Having been denied the chance to challenge for the Northern Premier Women's League title themselves by administrative issues, Western Springs put paid to Eastern Suburbs' championship ambitions at Seddon Fields on June 24, eclipsing the third-placed team 3-1 in another eye-catching exhibition of entertaining football. The game got off to an explosive start, with two goals in the first nine minutes. Indeed, just 84 seconds had elapsed when Springs opened the scoring. Grace Vincent was caught in possession on half-way, and Priscilla Duncan took full advantage. Eyeing Helen Collins' run through the inside left channel, the pick of a plethora of quality midfielders on show in this match threaded an angled twenty yard pass beyond the striker, inviting her to improve the angle of her run towards goal. Without breaking stride, Collins unleashed a first-time shot across Ginny Tan and into the far corner of the net - a superb strike, both in terms of conception and execution. Suburbs were stunned by this setback, and nearly conceded a second goal two minutes later. Maia Jackman - her most impressive display yet in her newly acquired full-back role - floated in a beautifully weighted cross for Rosie White to exploit. Sandee Hui stuck to her like glue, but the youngster continued on, only for Tan to save at her feet. Her clearance saw Michele Cox on the wrong end of a cumbersome challenge from Sarah Nelson, some thirty yards out from goal. Marlies Oostdam took the resulting free-kick, and Rebecca O'Neill's sliced attempted clearance gave Pam Yates a few anxious moments as it spun dangerously close to her right-hand post. After Duncan had unleashed a thirty-yarder narrowly past Tan's left-hand upright, upon receipt of a slick interchange between Jessica Rollings and Chelsey Wood, the home team found themselves on the back foot when Suburbs drew level in the ninth minute. Rebecca Tegg got the better of Duncan in a tackle on half-way, and Oostdam instantly played an early ball forward for Melanie Gooch to stride onto. She jinked past Jessie Verdon before chipping a beauty over Yates and into the top far corner of the net to equalise in style. Straight from the resumption, Jackman fed White, who jinked past two opponents before being scythed down by Allysha Johnson in the penalty area. Howls for a spot-kick fell on deaf ears, but the incident set the tone for a helter-skelter phase of play which continued, almost without interruption, for the remainder of the half. Crunching tackles, misplaced passes, perceptive interceptions, clever interchanges, players caught in possession … this was full-on, no-holds-barred, intensely competitive action which made for gripping viewing, as both teams went at it hammer and tongs while neither giving nor taking quarter. The level of intensity was such that mistakes were inevitable, and referee Harold Duimstra wasn't immune in this regard, either, as he endeavoured to keep a watching brief while letting the players get on with producing a cracking, cleanly fought contest. Chances were inevitable, too, and plentiful at that. In the nineteenth minute, Duncan played the ball wide to Rollings, who turned Eleanor Glenton inside out before scooting around her and drilling a cross-shot goalwards. Tan parried it, but Janet Groves was on hand to tidy up - she had a great game, despite the outcome. The danger wasn't over, however, as Duncan's resulting corner wasn't cleared by Suburbs. Collins swooped, only to stab the ball past the post. Back came the visitors, Gooch leading the charge in the 24th minute. She played the ball inside to Oostdam, whose deft back-heel speared through the heart of Springs' defence, leaving Tegg with just Yates to beat. On most days, you'd put your house on Suburbs' goalscoring machine adding to her tally, but had you done so on this occasion, goodbye house! Tegg, inexplicably, shot straight at the 'keeper, when scoring appeared the easier option. Cue a Springs retort, sparked by Jackman's darting run in from the right flank over half-way. She picked out Wood with her pass, and a deft ball into the path of the overlapping Verdon presented the full-back with the chance to fire in an angled cross. Tan spilled it straight to Collins, but as she let fly, Groves' despairing lunge diverted the ball over the bar. Cue another corner from Duncan, and a swivelling volley from White which Groves blocked. Another corner followed, with White's header being cleared off the line by Flora McLeod, who was soon taking a free-kick at the other end of the park. It was cleared to Glenton, who slipped Tegg into the penalty area. Again, the striker shot at Yates. On the half-hour, a Springs attack broke down, and Gooch gathered the ball near the centre circle inside her own half and surged forward. Ahead of her, Tegg was making a superbly angled run at pace through a spread-eagled Springs defence which deserved - and got - a gem of a pass into her stride. The quality of Gooch's delivery meant Tegg was through with just Yates to beat once more. This time, the `keeper stood her ground well and produced a brilliant fingertip save to turn Tegg's effort round the post. Vincent's corner was cleared, and Duncan instantly sparked a Springs raid, threading a ball through the inside right channel for White to exploit. She let fly,

