Eastern Suburbs came from behind to stun Three Kings United 4-2 at Madills Farm on April 18 in one of the best Lotto Northern Premier Women’s League fixtures you will see this season, make no mistake. What a battle royal! This was a terrific tussle from first whistle to last, with quarter neither asked for nor given as two teams hell-bent on victory went at it hammer and tongs from the very first whistle to produce a quite superb advertisement for women’s football. The first twenty minutes alone were simply breathtaking! Thrill, spills, saves, misses, goal-line clearances, thunderous tackles, enterprise aplenty … and all at relentless pace! The tone was set within ninety seconds of the kick-off, Grace Vincent and Claudia Crasborn careering into a challenge, possession of the ball the sole intention of both players. Sadly for the Three Kings midfielder, she was left requiring hospital treatment to her left foot - she returned to the ground on crutches in time to see the final minutes, but enough incidents to fill three men’s match reports had taken place in between times!! While United were down to ten men - Leah Tagaloa was preparing to come on - Vincent threaded a ball through for Brittany Dudley-Smith to touch into the path of Melanie Gooch, who set up Georgia Goulding for a shooting opportunity. Her first effort was blocked, while her second was pawed to safety by Aroon Clansey, back in action after recovering from a broken finger. She wasn’t the lone first starter for United in this match, with Emma Kete’s transfer clearance having finally materialised and Hannah Wall making her debut for the club, and almost marking it with a goal in the fifth minute - a fiercely struck cross-shot from way out which had Erin Nayler in two minds whether to catch it or leave it. She opted for the latter, and was relieved to see the ball fizz a mere yard past the far post. After Clansey had grabbed a twenty-five yarder from Vincent, Rebecca Tegg sent Dudley-Smith scurrying through Three Kings defence in the seventh minute to leave herself one-on-one with the ‘keeper. The Young Ferns star shot straight at New Zealand’s number two number one - a let-off for the visitors. Back came United, Wall’s work on the left culminating in a Nadia Pearl drive at Nayler in the ninth minute, to which Suburbs responded through Mariah Meagher and Dudley-Smith, who worked an opening on the right between them which culminated in a cross for Tegg. Michele Hogg intervened - was there a hand in there? - and cleared amid protests to Jessica Rollings, whose pace ensured a swift counter-attack was afoot. Libby Williams’ tame finish didn’t do justice to the winger’s enterprising play, but it gave Nayler the chance to reply in kind, Dudley-Smith the recipient of her clearance to half-way. Through she surged, outpacing all-comers before dashing into the penalty area, only to discover that Clansey brooked no argument when it came to dominating that particular domain - the ‘keeper saved at the striker’s feet. Clansey’s clearance sent Rollings racing down the right again, and her cross picked out Williams beyond the far post. Her shot was headed off the line by Sara Lovitz, straight to Tagaloa, whose thirteenth minute snapshot prompted a fine reflex save from Nayler - she tipped the ball over the bar. There was no let-up to the pace at this point - it was furious, and the action breathless, so much so that there was scarcely time to note what had occurred when another incident took place. It was that sort of game. Meagher and Gooch - she got through a truckload of work throughout proceedings, tracking players here, there and everywhere while still fulfilling her attacking duties - began to build a Suburbs raid from deep when Wall swooped like an eagle on unwary prey and instantly picked out Rosie White with a first-time cross. The striker brought the chest-high cross down superbly, controlling and turning in one movement to completely wrong-foot Jessie Verdon and engineer the space from which she unleashed a twenty-yard bullet which Nayler got down well to her right to parry. Lovitz completed the clearance, with Pearl’s resulting corner being cleared to Vincent - she had a super game. On this occasion, Goulding was the recipient of a made-to-measure pass from the playmaker, but saw Clansey save her shot with her legs. The rebound went straight back to Goulding, but Chelsey Wood was on hand to thwart her progress. Clansey then smothered an eighteen-yarder from Gooch after the striker had dithered upon receipt of the ball following an interchange between Goulding and Tegg, who got into a ding-dong go with Kristy Hill soon after which left the striker nursing a sore head, and afforded all present a chance to catch their breath while she received treatment. With Suburbs back to their full compliment, it was fasten your seatbelts time again - there was no let-up whatsoever in the intensity. Dudley-Smith led the first charge of note which created a scoring opportunity, skipping past Hill en route to the penalty area, where the Football Ferns defender’s lunging tackle saw her tackling air - the Young Ferns striker was simply too quick for her. Dudley-Smith’s cross was blocked by the covering figure of Wood, with Lisa Kemp’s resulting corner seeing Clansey climb high amidst all-comers to punch clear - the ‘keeper’s distribution throughout the first half was nigh on exemplary. (Guess who’s been watching Pepe Reina in action?) Cue another Suburbs raid, Vincent its architect this