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21/11/04
Capital Edge Central On Penalties After Thriller
by Jeremy Ruane
Capital Soccer qualified for the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League Grand Final in Auckland next weekend after edging Central Soccer 6-5 in a sudden-death penalty shoot-out at Palmerston North’s Memorial Park on November 21, after the two rivals had shared four goals in a drama-filled two-hour spectacle.
The visitors, who got into the play-off after their protest against Mainland Soccer’s fielding an ineligible player in their early-season clash had been upheld by NZ Soccer on Wednesday, enjoyed the first opportunity of the match in the sixth minute.
Angela Goodridge’s turn and cross for Sarah Gregorius was punched off her head by Central ‘keeper Lisa Wilson, but only to Ashlee Delahunty, who fired agonisingly wide of an unguarded net.
Gregorius was to prove a thorn in Central’s left side in particular throughout this duel, with Julie Ng and Elina Tito both given the runaround on numerous occasions by the fleet-footed National Women’s League Player of the Year finalist, but it was the home team who were to enjoy the better of the early exchanges until the first water-break of the game - referee Shannon Smith considered the on-field conditions justified fluid replenishments half-way through each half.
Before the first of these, Pam Yates was called into action on three occasions. Initially, she made a meal of a lobbed ball into the goalmouth by Ng - Ella Wiebe fired wide under pressure in the ensuing melee - but the New Zealand international dealt more capably with shots from Ng, Wiebe and the generally ineffective Emma Boyack, whose shot concluded a tidy eleventh minute move which also involved Jo Evans, Ng and Wiebe.
The Wellingtonians certainly seemed to benefit far more from the water break than their rivals, as they proceeded to dominate the rest of the half. A fine covering challenge by Chelsea Aim denied Delahunty, after Nikki Wenzlick had robbed Tito and fed Gregorius in the 24th minute.
After a Goodridge volley had bounced off the rock-hard pitch and over Wilson’s goal, Claire Ponsford sent a shot into orbit, poor reward for an exquisite cross from Gregorius, who had scampered down the right in pursuit of a perceptive Goodridge pass just after the half-hour mark.
As was the case in their round-robin affair a fortnight ago, the Wellington contingent lacked the firepower to match their approach work. And aside from a scare four minutes into the second spell - Central counter-attacked at pace, with Ng and Boyack combining, only for Ali Hansen to cover off this threat but clear the ball straight to Ng, who set up Wiebe for a shot which cleared the crossbar - it was Capital who again enjoyed the better of the second half’s early exchanges.
An awful Bria Sargent shot turned into a great pass for Patrice Bourke in the 51st minute, the midfielder taking full advantage to surge into the penalty area before whipping in a low cross intended for Delahunty or Gregorius to convert. Wilson had other ideas, however, and gathered the ball at the third attempt in a scramble.
Soon after, Goodridge blazed a volley over the bar after Ponsford and Gregorius - a neat header - had combined, while in the 56th minute, a Wenzlick corner picked out the head of Gregorius, whose effort was blocked on the line by the post by Ng.
Counter-attack followed counter-attack at this point, with the outstanding Jane Archer threading a ball through for Evans - was she offside? - to latch onto. But Yates stood her ground in this one-on-one battle, forcing the striker to make the move. Result? A shot straight at the custodian by the former New Zealand international.
Back came the visitors in the 62nd minute, a raking Yates clearance sending Goodridge racing through a retreating rearguard. A solid save by Wilson prevented the opening goal this time round, while rock-solid defending by the impressive Julia Baldwin denied Central at the other end of the park five minutes later.
Archer sent Boyack haring through from half-way, and she got the better of Hansen before releasing Evans. "Not today, thank you", said Baldwin, in her best display yet in provincial colours.
Wellington careered down the other end of the pitch and opened the scoring in the 68th minute, and a more deserving scorer in yellow-and-black there simply couldn’t be. Aim fired a clearance out to the half-way line, which prompted a swift interchange of passes between Hansen, Sargent, Bourke and the charging Wenzlick, the last-mentioned splitting Central’s defence with a peach of a pass.
