Reigning Lotto Northern Premier Women's League champions Glenfield Rovers kept alive their hopes of claiming the title for a third successive season at Galloway Park on August 5, as they came from behind to down the previously unbeaten league leaders, Claudelands Rovers, 2-1 to draw level with the table-toppers. Claudelands' superior goal difference means they remain on top of the ladder with a game in hand, but this defeat brought an end to their unbeaten league record this season, and leaves them needing to win two of their last three matches to claim their first-ever Northern Premier Women's League title. And it was a deserved defeat, because but for the efforts of Claudelands' 'keeper, Naomi-Beth Carter, Glenfield's winning margin would have been far greater. She was first called into action in the fourth minute, diving to her right to deny Steph Skilton's snapshot on the turn after she had controlled Bridgette Armstrong's long throw-in, which were to prove a feature of the match. Another aspect which featured throughout was the treacherous playing surface, on which players from both teams frequently lost their footing. The first instance occurred in the sixth minute, when Dallas Olsen's under-hit back-pass was pounced on by Helen Collins. The league's leading scorer spotted Pam Yates well off her line in an instant, but just as she shaped to chip home over the stranded 'keeper, the striker's standing foot slid beneath her, and Yates was afforded an easy save. Glenfield's retort called Carter into action three times in the next six minutes. She followed up a save at the feet of the charging Lauren Mathis by swatting away Briar McNamara's shot on the run after she had been released by Rebecca O'Neill, who had a fine game in central midfield. That save earned the visitors a corner, and Sarah Gibbs' delivery saw Carter pawing the ball out to Jess Innes, whose low drive into the goalmouth created a right royal scramble. Claudelands survived that close call, but were under the cosh once more in the sixteenth minute when Carter spilled O'Neill's lofted cross beneath her crossbar. The ball fell invitingly for Skilton, who promptly let fly from close range, only to look on in despair as the recovering figure of Carter produced a stunning save to tip the ball round the post for … A goal kick! Despite Glenfield's protestations, referee Anna-Marie Keighley was insistent. But if you thought that call alone was bad, be warned now - it gets worse! With their squad having been decimated by injuries and international call-ups of one kind or another, Claudelands' reliance on Collins' goalscoring prowess had increased markedly, and Liz Milne did a terrific job containing her throughout this tussle. But it was inevitable that she would threaten on a few occasions, and the first of these materialised in the nineteenth minute, when Kylie Jens' pinpoint pass from distance rewarded Collins' diagonal run from right to left. But she pulled her shot across the face of goal, much to her frustration. Glenfield responded with a similar move, Innes playing Skilton in through the inside left channel. Carter parried her shot, then recovered to save at the feet of the incoming McNamara. In the 28th minute, and a tad against the run of play, it must be said, Claudelands opened the scoring. While Glenfield were howling for a free-kick as they claimed Libby Williams had handled the ball - neither the first nor last time they would do so, the home team executed the perfect counter-attack. Roberta Wigglesworth led the break out of defence, picking out Collins with her ball forward. She laid it back into the stride of Jens, whose beautifully weighted pass into the stride of Rachel Porteous allowed the midfielder to calmly chip the ball over the advancing figure of Yates and into the net behind her. Glenfield's response saw another handball claim against Williams denied by the referee, who instead awarded a corner which resulted in Mathis directing her close-range effort straight at Carter in the 34th minute. Claudelands' 'keeper spilled an Armstrong cross four minutes later, and all hell broke loose in the next few seconds. Skilton swooped on the loose ball and fair smashed it at the target, only for the ball to strike the arm of Jens as she dashed back to provide goal-line cover following Carter's error. A penalty, surely! Even Keighley, whose reputation for turning a blind eye to even the most obvious offences inside the eighteen-yard box continues to frustrate, had to give this one, and she duly pointed to the spot. But in doing so, it also meant she had another duty to fulfil. Whether there was intent or not on her part, Jens had denied a goalscoring opportunity, and after consulting with her assistant, the fullback was shown, to the consternation of many, the yellow card. A check of the Laws of the Game, and in particular the interpretations of same in relation to Law 12, Fouls and Misconduct, reveals the following: "If the referee applies advantage during an obvious goalscoring opportunity and a goal is scored directly, despite the opponent's handling the ball or fouling an opponent, the player cannot be sent off but he may still be cautioned". The very next paragraph states: "Referees should consider the following circumstances when deciding whether to send off a player for denying a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity: o the distance between the offence and the goal o the likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball o the direction of the play o the location and number of defenders o the offence which denies an opponent an obvious goalscoring opportunity may be an offence that incurs a direct free kick or an indirect free kick After reading the above and trying to understand the referee's logic in only booking Jens, one can only conclude that the fullback dodged a bullet because of the official's overall desire, rightly or wrongly, to ensure this potentially title-deciding encounter remained an eleven-a-side one. For the interpretation which should have been applied, above all others, reads: "A player is sent off, however, if he prevents a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity by deliberately handling the ball. This punishment arises not from the act of the player deliberately handling the ball but from the

