Western Springs took a giant step towards clinching their maiden Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title at Ken Maunder Park on September 7, Renee Leota's late headed equaliser securing them a 1-1 draw at Lynn-Avon United to leave “The Hoops” three points clear of their rivals, with each having a game to play to conclude what has been a gripping title chase. The scene was set inside the first 150 seconds - four fierce challenges showed that both teams were well up for this one, which, from Western Springs' viewpoint, was highly significant, given a lack of intensity was a key factor in their downfall a week ago, when Lynn-Avon ended their reign as National Women's Knockout Cup holders. It helped the visitors' cause immensely that Priscilla Duncan was back at the peak of her powers, the `flu symptoms which had dogged her display a week ago a distant memory as she went about stamping her authority on midfield in her inimitable style, ably aided by Rebecca O'Neill, who, too, was much more like her usual self in the centre of the park. It made for a feisty contest with Hayley Moorwood and Kirsty Yallop, and saw referee Nick Waldron talking to all but the most impressive of the four midfield titans at various times in the match, the challenges of all bar Duncan occasionally crossing the line of acceptability in a game on which the league title's destiny effectively rode. To stand a chance of taking the title, Lynn-Avon had to win this match, and not surprisingly it was the home team who fired the first shots in anger in a clash which was as closely contested as the final scoreline suggests. Dana Humby looked to surprise Pam Yates with a dipping twenty-five yarder in the eighth minute, while six minutes later, the unmarked Katie Hoyle shot straight at the goalkeeper upon being picked out by Sarah Gregorius. Unlike a week ago, United came up against opponents in a far more competitive mood, a tactical reshuffle by coach Paul Temple giving Springs an edge to their game which was epitomised by Young Ferns captain Briony Fisher - for this writer, the best defender on the park in this encounter. Lynn-Avon's attacking tendencies were largely nullified by Springs' changes, with Emma Kete rarely a threat and Amber Hearn dropping so deep at times that United found themselves sporting a central midfield trio without an outlet to play to in attack. This meant that Springs emerged as the stronger overall unit as the game progressed, without truly threatening Ashleigh Cox's goal. Indeed, the custodian was first called into action in the nineteenth minute, when Duncan and O'Neill combined to present Leota with a ball which she promptly sent Hannah Wall haring after. Cox saved at her feet, and comfortably dealt with further efforts from Leota - a twenty-yarder on the half-hour - and Jamie Hackett - a header on the stroke of half-time - in a first spell which should have seen Lynn-Avon score on one if not two occasions. The first incident took place in the 22nd minute, and featured Moorwood at her creative best. Working a one-two with Hearn, she split Springs' defence with a perfectly weighted pass which invited Kete to race onto the ball and lob the advancing figure of Yates. As she did so, Chelsey Wood made a despairing lunge at the sphere, and succeeded in diverting Kete's attempt to safety. Six minutes later, the home team squandered a glorious chance to break the deadlock. Jenny Carlisle played the ball forward to Hearn, who slipped Kete in on goal with just Yates to beat. The `keeper blocked the striker's effort with her legs, but Hearn was following up, only to be denied by a goal-saving tackle from Liz Milne. Springs scrambled the ball to seeming safety, only for Gregorius to appear on the scene and instantly put them under more pressure by flighting the ball across goal. Hearn controlled and laid off the ellipsoid in one movement, setting up Kete for a shot. Fisher blocked it, but the rebound fell kindly for Hearn, who only succeeded in poking it past the post. A long-range effort from Yallop - easy for Yates - was all United could muster between that goalmouth flurry and the interval, but within fifteen seconds of the second half's commencement, they were afforded another opening. Terry McCahill's ball forward was badly misjudged by Liz Milne, and onto the opportunity stormed Ria Percival, back in Lynn-Avon's colours after her spell States-side. Into the penalty area she stormed before looking to pick out Hearn with a low cross. Yates anticipated it well, and snuffed out the danger. Springs' response was eight minutes in coming. Leota and Wall combined on the right, with the former picking out Hackett on the edge of the penalty area, from where she let fly. But for the fearless Katie Hoyle, who didn't flinch an inch as the ball struck her at close quarters and cannoned to safety, the striker would have been celebrating the opening goal. Within seconds, Hoyle was sparking a Lynn-Avon counter-attack, one which saw Moorwood and Yallop combine to present Kete with a shooting chance. The striker's attempt took a deflection off the retreating Abby Erceg, which allowed Yates time to reposition herself and avert the danger as Kete chased after the ricochet. Unperturbed, the feisty front-runner wasted little time in involving herself in Lynn-Avon's next attack, a 56th

