Reigning Northern Premier Women's League champions Lynn-Avon United were held to a 2-2 draw at Madills Farm on July 23 by an Eastern Suburbs combination earning their first-ever point in matches against the title-holders. It may yet prove to be a crucial outcome in the destiny of the title race, because Lynn-Avon now hold a share of the lead with Three Kings United, but trail their arch-rivals on goal difference, despite having played one game more. Had Suburbs not started the season so sluggishly - a draw with Western Springs and a loss at Claudelands Rovers were the outcomes of their first two games, this result could well have meant a three-way title race was on the cards going into the final weeks of the campaign. Indeed, Sue Taylor's side would still have been in contention had they won this match. But their failure to do so has, ironically, rendered them a mathematical chance at best with just four games to play. It wasn't for the want of trying, however, although they had to withstand a fair few concerted onslaughts from Lynn-Avon before emerging with a point from this closely fought contest, one in which the home team was never headed. United started off like the proverbial house on fire, Kirsty Yallop catching Grace Vincent in possession in midfield and threading a pass through for Sarah Gregorius. Ginny Tan hurtled off her line to clear the danger, but only as far as Rebecca Parkinson, whose twenty-five yard chip was greedily grabbed by the retreating goalkeeper just twenty-six seconds after the game had kicked off. The visitors continued to impose themselves on the early exchanges, and in the sixth minute, engineered an opening which saw Yallop and Ria Percival combining, the latter curling an inviting cross just across the bows of the marauding Hayley Moorwood, as she ghosted in behind Janet Groves in her efforts to score. When a goal came, as one did in the sixteenth minute, it was much to the delight of the home team, especially the goalscorer. Concerted pressure from Marlies Oostdam throw-ins on the left saw Lynn-Avon yield a corner, which Flora McLeod flighted into the near post area. Former New Zealand women's international Michele Cox was making her first start for Suburbs following her deadline day transfer, which ended a seven-year hiatus from Northern Premier Women's League football for one of the legendary players of the New Zealand women's game. While Lynn-Avon stalwart and fellow Kiwi legend Terry McCahill welcomed the fact that her old club and representative team-mate's presence meant she wasn't the oldest player on the park, she and her team-mates didn't relish the sight of Cox swooping at the near post to power home a header which concluded Suburbs' first attack of consequence in the manner they most coveted. The setback stunned Lynn-Avon, and for a few minutes, the champions looked rather rattled - understandably so, given this was just the second time this season they had found themselves trailing on the scoreboard. It didn't quell their attacking thrusts, however. Straight from the resumption, Yallop and Dana Humby combined to release Percival down the right. She outpaced Oostdam before whipping in a low cross which just needed a touch. Parkinson was a stride too late in arriving to provide it. Five minutes later, Cox dispossessed Parkinson in midfield and slipped the ball to Natalie Davies, who executed a sumptuous pass for Rebecca Tegg to pursue. Stephanie Puckrin, alert to the danger, raced off her line smartly to thwart it. Lynn-Avon's attack of nervousness was settled in the best possible manner in the 29th minute. After Jenny Carlisle had sent a twenty-five yarder curling wide of the target, McCahill gathered the ball inside her half and awaited a run into space before delivering the appropriate pass. Moorwood duly provided it, and upon receipt of the ball, played a neat one-two with Sarah Gregorius for delicately chipping the advancing Tan from twenty-five yards to level the scores - 1-1. That served as the cue for the visitors to pile on the pressure for the remainder of the half, but Suburbs stood firm. Humby sent Percival down the right in the 33rd minute, and after eventually getting the better of Oostdam, she picked out Gregorius with a cross. Her downward header was perfectly directed, but Tan flew cat-like to her right to paw the ball out, then pounced on the rebound before Gregorius could react. Three minute later, Carlisle played Percival through the offside trap with a fine pass, which left the youngster one-on-one with Tan between her and a goal. The `keeper prevailed, reaching the ball a split-second before Percival, who hit the ground hard following their collision. The pitch on which she landed was far from conducive to good football - it has deteriorated markedly within a couple of months, and proved to be a secret weapon for Suburbs on the stroke of half-time. Before this incident, Tan made a couple of vital saves, punching a Parkinson cross off the head of Yallop in the 38th minute, then diving to her right to greedily grab a Percival volley, after a Humby corner hadn't been cleared. Cue a neat move featuring Yallop and Parkinson on the stroke of half-time, with the latter slipping Gregorius in behind the defence to leave the speedster one-on-one with Tan to beat. This time, the 'keeper was beaten as the striker did everything right, only for the ball to strike an uneven patch of turf and rear up

Melissa Ray (LAU) Marlies Oostdam (ESubs) Ria Percival (LAU) Michele Cox (ESubs) Hayley Moorwood (LAU) and Grace Vincent (ESubs) Jenny Carlisle (LAU) edges Rebecca Tegg (ESubs) in an aerial duel Kirsty Yallop (LAU)

