Eastern Suburbs and Three Kings United fought out a goal-laden Northern Premier Women's League battle royal at Madills Farm on May 15, with the home team prevailing 5-3 in what was unquestionably the game of the day between the second- and third-placed sides at the start of play. And it couldn’t have got off to a better start! In the third minute, Sandee Hui released Stacey Fraser with a ball over the top. Abby Erceg raced across to cover, but Fraser, instantly sizing up the situation as Ashleigh Cox strayed off her line, clipped a delicate volleyed lob over the ‘keeper and in by her near post - 1-0 Suburbs. United weren’t slow in responding. Nina Creedman sent a rasping cross-shot flying beyond the diving Ginny Tan’s far post two minutes later, while in the seventh minute, Erceg hit the side-netting with a free-kick. These were mere sight-setters for what happened in the eighth minute, as Mel Drumm threaded a first-time pass wide into Roseanne Cox’s path. Without breaking stride, the left-winger unleashed a screamer on the run from fully thirty yards which fair smashed into the top left-hand corner of Tan’s goal, the ‘keeper barely moving as the ball blurred goalwards. 1-1, and how! It was always going to be a game which promised goals at both ends, and it sure as heck delivered on that score (pardon the pun!), because after Flora McLeod had chanced her arm from long-range, Suburbs restored their lead in the sixteenth minute. Grace Vincent hit a gem of a low twenty-five drive which Ashleigh Cox initially held, then spilled, and before the ‘keeper could recover, Rebecca Tegg said ‘Thanks very much!’ After Tan had saved at the feet of the charging Roseanne Cox, Suburbs extended their lead in the twentieth minute. Amelia Wong’s crossfield ball was latched onto by McLeod, who threaded a first-time ball through for the hard-working Melanie Gooch to chase. She got goal-side of Therese Thyr and, after taking the ball on, sent it rocketing past Ashleigh Cox into the bottom far corner of the net - 3-1, and a deserved goal for Gooch, who ran herself ragged for the cause in this encounter. Three Kings’ heads dropped at this setback, but it wasn’t long before they were back in Suburbs’ faces, and causing problems galore. Anne Ormrod, on the half-hour, played a ball to Annalie Longo, who rounded Deb Gerrard before steering the ball back for Creedman. United’s captain skied this chance, but two minutes later, the visitors had halved the deficit. Betsy Hassett latched onto a loose ball in midfield and swiftly threaded a diagonal ball in behind Suburbs’ rearguard for Longo to pursue. Bobbie Moore was favourite, however, but got into a mix-up with Tan, leaving Longo to pick up the pieces and put them away into an empty net. Ormrod, racing in from an offside position, would have been responsible for the goal being ruled out had she touched the ball before it crossed the line. Referee’s assistant Mate Tolj - the game had three officials appointed to it, a fact widely acknowledged and appreciated by both teams - was well placed to declare the goal, however, and the score became 3-2 in Suburbs’ favour. The end-to-end nature of the game ensued, Suburbs imposing their greater physical presence and all-round experience on the youthful United contingent, whose run-all-day qualities had their aging opponents gasping for breath with twenty minutes still to play. Plenty happened before that time, however, with Marisa Smith and Creedman both going close for the visitors before the interval, either side of a wicked by-line turn and curling cross-shot from Vincent, which had ‘top far corner’ written all over it until Cox swatted the ball to safety. The second half was barely four minutes old when Suburbs restored their two-goal advantage. After Cox had thwarted a Vicki Chong drive, the goalkeeper was again guilty of racing out of goal when the need to do so was negligible. On this occasion, it created hesitance in Erceg’s reaction to a Vicky Butterworth through ball, and Tegg - who was fortunate to escape a booking for persistent first half infringements - didn’t waste any time in taking advantage of the situation. Beating the retreating Erceg to the ball, the striker sent the sphere past the stranded Cox towards the far post, where

