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26/11/06
Capital's Clarke Kills Off Wai-BOP's Final Dream
by Jeremy Ruane
The Lion Foundation National Women's League Grand Final hopes of Waikato-Bay of Plenty were blown away at a windswept Newtown Park on November 26 by a Capital Soccer combination which progressed to the ultimate stage thanks to a 2-0 victory over their play-off rivals, two second half goals from Michele Clarke doing the damage.
It was a welcome return to winning ways for the Wellingtonians, whose shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wai-BOP a week ago fired the northerners into hitherto unknown territory for the federation, who, until this year, have faced an annual battle to avoid the wooden spoon in women's soccer's flagship provincial competition.
But coach Duncan Baird and his young charges have cast aside such inhibitions this year, and the result has been a dream season which, despite defeat in this match, they are well proud of, and rightly so.
They were outplayed in this match, however, by a Capital combination which was smarting from the rare event of suffering two successive defeats, Wai-BOP's upset last weekend having been preceded by a mauling at the hands of arch-rivals Auckland, who Capital will now meet next Saturday in the Grand Final.
At half-time in this encounter, Wendi Henderson's charges were no closer to realising their goal, despite applying plenty of pressure into the prevailing Wellington northerly. Henderson herself was first to threaten the visitors' goal, firing across the face of the target on receipt of a lay-off from Nicky Smith, who herself let fly two minutes later with a shot which whizzed past the post.
In between times, Zarnia Cogle - a constant threat throughout - engineered some space in which to fire over a cross which zoomed across the bows of the incoming figure of Clarke. The provider of that opportunity was very nearly the beneficiary of the next one, Patrice Bourke's nineteenth minute free-kick struck deep beyond the far post. Cogle was unable to direct her effort on target.
Sarah McLaughlin, as she has been throughout the campaign, was Wai-BOP's main attacking outlet, and having gone close with a twelfth minute effort, gave Aroon Clansey cause aplenty for concern with a wickedly struck wind-assisted thirty yard free-kick in the 26th minute.
One of the stars of New Zealand's Under-20 Women's World Cup campaign dealt well with this dipping effort, as she did with another from the striker four minutes later, McLaughlin having been released through Capital's rearguard by Vanessa Lambert's hefty clearance, the defender having intercepted a Cogle pass intended for Clarke just outside her penalty area.
After Smith had gone close with a headed effort from Henderson's measured cross, Wai-BOP goalkeeper Charlotte Wood, who saved this effort, was looking on in horror as a steepling cross-shot from Cogle arced over her from the right wing. The look of relief on the custodian's face as the ball cannoned back into play off the crossbar spoke volumes!
Capital were quick to regain possession following this 33rd minute attempt, and wasted little time engineering another opening, again down the right. This time, Henderson and Smith were the architects, the latter playing the ball into Clarke, who turned Alex Shadbolt before picking out Sarah Gregorius. Her twenty-yarder warmed Wood's gloves.
The visitors, ably led by Kimberley Lewis and Lambert, defended stoutly throughout the match, with Capital enjoying very few opportunities to test Wood during the first half. But with the swirling wind largely at their backs in the second spell, the home team found a few chinks in Wai-BOP's armour, and, like surgeons, probed and prodded until the patient cried “Ouch!!”
A suicidal charge out of goal by Wood three minutes into the second spell saw Clarke curl an inviting cross over for Henderson, who touched the ball into Smith's path. The striker lashed the ball over the top from twenty yards, Lewis and Lambert having done enough to stem the threat through their good positioning.
Cogle then teased the goalkeeper with another cross-
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 Michele Clarke
 Kimberley Lewis
 Wendi Henderson
 Kelly Aitken
 Zarnia Cogle
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shot. Wood pawed this to safety in fine style, then looked on in the 52nd minute as McLaughlin looked to make the most of a rare set-piece opportunity for the visitors, one of a number of obscure decisions made by referee Carmen Jones in this match - and obscure is being very kind at times, believe me!!
The striker's chipped twenty-five yard effort just cleared the crossbar, allowing Capital to charge downfield from Clansey's resulting goal-kick. Smith fed Gregorius, whose inviting cross left Wood in no-man's land. Clarke, racing in behind her, ended up in the net as the ball drifted to safety.
Just before the hour mark, Cogle and Clarke combined on the left, the former whipping in a lovely cross intended for Henderson's head. Wood charged out of goal and punched the ball off the player-coach's crown, however, then produced the save of the match to keep out a wayward Lambert header.
The defender's attempt to clear Cogle's angled pull-back succeeded only in diverting the ball towards the target. Wood flung herself low to her right to maintain parity on the scoreboard.
Tess Murphy - back to her rock-solid best in defence - teamed up well with Smith and Tonje Hinze in the 64th minute, the midfielder's performance severely hampered by a knee injury she picked up in the first half, the strapping-up of which led to her joining the action after the second half had begun.
Hinze's pass to Bourke allowed Capital's leading markswoman to let fly from thirty yards, her effort careering narrowly past the post.
Sixty seconds later, Kelly Aitken's charge up field saw her evade a couple of challenges before giving McLaughlin something to chase. Clansey was always favourite to win the race, but spilt the ball upon doing so - it's as well for her that the ever-vigilant Bria Sargent was on hand to mop up.
Back came Capital, Smith earning an indirect free-kick in the penalty area in the 68th minute. She masterminded the resulting set-piece, but intelligent positioning by Lewis meant the defender was perfectly placed to head the ball off the line on this occasion.
Seconds later, the goal which Capital had long been threatening finally materialised, but it was very hard on Wood that it came about. Clarke got the better of Lambert after an almighty tussle on the left before firing over a curling cross.
The wind intervened, and sent the ball swirling over Wood's head and into the net behind her - 1-0, the home team's joy offset by the sight of a distraught custodian, whose performance didn't merit being beaten in this fashion.
The goal rocked the visitors' confidence, and after Smith and Henderson - a superb flying volley - had both gone close courtesy Cogle-contrived chances, Capital concluded the contest seven minutes from time. Clarke loomed large on the right and whipped a tantalising cross into the goalmouth, crucially following in her delivery.
It proved too good for both Wood and Lewis, and Smith, too, the striker having been deceived by its trajectory. But she showed great presence of mind to retrieve the situation with an overhead kick back across goal. Arriving on cue was Clarke, who thrashed the ball first-time into the roof of the net from ten yards to clinch Capital's Grand Final berth.
Wai-BOP looked to salvage a goal from the game right to the finish, with Katherine Robinson, Dana Braunias and Chelsey Wood combining to present Jackie Pretswell with a chance in stoppage time. Clansey denied the substitute, however, thereby ensuring a 2-0 victory for the Wellingtonians, and a third successive Grand Final against the “A Team”, at 1pm at Mt. Smart Stadium.
Capital: Clansey; Murphy, Sargent, Baldwin; Gregorius (Delahunty, 85), Hinze (Carlson, 77), Henderson (West, 89), Bourke, Cogle; Clarke, Smith
Wai-BOP: Wood; Aitken, Lewis, Lambert, Shadbolt (Braunias, 87); Trebilcock (Pretswell, 77), Newman (Mathieson, 77), Wood, Robinson; Brown, McLaughlin
Referee: Carmen Jones
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