Referee Anna-Marie Keighley keeps an eye on Sarah Gibbs and Briar McNamara (11), as they challenge Laura Phillips Helen Collins evades Liz Milne Steph Skilton Tessa Leong controls the ball, watched by Sarah Gibbs Briar McNamara Lauren Mathis Bridgette Armstrong and Rachel Porteous Pam Yates

unacceptable and unfair intervention that prevented a goal being scored". O'Neill duly sent Carter the wrong way from the penalty spot - 1-1. Now with their tails up, Glenfield piled on the pressure to take the lead before the interval, with Armstrong and Gibbs both going close before the half-time whistle sounded, leaving those watching with plenty to talk about during the interval. Had it been a boxing match, the visitors would have been ahead on points at this stage of proceedings, but upon the resumption of play it was Claudelands who first threatened. Williams and Issy Coombes worked a one-two on the right which saw the latter's 48th minute cross to Collins touched on for Porteous. She laid the ball back into Collins' stride for the striker to lash a twenty-yarder narrowly past the post. Glenfield retorted immediately through Skilton, who held off the challenge of Eileish Hayes before looking to pick out McNamara with her cross. Jens stepped in to clear the danger on this occasion, while Gibbs went close again soon after, Kate Carlton having cleared the initial danger posed by Innes' cross from the left. After Carter had punched Armstrong's lobbed cross off the heads of both Skilton and McNamara, a string of corners from Olsen caused all sorts of chaos in Claudelands' goalmouth. Hayes thwarted Milne at the near post from the first one, before Laura Phillips scrambled the ball to safety after Carter had flailed in vain at a delivery right into the heart of the danger zone. That sparked a Claudelands counter-attack, Jens again the supply line, and Collins the outlet. But Yates dealt with her long-range effort comfortably in the 66th minute, after which … Referee Keighley's part in what occurred in the 69th minute, quite frankly, was mind-boggling! It simply defied logic, not to mention the conventions detailed in the Laws of the Game and interpretations of same! O'Neill played the ball forward to send McNamara through the inside right channel. Carter raced out of goal and blocked at the striker's feet, the ball ricocheting outside the penalty area towards Gibbs, following up some twenty-five yards from goal. She promptly let fly, only to see the ball hit the crossbar and bounce down into the path of the retreating figure of Williams, off whose hand the ball rebounded into the bottom corner of the net. Own goal, 2-1 Glenfield. Miss Keighley had other ideas, and after blowing her whistle, pointed to the penalty spot! You can imagine the consternation among the Glenfield players at this decision, never mind the confusion amongst those watching proceedings! And as for Williams' thoughts following this development … for the awarding of the penalty meant she was a dead-set certainty to receive a red card - the spot-kick could only have been awarded as a result of the referee seeing the defender's actions after the ball bounced down off the crossbar. Remarkably, Williams escaped any sanctions whatsoever! Thankfully, justice was served in one sense, with O'Neill converting from the spot once more to ensure that Glenfield did indeed take the lead, 2-1. Within seconds of taking the lead, Innes came within the width of a post of extending Glenfield's advantage via a wickedly struck twenty-five yarder, while Gibbs' 73rd minute effort was smothered by Carter as Claudelands gathered their resolve for a stirring finale. Sure enough, they came on strong in the remaining minutes. Williams and Jens worked a short corner which saw the latter pick out Phillips, whose header through the gathered throngs was seen late by Yates, who parried the ball then recovered to save at the feet of the incoming figure of Collins. Seconds later, Porteous and substitute Orla Shaw combined for the player-coach's benefit, Collins getting the better of Milne before powering into the penalty area, only to send her twelve yard effort sailing over the bar when you would have fancied her to increase her advantage in the race for the Golden Boot. After Innes had gone close with a long-range effort following good work by the tireless Skilton, and Gibbs had hit the bar with a wickedly struck inswinging corner, Claudelands mounted a final flurry in a desperate bid to retain their season-long unbeaten record in the league. Phillips broke up a Glenfield attack on the edge of her own penalty area with a timely interception, then surged upfield before sending Collins through once more. Milne stepped in to clear, but not very far, for Williams and Wigglesworth combined to send Tessa Leong racing through. Armstrong stepped in to thwart the substitute, only to gift the ball to Collins. Yates grabbed her shot, then superbly plucked a dipping cross from Leong off the deck seconds later as Collins, its intended target, moved in for the kill. And still play continued - there were a staggering seven minutes of stoppage time in all, not that there were any stoppages of any consequence throughout proceedings. In the very last minute, Carter and Jens combined to play the ball forward towards Collins, only for Caitlin Smallfield - solid throughout - to head clear. Collins latched onto the ball, and played in Wigglesworth through the inside left channel. With Yates advancing towards her, the youngster let fly, but the ball flew the wrong side of the post as far as Claudelands were concerned. With it went their chance to deny Glenfield a deserved 2-1 victory in a game which will be remembered for some weird and far from wonderful refereeing decisions as much as it will be for a really good contest between the teams disputing the title, the race for which is now guaranteed to go right to the season's last game. Claudelands:     Carter; Williams, Carlton, Hayes, Jens (booked, 39); O'Connell (Leong, 60), Phillips, Porteous; Coombes (Shaw, 58) (McGregor, 83), Collins, Wigglesworth Glenfield:     Yates; Olsen, Smallfield, Milne, Armstrong; Mathis (Oosterhof, 46), O'Neill (Hawker, 90), Gibbs, Innes; Skilton, McNamara (Frame, 90) Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley