser (Dabner, 58), Hepburn, Herman-Watt (Van Noorden, 110), Wall (Nicholson, 80); Dominikovich, Rennie

Northern: Alfeld (booked, s/o); Barry (booked, 113), Bunge (Cooper, 117), Mittendorff; Vosper (Green, 101), Maynard, Knott, Jenkins, Savage; Brown, Pritchard (Jervis, 109)

Referee: Anna-Marie Keighley

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