Priscilla Duncan (Springs) and Michele Cox (ESubs) tussle for possession Maia Jackman (Springs) in full flight Rebecca O'Neill (Springs) races past Rebecca Tegg (ESubs) Allysha Johnson (ESubs) clears as Rosie White (Springs) closes Grace Vincent (ESubs) shields from Jessie Verdon (Springs) Michele Cox (ESubs) looks on as Chelsey Wood (Springs) heads the ball

only to look on with despair as Tan parried then smothered her shot. Four minutes before the interval, another rampaging run from full-back Jackman culminated in a cross which White cleverly flicked into Collins' path. The striker, with Groves and Hui challenging, fired narrowly wide. The final act of a riveting first half saw Vincent feed Gooch, who played a one-two with Tegg before blazing a shot past the post from ten yards. The initial stages of the second spell saw a continuation of the free-flowing action which had dominated the first forty-five minutes. The first chance fell Collins' way, five minutes in. Bursting clear on the right, she unleashed a low shot which went straight through the legs of Tan - how Suburbs survived only the `keeper can explain! Groves mopped up, and launched the ball forward for Tegg, who spun off Nelson and engineered the space in which to whip in a cross for Gooch. Yates' anticipation meant the striker never got the chance to exploit it. An instinctive twenty-five yard volley on the turn from Tegg caught Yates napping seconds later, however, and the goalkeeper was decidedly relieved to see the snapshot on the turn careering a yard the wrong side of the target. Yates was nearly caught out again on the hour, a result of Oostdam winning an aerial duel from her goal kick. Tegg received the ball and turned it into Gooch's path, the striker's lob arcing over the advancing goalkeeper and the crossbar as well. For all the action which this free-flowing affair was producing, the winner of the contest would almost certainly be determined by which of the midfield maestros would be first to take the game by the scruff of the neck and give it some much-needed direction. To some extent, Suburbs had already lost the initiative in this area of the park, having moved Cox away from the heart of the battle to a right flank role, to counter the in-roads being made by Rollings and Verdon down Springs' left wing. But with Oostdam off-song in this match, and Vincent toiling tirelessly for little reward, the way was open for Duncan to dominate proceedings as only she can. And sure enough … Ably supported by O'Neill, she commandeered the central midfield battle to turn the game Springs' way. Soon after Gooch's narrow miss, Duncan sent Rollings through the middle, and she turned the ball into Collins' path. With only Tan to beat, she fired wildly over the crossbar - a bad miss. The home team went in front half-way through the second half through a stroke of good fortune. Duncan played the ball wide to Verdon, who stepped forward before firing what shaped initially as a cross in the general direction of the penalty area. It worked out slightly better than that, for the flight of the ball completely deceived the out-of-position Tan and arced over her head to give “The Hoops” a 67th minute lead, and inflict a blow upon Suburbs from which they never really recovered. Not long afterwards, Tan was saving at the feet of Rollings, before, in the 73rd minute, Tegg was presented with a glorious chance to level the scores. Abby Erceg had been her usual accomplished self in central defence throughout proceedings, but on this occasion, she was caught in possession by Tegg. The striker wasted little time in exploiting the gaping hole in Springs' rearguard, and with Yates off her line, a goal looked odds-on. But incredibly, Tegg shot tamely at the goalkeeper once more, a miss which was to prove decidedly costly just four minutes later. Jackman instigated the move, her deft pass inside for O'Neill being dummied by the midfielder. The move completely fooled both Oostdam and Sarah Fuller, and allowed O'Neill to dart between them and latch onto the ball before racing towards goal. Tan saw the danger, but as she raced off her line, the Springs' midfielder calmly clipped the ball beyond her into the far corner of the net to wrap up a hard-earned victory for the home team. Suburbs weren't yet done with, as Tegg looked to prove in the 79th minute with her probing ball for Gooch. Yates raced off her line but sliced her clearance wildly, only for Erceg to mop up as the wild spin on the ball took it away from the visitors' goalscorer. Springs were denied another penalty five minutes from time when Melissa Tebay took a tumble in the area under the strong challenge of Johnson, while stoppage time efforts from Nadia Pearl and Wood warmed Tan's gloves, while Yates dealt capably with a Johnson effort in between times as what had been a cracking contest drew to a close. The home team's win lifted them to a share of fifth spot on the league table, but the bigger blow was dealt to Suburbs' hopes. Although third, they, like Springs, are now left with just the National Women's Knockout Cup to play for, but in Suburbs' case, their tie in the next round, against holders Lynn-Avon United, is decidedly more challenging than that facing last season's beaten finalists. Springs:     Yates; Jackman, Nelson (Fisher, 87), Erceg, Verdon; O'Neill, Wood, Duncan, Rollings (Tebay, 82); White, Collins (Pearl, 67) Suburbs:     Tan; Glenton (Brown, 55), Groves, Hui, Johnson; Cox, Vincent (Fuller, 75), Oostdam, McLeod (Moore, 86); Gooch, Tegg Referee:     Harold Duimstra