Gregorius was onto it in an instant, and raced past Tito and the fast-retreating Ng on an angled run
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before beating Wilson all ends up at her near post - 1-0 to the visitors.
Those who thought that goal might settle this play-off were made to think again, for after the second water-break, it was Central who came out breathing fire, and they began to cause the younger Capital combination a great deal of problems.
Yates was to the fore, however, twice racing off her line to, in conjunction with Baldwin, frustrate Evans, after the pacy front-runner had latched onto through balls from Archer and Jenny Moore respectively.
But in the 82nd minute, the striker finally got the better of both Wellingtonians, Wiebe having flicked on Bromley’s lengthy goal-kick into Evans’ path. She outpaced Baldwin and rounded the committed figure of Yates before rolling home the equaliser.
Cue the drama, and some decision-making of the weird and wonderful variety from local referee Smith - she certainly had her moments in this match, not all of them bad it must be said, but there were some which, as in the Uncle Toby’s Women’s Cup Final, exposed her inexperience in pressure-cooker situations.
Five minutes from time, the Wellingtonians screamed for a penalty in vain, the ball having struck the hand of a Central defender in a goalmouth incident. Five minutes later, and after Ng had seen Yates save a shot on the run in between times, it was Central’s turn to claim a penalty for the ball striking an opponent’s hand, and this time it was given.
The circumstances were different than those at the other end of the park, however. Following a scramble, Wiebe’s cross was cleared to the edge of the penalty area, where Evans came roaring in and hit a thunderbolt towards the target.
Such was the speed at which the goal-bound shot travelled that Sargent instinctively put her hands up to protect her face, and the ball struck. Smith immediately pointed at the penalty spot, and booked the Wellington captain, presumably for criticising the decision … but if it was a goalscoring opportunity, and a penalty was given for what was deemed deliberate handball, should the red card, and not the yellow one, have been brandished?
This took place in stoppage time, and with the scores tied at 1-1, the opportunity fell to the co-winner of the National Women’s League Golden Boot, Wiebe, to clinch a place in the final for Central. But she spurned it, Yates flinging herself low to her left to pull off a fine save, with Bourke racing in to smash the ball to safety.
The final whistle sounded within seconds, and a full thirty minutes of extra-time was on the cards - no Golden Goal. Central started the additional period like a house on fire, Yates again prevailing in a one-on-one with Evans straight from the kick-off, albeit at the expense of a corner.
Bromley’s delivery picked out Evans, who hit another firecracker drive, her blistering shot crashing to safety off a post. Then Bromley chanced her arm with a long-range free-kick, and a very relieved Yates grabbed the ball under the crossbar.
This was epic stuff, and Capital weren’t slow in bolstering their shot-count either. Gregorius again paved the way on the right in the 94th minute, slipping Delahunty through. She cleverly engineered some space for herself before curling a delightful twenty yard effort goalwards - it faded just past Wilson’s far post, but it sowed a seed in Goodridge’s mind, which she put to use minutes later to telling effect.
Beforehand, she unleashed a free-kick into Wilson’s midriff from just outside the penalty area, after Central substitute Adrienne Heslop had clearly handed the ball inside the eighteen-yard zone - Smith’s positioning had failed her on this occasion.
Cue another Central charge as the one hundred minute mark ticked over. Wiebe’s shot took a deflection off the head of Sargent, and Yates was immediately spotted frantically scrambling backwards and across her goal. Her efforts were worth it, as she pawed the ball away to ensure parity.
Goodridge then played her party piece, but not before Gregorius had run Tito ragged once more, after latching onto a Baldwin clearance on half-way. The youngster’s subtle through ball gave Goodridge the opportunity she was looking for, and she curled a shot away from Wilson and into the top far corner of the net - 2-1 Wellington.
This was thrilling stuff, made all the more so by Central’s response - this goal was akin to a red rag to a bull, and they stormed back at their rivals. Wiebe got the better of the tiring Sargent, only to fire wide. Then Evans found herself one-on-one with Yates once again, and once again the custodian saved the day for Capital, but at the expense of another corner.