time, on the right. Her cross was flicked on by Tegg into the path of Dudley-Smith, whose low shot beat Clansey but crept narrowly past the post. "The Lilywhites" pressed again seconds later, Evie Millynn’s shot being blocked by Wall, off whom the ball ricocheted into open space. The defender gave chase, but Vincent had a three-stride advantage, and was able to use it to play the ball back for Meagher, whose tantalising cross was not done justice to by Goulding’s wild finish. Three Kings responded with the best move of the match so far, a one-touch seven-player interchange five minutes before half-time which was ignited by Hill, and also involved Pearl, Williams, Wall, Kete, White and Rollings, who checked inside before unleashing a fierce drive which Nayler parried, then gathered as Tagaloa homed in on the rebound. Tegg is always a threat in these encounters, and had more reason than most to break the deadlock in this spectacular affair, given she kicked off the match just four goals shy of her 100th goal in Premier Women’s League football - a milestone realised by a mere handful of players in the competition’s 38-year history. But Suburbs’ captain saw Dudley-Smith in a better position to open the scoring three minutes before half-time, and duly sent her young team-mate through, Hill her lone obstacle. The defender didn’t appreciate what had happened a few minutes previously, and this time dealt with the situation superbly, although Dudley-Smith was still able to retrieve the ball after Hill’s tackle and whip in a cross-shot which Clansey smothered at her near post. Right on the stroke of half-time, the deadlock was broken by an unlikely source. Pearl curled in a corner which Suburbs failed to clear, and Wood gathered the ball just outside the penalty area before letting rip a rocket which zoomed past the despairing dive of Nayler en route to the far corner of the net - 1-0 Three Kings, scored by a former Suburbs player to boot. The half-time whistle gave all present the chance to take stock of easily the best forty-five minutes of football seen so far this season. Could it possibly get any better? Not to put too fine a point on it, yes - big-time! Within 85 seconds of the resumption, both goals had survived close calls. Straight from the kick-off, Three Kings earned a right-wing throw-in which Tagaloa flicked on to White, whose curling effort from the edge of the penalty area crept inches past the far post. Nayler, with the prevailing wind at her back in this half, pounded the ball downfield to Tegg, who brought

Jessica Rollings (TKU) and Lisa Kemp (ESubs) tussle for possession Melanie Gooch (ESubs) has grown a pair of legs! Hannah Wall (TKU) Emma Kete (TKU) shields from Mariah Meagher (ESubs) The controversial 70th minute "goal" Nadia Pearl (TKU) Grace Vincent (ESubs) swerves away from Libby Williams (TKU) Goalscorers Chelsey Wood (TKU) and Brittany Dudley-Smith (ESubs) The winning goal - the ball is in between Aroon Clansey and Hannah Wall (TKU) Rosie White (TKU) and Georgia Goulding (ESubs)

the best out of Clansey with a thirty-yard thunderbolt which the ‘keeper finger-tipped at full stretch round the post. Kemp’s corner was cleared back to her, but she had Pearl on her case before she could blink. The long-time Glenfield stalwart jinked this way and that before finding Goulding in a crowded penalty area in the 48th minute. "Georgia!" was heard loud and clear right around the ground, and the midfielder swiftly laid the ball back into the path of the caller. Vincent strode onto the sphere and sent it arrowing first-time into the far corner of the net from twenty yards - Clansey got her fingertips to it, but there was no way this one was staying out, much to the delight of a deserving celebrant. Unperturbed, Three Kings began to produce some lovely controlled possession play, and over the course of the next five minutes hemmed Suburbs inside their own half. Rollings and Tagaloa posed the first threat, and while Gooch cleared their cross from the right, she succeeded only in picking out Wall, whose through ball sent Kete scampering clear. She lashed her shot on the run at the target, only for Nayler to produce a fine parried save. But the spin on the ball was such that it continued towards goal, with Kete and Tagaloa in hot pursuit. In between them was Verdon, and she won the race to clear from beneath her own crossbar. The danger wasn’t over, for within seconds, Pearl had picked out Tagaloa, whose deft lay-off allowed White to charge towards the target at pace. She hit a piledriver which levelled Lovitz, the defender slumping to the ground after being struck square in the solar plexus by the ball, which White promptly latched onto again and smashed goalwards. The ball cleared the target by a yard at most, allowing Lovitz the chance to recover her senses and return to the fray once more. Her first task was a vain attempt to stave off another Rollings-led raid, Pearl, Williams and Wall also contributing before Nayler stepped in to cut out the cross which had Tagaloa as its target. Suburbs’ ‘keeper sent the ball careering downfield, and off down the left went Goulding, outmuscling Hogg before slipping the ball into the stride of Dudley-Smith. Her cross for Millynn was well anticipated by Williams, who cleared for a corner which Dudley-Smith promptly planted on the head of Meagher. Wall headed her effort off the line by the post. Hill was next to deny the home team, the defender stepping in to deny Gooch after Vincent and Goulding