The old adage, "You takes your chances, you wins your matches", was never better evidenced than at Keith Hay Park on August 6, as Three Kings United effectively surrendered the Bluebird Northern Premier Women's League title to arch-rivals Lynn-Avon United when going down 1-0 to Ellerslie. The home team had enough chances to wrap up the points inside the first forty-five minutes, but profligate finishing was the order of their day, something they were to regret come full-time. Ellerslie, meanwhile, was enjoying the better of the exchanges in midfield, where Sue Taylor and Kristy Hill held sway throughout. But they lacked the penetrative edge to truly test United's goalkeeper, Michelle Hodge, meaning much of what the visitors produced foundered on the defensive efforts of Mary-Lou Hendriks, Stacey O'Hara, Emma Lothian and Helen Exler. Simone Ferrara enjoyed United's first chance, an eighth minute grasscutter from twenty-five yards which Margot Bowker dealt with capably. Ellerslie's goalkeeper was next tested by Vicki Rainbow, whose attempt to clear a Caroline Crittenden cross saw her almost lob the ball over her team-mate's head into the net. The stand-in custodian - Stephanie Puckrin's rib injury continues to plague her season - grabbed the ball in the shadows of the crossbar. United produced a superb move in the twelfth minute to open Ellerslie up. Exler fed Maia Jackman wide on the right. She cut inside before laying the ball off to Tarah Cox, while continuing to move forward. Cox fed Kim Rowney, who laid the ball back to Crittenden. Her chip picked out Jackman, who trapped the ball perfectly before unleashing a drive which Bowker turned round the post. Crittenden saw a couple of efforts whiz wide before Ellerslie created their first opening of the game. Zoe Albon sent Flora McLeod down the right in the 25th minute. She got the better of Hendriks before delivering a low cross to the near post for Vicki Ormond. Hodge was onto the ball before her fellow SWANZ international had a chance to react. Rowney, and on two occasions apiece, Crittenden and Jackman, went close before the half-time whistle, as good United approach play failed to garner the reward it warranted, while a thirty-yard effort from Taylor flashed narrowly wide of Hodge's right-hand post five minutes before the interval. The pattern of the first half continued into the second spell, although Ellerslie, through the efforts of Albon and Rainbow, were enjoying more success in containing Ferrara and Jackman this time round, as United began to mirror their guests in lacking penetration. The closest either side came to scoring in the first fifteen minutes of the second half came as a result of a Ferrara corner in the 58th minute. Half-time substitute Anita Brannigan powered a header just over the angle of crossbar and post, much to Bowker's relief. Ellerslie, who gave the impression they wanted this game more than their hosts, responded with a fine raid of their own, featuring Lily Somerfield and McLeod. The latter thought she was through on receipt of a return pass from the former, but Exler produced a superb tackle to stop the visitors' best move so far dead in its tracks. United's captain was all at sea two minutes later, however, getting caught in possession deep inside the penalty area by Ormond, who fired into the sidenetting from close range. She tried her luck from distance in the 65th minute, again to no avail, but her moment was yet to come. Before it, however, United's morning in front of goal was best summed up by Brannigan's twenty-five yard effort from in front, in the 73rd minute. It started off heading in the right direction, i.e. towards the target. Eventual destination ... throw-in!! Taylor responded a minute later with a surging run from midfield, at the end of which she played a one-two with Somerfield, only to poke her shot wide on the stretch. Back came Three Kings through Ferrara, who was having a ding-dong go with Albon throughout. On this occasion, she broke down the left, only for the Ellerslie midfielder to get in a timely tackle just as her opponent was shaping to shoot. Bowker cleared the ball, but only to Crittenden, who instantly steered it back to Ferrara. Her angled shot flashed across Bowker, but across the face of goal as well. Seven minutes from time, a Claudia Hicks free-kick from distance bounced through the crowded penalty area towards the far corner, only for Hodge to make a late reaction save to turn the ball round the far post. A further four minutes had elapsed when Ormond destroyed United's prospects of taking a point from a goalless draw. Exler misjudged Janet Groves' long ball forward, and Ormond, who had been fairly well contained throughout, was suddenly presented with the opportunity she sought. As she scooted after the ball, Hodge hurtled off her line towards it, but half-way towards her aim, realised she wouldn't win the race. Caught in no man's land, she was vulnerable to being chipped, and Ormond, who sized up the situation expertly, did just that, a well-flighted strike which arced gracefully over the stranded goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net to open the scoring. Ellerslie were, understandably, delighted, their overall performance fully meriting this reward. But the game wasn't yet over, as Crittenden led the charge up the other end straight from the kick-off. Bowker turned her well-struck shot round the post, however, and two minutes later, Ellerslie's third-ever win over Three Kings United / Eden was confirmed.