Northern v Canterbury 061116

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Northern Top Canterbury In Grand Final Rematch

by Jeremy Ruane

Reigning National Women's League champions Northern Football took a giant step towards hosting the 2016 Grand Final on November 6, as they came from behind to down last season's runners-up, Canterbury United Pride, 3-1 on the QBE Stadium Tigerturf.

In a highly entertaining repeat of last season's showpiece showdown - save for a spell in the second half when a plethora of substitutions affected the match's momentum, it was Northern who threatened first, Jane Barnett's seventh minute drive being tipped away by Victoria Esson, whose performance in this match underlined why she's the best 'keeper in the country.

The home team raided again two minutes later, Saskia Vosper and Katie Rood combining for Sammi Tawharu to let fly with a shot which flew past Esson, and the far post as well.

Canterbury responded to these early warning shots with a spell of dominance, during which only one chance was carved out. Macey Fraser's twelfth minute cross completely deceived Anna Leat, but no-one in red-and-black was following in to turn home the opening goal.

That increasingly looked like it would be scored by Northern, but Esson wasn't having a bar of it. In the nineteenth minute, she smothered a Catherine Bott shot which arrowed through a crowded goalmouth following a partially cleared Barnett free-kick.

Sixty seconds later, the 'keeper was in the thick of things again, plunging to her left to prevent a low cross from Rood from reaching Tawharu, after the speedster had careered down the left before scything into the penalty area.

Tessa Berger and Liz Milne then linked up, with the latter's ball forward being inadvertently directed by Emma Clarke - the Canterbury defender had to withdraw before the break due to illness - straight into the stride of Tawharu, who found herself with just Esson to beat. The striker dragged her shot past the far post - a great chance spurned.

Northern continued to press, Rood's rampages a feature of their play. In the 26th minute she brought Kate Loye into play, but with the chance for a curler on, she steered the sphere into the stride of Cat Pretty, whose resulting drive was anything but - high, wide and not very handsome can best describe it!

Barnett was next to threaten, working a one-two in the 27th minute with Tawharu, whose superb return pass put Barnett in on goal with just Esson to beat. The 'keeper produced a terrific save with her legs to keep Canterbury on level terms.

Canterbury raids were few and far between by this time, but the ever-dangerous Clarke - a ready-made long-term successor to Ria Percival in the Football Ferns' squad if ever there was one - looked to spark a revival seconds later, raiding down the right before whipping in a cross which caught Aimee Phillips unawares, affording Leat a comfortable save, and the chance to ignite another Northern attack.

This one saw Loye release Tawharu to the by-line, from where she found Rood darting through at pace. It was her speed which foiled the striker on this occasion, however, Rood failing to control Tawharu's pass with just Esson to beat.

Inspired by Clarke's courage moments earlier, Canterbury swiftly came back into the contest as an attacking force, with Ashleigh Ward - she had a sound game - angling a ball in behind the defence which found Annalie Longo dashing through the middle on an angled run.

The Football Fern evaded a challenge before setting up fellow international Phillips, only for the striker to be thwarted by Nicole Stratford's timely intervention. Her clearance didn't offer much relief, however, for within seconds, Fraser was careering in off the right flank before letting rip with a shot which Leat saved well to her right.

After Lily Bray went close with a twenty-five yard curler, Milne was allowed to run unchecked by the Canterbury defence until she got to within shooting range, at which point Esson was called upon to pluck Northern's captain's shot from the sky.

The 'keeper promptly launched another United raid, Bray this time beating a couple on the right before releasing Phillips through the offside trap. She powered into the penalty area before drilling a shot which Leat could only parry skywards.

What goes up must come down, of course, and as the ball dropped near the far post, Holly Pascoe was arriving on cue - the opening goal of the game, surely? Somehow, she directed it past the post - a real let-off for Northern, who survived another scare seconds later as Leat saved at the feet of Fraser, Ward and Phillips having combined splendidly down the left.

Two minutes before half-time, Rood set off on one of her trademark mazy runs, taking on all-comers at pace. On this occasion, she unleashed a dipping

long-range effort which had 'top far corner' written all over it, until Esson produced a stunning full stretch fingertip save to turn the ball round the post.

Esson's brilliant certainly caught referee Karyn Meade by surprise. She awarded a goal-kick, much to the ire of the Northern players. In truth, the real surprise was the calibre of officials appointed to a match of this standing.

With senior and age-grade New Zealand internationals of past and present vintage sprinkled liberally throughout both sides, it should be a given that the most experienced officials available be in charge of such a fixture. It would certainly be the case for a Stirling Sports Premiership clash, so a match of this standing in women's football's equivalent competition should be no different.

Canterbury began the second spell brightly, and were rewarded for doing so in the 52nd minute with a real collector's item - a headed goal by Longo. Phillips was the catalyst for the goal, her fine work down the right allowing her to get the better of two opponents before Clarke's replacement, Tahlia Herman-Watt, provided a hanging cross which Longo rose salmon-like to head past Leat - a terrific deadlock-breaker.

The visitors were still celebrating when parity was restored, straight from the kick-off. Barnett dashed down the right before slipping the ball inside to Tawharu, who entered the penalty area before steering the sphere into the stride of Rood, who had outpaced the defence. She gave Esson no chance from ten yards - 1-1 after 53 minutes.

Canterbury were still reeling from this goal when they conceded a second one, two minutes later. Tawharu broke down the right this time, and drew the defence before setting up Barnett to drill home unerringly across Esson and into the far corner of the net.

Buoyed by their double-whammy, Northern came again, with Loye's corner on the hour causing all sorts of chaos in the United goalmouth. Rebecca Lake's attempted clearance cannoned off Milne, prompting a smothering save from Esson to relieve the danger.

After this, the game hit something of a flat spot, but it was kick-started into life again thirteen minutes from time when Rood rammed home Northern's third goal. Stratford picked her out with a free-kick, and the scorer of the game's equalising goal instantly laid the ball off to Loye.

Lake covered her progress, but Rood was still lurking nearby, and when the ball broke her way, there was no second chance for United, who looked to strike back straight from the kick-off. Ward led the charge down the left, dashing into the area before presenting substitute Gabi Rennie with a chance. Leat parried her header, with Vosper completing the clearance.

After this, Northern kept pressing for a fourth goal, with Lake and substitute Dayna Stevens both going to ground in the area as they collided while responding to Stacey Hallford's run and cross.

Seconds later, Vosper ventured down the left and got into a right royal tussle for possession with Herman-Watt, with the ball eventually breaking for Stevens in the penalty area. Esson somehow denied her at point-blank range.

The resulting Loye corner presented Bott with the chance to let fly on the volley, but her mis-time effort looped into the grateful gloves of Esson, who immediately set United on attack, a concerted spell of pressure in search of a second goal.

Rennie led the charge, luring Leat out of goal before setting up Arna Roberts, who was off-balance and duly fired wide of the target. Longo then lashed a twenty-yarder over the bar as the visitors continued to press, with Leat tipping a Rennie drive over the bar as the game entered stoppage time, Longo having worked a one-two with Bray before bringing Roberts into play.

Back came Northern in stoppage time, Stratford leading the charge on the counter-attack before switching play to Hallford. She guided a pass into the stride of Arabella Maynard, who evaded a challenge before unleashing a curling effort which Esson turned round the far post.

Loye's corner was punched out by the goalkeeper, whose team-mates took an age before eventually clearing their lines, soon after which the final whistle sounded, ending a thoroughly entertaining encounter between two teams who will hope to meet again on December 11, Grand Final day.

Northern: Leat; Bott, Berger (Mittendorff, 61), Stratford, Vosper; Loye, Pretty (Turnbull, 82), Milne; Barnett (Hallford 79), Tawharu (Stevens, 84), Rood (Maynard, 81)

Canterbury: Esson; Clarke (Herman-Watt, 41), Lake, Jones, Ward; Longo, Hepburn (Thomas, 75), Bray; Fraser, Phillips (Roberts, 61), Pascoe (Rennie, 61)

Referee: Karyn Meade

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