on her as she was in the act of shooting. Gregorius deserved better than to see the ball fly wide. The second half had barely commenced when Cox and Davies combined to release Tegg down the left. But after checking inside, the league's leading goalscorer's shot drifted across the face of goal. Seconds later, Cox, who was soon to depart the fray with a wrist injury, delivered an inviting cross into the danger zone. It was now Melissa Ray's turn to suffer from a vicious bounce, the ball rearing up and striking the defender on the arm in the penalty area. Suburbs screamed for a penalty, but referee Harold Duimstra wasn't having a bar of their claims, much to Lynn-Avon's relief. The visitors' disturbed state was still evident, however, and when the usually unflappable McCahill gets caught up in the disorder, you know they've got problems. In the 51st minute, she directed a clearance against Yallop, with the ricochet allowing Tegg to race between the pair of them and scamper through. She skipped around the recovering figure of Ray, only to find Puckrin saving well at her feet. Seconds later, Lynn-Avon wobbled again, with Tegg denied once more, this time looking on as her shot on the turn inside the penalty area was blocked. It was the closest Suburbs were to get for a twenty-minute spell, during which the visitors opted to utilise attack as their best means of defence, and duly began pressing for a goal. In the 54th minute, Melanie Hansen played the ball forward, and a glancing header from Parkinson redirected the attack, allowing Percival to steal in behind the retreating figure of Janet Groves. The U-20 international made a bee-line for goal, and was in the act of shooting when Oostdam made a fabulous covering tackle to deny the opportunity. Long-range efforts from Yallop and Carlisle tested Tan over the course of the next ten minutes, while in the 68th minute, a Humby free-kick was pawed out by the goalkeeper, but only as far as Gregorius. She drilled her shot into the crowded goalmouth, where it cannoned off Carlisle towards the target! But Vicki Chong was on hand to clear off the line. Three minutes later, the third goal of the game was scored, and again it was Suburbs leading the celebrations. Gooch went down with seemingly minimal contact in a challenge just outside the penalty area, a position tailor-made for the set-piece prowess of Oostdam. But the home team produced a rabbit out of the hat, with former Lynn-Avon player McLeod rattling the ball home off the underside of the crossbar from twenty-five yards out on the angle to put Suburbs 2-1 in front. Talk about a red rag to a bull! For that is effectively what Suburbs' goal was to Lynn-Avon, who were now chasing the game, and who were being urged to do so by their usually calm and collected co-coach, Dene Gilmore - such was the visitors' indifferent form at times in this game that even he got caught up in proceedings as the prospect of a second defeat for United loomed large on the horizon. It wasn't to be, however, as Lynn-Avon threw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at Suburbs in an effort to get the two goals they now required to win. Tan turned a twenty-yard grasscutter from Yallop round the post, before denying Gregorius as Moorwood looked to pick her out with a cross. After another Yallop effort had come to nought, Lynn-Avon got the equaliser six minutes from time in controversial circumstances. Yallop was on the charge when the retreating figure of Tegg got in a timely tackle which diverted the ball out of play for a corner. The offside flag was instantly raised, but after checking with his assistant, referee Duimstra awarded that the corner stand. It was duly taken and cleared, but only as far as Humby, whose curling effort was pawed away by Tan, only for the `keeper to look on in horror as Carlisle loomed into view to prod home the equaliser. 2-2, and Lynn-Avon weren't finished yet. They continued to pound away, and in the 86th minute, thought they'd secured the winner. Ray - United's most consistent performer on a day when they generally lacked that commodity - played the ball forward to Moorwood, whose delicate back-heeled pass released Percival at pace down the left. The speedster's cross was cleared to Moorwood, who, from twenty-five yards, unleashed a screamer which was destined for the top far corner of the net. But Tan proved equal to it, launching herself to her right to produce a magnificent finger-tipped save over the crossbar to maintain parity. Seconds later, Humby and Moorwood combined for Percival, who had just Tan to beat and did so, only to lift the ball over the advancing `keeper but wide of the mark. The same player was denied the winning goal by the offside flag in stoppage time, then sent the ball searing over the bar as United threw everything at their rivals. But time was their enemy, and referee Duimstra's final whistle brought an end to an entertaining game between two of the heavyweights of New Zealand women's soccer, the 2-2 outcome a result which delighted Suburbs, and one which left Lynn-Avon acknowledging that their bid to win a record seventh successive Northern Premier Women's League championship is now reliant on other results going their way. Suburbs:     Tan; Hui, Groves, Chong; Gooch, Davies, Cox (Brown, 52), Vincent, Oostdam; McLeod, Tegg Lynn-Avon:     Puckrin; Humby, McCahill, Ray, Hansen (Allen, 78); Percival, Moorwood, Carlisle, Yallop; Parkinson (Selwyn, 56), Gregorius Referee:     Harold Duimstra