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Cue the piece de resistance of Bromley’s deliveries for the day, a curling, swirling effort which gave Yates nightmares as she looked to judge its flight. It cleared most defenders, save for one, off whose head the ball ricocheted onto the underside of the crossbar and to seeming safety.
But no! The flag of the lineswoman was raised, signalling she had seen something and required the referee’s ruling on it. Smith stopped play instantly, sprinted over, and within ten seconds, was awarding Central their second equaliser of the game - an own goal to make it 2-2 with fifteen minutes still to play.
Surely there was to be a winner. Capital substitute Liz Pearson featured in three attacks in the next seven minutes, being thwarted by the combined efforts of the tiring Aim and Janelle Cameron one moment, then thwarting the efforts of both Wenzlick - a super header - and Baldwin to put the visitors in front once more when inadvertently blocking her team-mates’ efforts.
In between times, Wilson failed to hold onto a tame Delahunty effort, but was more grateful when a deflection took the sting off a Goodridge shot in the 114th minute, after Delahunty’s chasing of a lost cause, allied to Aim’s failure to clear her lines, presented the scorer of Capital’s second goal with a shooting chance.
Central contrived a delightful one-touch move four minutes from time, with Archer, Wiebe, Evans and Ng all featuring, only for the last-mentioned to shoot tamely at Yates.
She promptly sent the ball forth once more, and as before, Aim lost sight of her duties, allowing Delahunty to pounce. Goodridge and Wenzlick quickly joined in, before Bourke was afforded the chance to let fly - she did, hoisting a shot narrowly past the far post.
It was the final shot of two highly entertaining hours of action between two teams who, as in their round-robin encounter, simply could not be separated on the scoreboard. There was only one way they could be - for the losing team, the cruellest way possible. Penalties.
Evans swept home her spot-kick, to which Pearson replied with a crossbar-clearer - advantage Central. They held their one-shot break until their third effort, when Ng shot straight at Yates. Goodridge wasted little time in levelling the scores - 2-2.
3-3, then 4-4 - it was now sudden-death, and the time when those who didn’t volunteer their services have the acid put on them to do so. Aim was first in the firing line, and her effort, low to Yates’ left, saw the ‘keeper pull off a super stop.
Advantage Capital, with Gregorius stepping up to the mark. Straight and low down the middle, only for Wilson, who was moving to her left, to instinctively stick out a leg and flick the ball to safety!
The tension was palpable. Two teams’ seasons rested on the fortunes of fate. Heslop and Baldwin both despatched their penalties with nerves of steel - 5-5. Cue the newly-married Tito, twenty-four hours after having tied the knot.
Perhaps she had her honeymoon on her mind, for she set her sights higher than the eight-foot-tall obstacle twelve yards in front of her. The ball duly followed … and to Hansen went the chance to win a place in the Grand Final for Capital Soccer.
Like her namesake Alan, she was as cool as you like - 6-5 to the visitors, their joy unconfined. In stark contrast to the despair of the home team, Central, who, as happened a year ago in the last game of the season at home to, on that occasion, North Harbour, squandered their chance of glory when it was there for them to grasp.
They will look on next Sunday, as Capital take on Auckland-Manukau in the Grand Final, and wonder what might have been. But to the victors, the spoils, and having got into the play-offs via legal channels, as well as come through the footballing equivalent of Russian roulette, Wendi Henderson’s charges will be hoping that, unlike Central, good fortune continues to favour them one last time this year.
Central: Wilson; Aim, Cameron, Bromley, Tito; Moore, Archer, Wiebe, Ng; Boyack (Heslop, 79), Evans
Capital: Yates; Wenzlick, Sargent (booked, 90), Baldwin, Hansen; Gregorius, Bourke, West (Vasey, 18), Ponsford (Pearson, 73); Goodridge, Delahunty
Referee: Shannon Smith
Penalty shoot-out:
Central: Evans, Bromley, Ng (x), Wiebe, Archer, Aim (x), Heslop, Tito (x)
Capital: Pearson (x), Bourke, Goodridge, Yates, Wenzlick, Gregorius (x), Baldwin, Hansen
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