Gooch was arriving on cue to make it 4-2. Again, United reeled, but again, they responded swiftly, Longo’s thumping twenty-yard volley through a crowded penalty area being splendidly saved by Tan, with Janet Groves mopping up the rebound, having reacted quickest to it. Tegg then slalomed through three challenges before slipping Gooch in, and while the striker outmuscled Erceg, beating Cox wasn’t so easy on this occasion. The ‘keeper cleared the danger, and promptly sent her young team-mates homing in on Suburbs’ goal once more, Ormrod slipping a neat pass through for Smith to take advantage of on the blind side of the defence. But as she lined up the shot, Vincent produced a splendidly timed challenge to avert the danger. On the hour, an Erceg free-kick struck Groves, with the rebound falling perfectly for Smith, who was beginning to make an impact on Suburbs’ flagging rearguard. This time, her shot on the turn was superbly saved by Tan. The same players eyed each other again two minutes later, but this time, the goalkeeper was left clutching thin air as a result. Showing great initiative, Hassett played a clever one-two of referee Graham Whitford to get the better of Chong and create space from which she could pick her pass. She chose Smith, and chose wisely, for the recipient sent the ball thundering into the top near corner of Tan’s goal - 4-3, and no sign yet of the goal-feast stopping. United’s pursuit of an equaliser was dealt a telling blow in the 66th minute, however, as Vincent - somewhat out of character for her, it must be said - badly mistimed a challenge and left Smith lying in a heap on half-way, her game over as a result. It meant a reshuffle for the hitherto unbeaten team, and while they were getting used to the enforced positional changes, Suburbs bagged a crucial fifth goal through Tegg, whose shot past Cox marked her fiftieth goal in Northern Premier Women’s League action. It was as well she scored it in the 68th minute, for the remainder of the match saw Suburbs largely on the back foot - their opponents were so full of running, you would have been forgiven they were operating on either Energiser batteries or even the national grid!! Time and again the yellow-clad Suburbs players were finding themselves second-best in contests for possession, as their youthful opponents simply kept on coming. Ormrod fired wide, then was edged by Tan in a race for a Hassett through ball twelve minutes from time. Seconds later, Creedman fired in a cross-shot which Tan turned over the bar, and from Cox’s resulting corner, Holly Jones directed a free header inches over the woodwork from six yards. Tan then thwarted Creedman once more, before Hassett sent Ormrod in on the left, and her low cross zoomed across the face of goal, no-one in a teal shirt on hand to capitalise. Five minutes from time, Tan produced the save of the game to spare the blushes of Moore, Suburbs’ captain having been caught in possession by Cox, who played a quick one-two with Ormrod before lashing the ball goalwards. Tan flung herself to her left to pull off a stunning one-handed save, turning the ball round the post. The ‘keeper was in action again soon afterwards, thwarting Ormrod, who, in stoppage time, scampered clear but drilled her shot across the face of goal. The speedster was unable to exploit her pace advantage to any great extent in this match, thanks largely to an intelligent positional performance in the sweeper’s role by Groves, and the dogged determination of Hui, who stuck to her task with gusto and generally had a great game. It was this pair, plus Tan, Vincent and the tireless Gooch, on whom United’s unbeaten record finally foundered, Suburbs’ 5-3 victory effectively keeping their title hopes alive, as they head towards the half-way mark behind Three Kings on goal difference, rather than by a significant points difference. Both teams, however, lie four points behind leaders Lynn-Avon, but have the advantage of a game in hand apiece. Suburbs: Tan; Moore, Groves, Hui; McLeod (Butterworth, 46), Chong (Parker, 79), Fraser, Gerrard (Davies, 46), Vincent; Tegg, Gooch Three Kings: A. Cox; Wong (Jones, 46), Thyr, Erceg; Smith (O‘Hara, 66), Longo, Drumm (Guthrie, 88), Hassett, R. Cox; Ormrod, Creedman Referee: Graham Whitford