had prised open United’s left flank. But there was no denying Tegg on the hour mark - Suburbs’ skipper hit a snorter from fully thirty yards which sailed beyond Clansey’s despairing dive into the net to give "The Lilywhites" a 2-1 lead. Three Kings were absolutely stunned, and this swiftly turned into a burst of indiscipline borne by frustration. The precocious White was guilty of a couple of rash challenges which were a tad out of character by her standards, while referee Pat Zhang pulled up a few infringements which, in another game, might have gone unchallenged. Two such offences invited Vincent to unleash thirty yard free-kicks towards the target. And while her first effort fizzed past the post, the second brought the best out of Clansey, although the set-piece taker was kicking herself at having failed to direct her effort nearer either of the top corners of the net. In between these attempts, United had twice gone close to equalising. Rollings again led the charge on the first occasion, her through ball touched on by White into Tagaloa’s stride. The substitute, who turned 22 during the week, deserved better than to see Nayler tip her effort round the post on this occasion, while Williams went close seconds later, her shot deflected past the upright after Suburbs failed to clear a White free-kick. Twenty minutes from time came a moment of mayhem - the ball in the net, the ‘keeper prone, the officials uncertain, and depending on their kit colour, players protesting vehemently or celebrating wildly. Vincent’s aforementioned second free-kick had been turned over the crossbar for a corner by Clansey, and Kemp duly whipped in a wicked set-piece, right into the danger zone at the near post. Clansey approached the ball, as did Meagher, who leapt to head home just as the ‘keeper leapt to grab it. Head and gloves made contact with the ball at virtually the same time, with Meagher’s momentum giving her the edge. Into the net went the ball as Clansey slumped to the ground, while Meagher wheeled away in triumph, to the delight of her Suburbs team-mates. Referee Zhang looked across at his assistant and, upon receiving no contradictory signal, pointed towards the centre circle - 3-1 Suburbs. Three Kings were apoplectic, the sight of Clansey lying motionless in the goalmouth adding fuel to their ire, and substance to their protest. Heeding their calls, the referee went across and consulted his assistant, whose view of what had taken place had been obscured by players in front of the near post. The evidence provided by the prone custodian was compelling, however, prompting the official to change his decision - a defensive free-kick. Now it was Suburbs’ turn to vent their anger - "You can’t disallow a goal after you’ve awarded it!" To misquote Barack Obama, "Yes you can!!" And it’s true - providing play hasn’t resumed after making a decision, the official has the discretion to change it if appropriate. And as the photographic evidence of the incident later confirmed, referee Zhang’s ultimate decision was the right one. The lengthy stoppage for Clansey’s treatment allowed Three Kings to turn to their bench once more, and the newcomer was to make an instant impact upon the resumption of play. White led the charge in the 76th minute before linking with Kete who steered the sphere across the penalty area into the stride of Annalie Longo - not a bad player to have coming off the bench at any time, but particularly when her first touch of the match sends the ball soaring unerringly into the top left-hand corner of the net from twenty yards - 2-2! A grandstand finish was certainly in store now, one this game richly merited. And we got it! Just two minutes after Longo’s strike, Tegg replied in kind with an absolute gem of a goal. Controlling a pass from Vincent inside the "D", she swivelled and rifled a left-foot volley over Clansey and under the bar - 3-2 Suburbs. Surely Three Kings couldn’t come back again? They certainly tried to. A mere two minutes later, Williams pinged over a great cross from the left which Kete headed towards the target. Nayler smothered at the feet of the incoming White, whose frustration was tangible. It was even more so three minutes from time, as Suburbs finally broke United’s spirit. Hogg was off the field receiving treatment for a wrist injury when Dudley-Smith lined up a corner, and curled it over the heads of Clansey and Wall directly into the top far corner of the net. 4-2, and joy unconfined for a Suburbs team who threatened to go nap before the final whistle via two-goal heroine Tegg - a dipping thirty yard volley which was mere inches away from securing the eighteenth hat-trick of her prolific ten-year career in senior level football, during which she has scored 156 goals and counting. After six minutes of stoppage time, referee Zhang brought to an end a quite splendid contest between two teams who invariably seem to bring out the best in each other. And while the beaten Three Kings players slumped to the ground in despair, their joyous Eastern Suburbs were celebrating a first league win in five years over their cross-town rivals, who can ill afford many more defeats in their quest for play-offs which the victors are well on course to reach. Suburbs:     Nayler; Meagher, Lovitz, Verdon, Kemp; Goulding, Vincent, Millynn (Steele, 75); Gooch (McLeod, 90), Tegg, Dudley-Smith United:     Clansey; Hogg, Wood, Hill, Wall; Rollings, Pearl, Williams, Crasborn (Tagaloa, 5) (Longo, 74); Kete, White Referee:     Pat Zhang