Priscilla Duncan thwarts Sarah Gregorius Hayley Moorwood wins an aerial duel with Rebecca O'Neill Hannah Wall crosses in front of Katie Hoyle Emma Kete races past Jamie Hackett as Briony Fisher beats a hasty retreat Leanne Tiffen finds herself the centre of the attentions of Kirsty Yallop and Amber Hearn Liz Milne holds off Sarah Gregorius (17) Renee Leota shields from Hayley Moorwood

minute raid which saw Hoyle and Kete combine to present Hearn with a glorious chance to open the scoring. One-on-one, just Yates to beat, a gimme, surely! The pre-Arsenal Amber Hearn would have put this away with her eyes closed, but while she has returned home a more complete all-round player, it's at the expense of that killer instinct in front of goal … Hearn's scream of despair, as she saw her first-time shot hit the side-netting, left all present well aware of her frustration. This sparked a spell of Springs' ascendancy, culminating in the form of some goalscoring opportunities - three in ten minutes, to be precise. Wall was at the heart of the first two, breaking down the right before crossing for Leanne Tiffen on the first occasion. Under pressure from Hoyle, she failed to do justice to the service afforded her by her full-of-running team-mate. Wall kept on running again in the 65th minute, this time as Hackett found herself the meat in a Lynn-Avon sandwich on the edge of the penalty area. As she went down, in nipped the youngster to lash a low shot goalwards, with Cox equal to the task this time. Sixty seconds later, Springs had their best chance thus far to break the deadlock, Leota sending Tiffen racing clear of all-comers through the inside left. The outcome was even more wasteful than Hearn's effort - from twenty yards, the ball careered well wide of the target, much to the striker's disappointment. It paled in comparison with that her team-mates felt twenty minutes from time, as Lynn-Avon's best move of the match brought the scoreboard operator into play for the first time. Moorwood was the instigator, picking out Hearn on the left with a lobbed pass. From there, the striker fired over a deep cross which sought and found Percival racing up in support. She steered the ball back into Yallop's path, and from twenty-five yards, she picked out a beauty, her low drive arrowing past an unsighted Yates and in off the far post to open the scoring. You have to go back to April 2005 to find the last occasion Lynn-Avon drew a game on home turf, but parity was what Western Springs required now if they were to retain their season-long unbeaten league record. Eight minutes from time, they got it. Inevitably, Duncan and O'Neill had a hand in proceedings, but when Wall crossed from the right, there appeared to be little hope of a Springs equaliser resulting. Leota had other ideas, however, and launched herself into a full-length diving header which resulted in the ball arcing skywards at the most oblique of angles. What goes up must come down, of course, and no goalkeeper known to mankind and Martians alike had a prayer of keeping this ball out, its awkward trajectory taking it well over the heads of all-comers but just under the crossbar en route to the far corner of the net. For a second, there was stunned silence - no-one, not even the scorer, could quite believe their eyes. But Leota's look of disbelief swiftly transformed into one of delight as she was engulfed by her jubilant team-mates, who knew full well the relevance of that 82nd minute goal meant. They were just minutes away from putting one hand on a trophy which hasn't graced a trophy cabinet other than those possessed by Lynn-Avon United and Three Kings United since 1994! In the minutes which remained, Lynn-Avon did their level best to regain the advantage. Four minutes from time, they should have done so, as a misjudgement by Wood allowed Hoyle's cross to pick out Percival's darting run in behind the defender. Yates twice foiled the Football Ferns fullback, parrying both her efforts before Erceg and Wood combined to thwart Percival's attempt to turn the ball home a third time. This resulted in a Springs' counter-attack which saw the wonderful sight of Young Ferns striker Rosie White back in full flight once more as she bore down on goal, free at last of the knee injury which has sidelined her throughout the season. A timely tackle by Sam Selwyn curtailed her progress, and prompted further Lynn-Avon raids. But either side of O'Neill heading past the post following a Milne free-kick, Yallop and Hearn shot tamely at Yates, and when referee Waldron blew the final whistle after adding some five minutes of stoppage time, the body language of the respective squads spoke volumes. As Springs celebrated, United players slumped to the ground in a combination of hurt pride and undisguised disappointment - not a sight Western will greatly appreciate, given they stand between Lynn-Avon and the National Women's Knockout Cup, the final of which takes place at North Harbour Stadium from 1pm on Saturday. That is their Cup Final. This fixture served that purpose for Western Springs, and while they are ninety minutes away from clinching their maiden Northern Premier Women's League crown, the three-point advantage they held going into this match, allied to its outcome, means that the Keith Hay Homes Cup is set to grace a new home this summer. Lynn-Avon:     Cox; Percival, McCahill, Humby, Carlisle (Selwyn, 59); Gregorius, Moorwood, Yallop (booked, 83), Hoyle; Hearn, Kete (booked, 57) Springs:     Yates; Fisher, Wood, Erceg; Wall, Duncan, O'Neill, Milne, Tiffen; Leota (booked, 90), Hackett (White, 78) Referee:     Nick Waldron