Eastern Suburbs kept alive their hopes of a Lotto Northern Premier Women's League - NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup double at Porritt Stadium on August 25, overcoming Hamilton Wanderers 2-1 after extra time in an epic semi-final which itself would have been worthy of the grand stage in a fortnight's time. The tone of the contest was set inside the first five minutes, during which both teams had chances. A stray Corina Brown pass towards Rebekah Van Dort was pounced on by Grace Wisnewski in the second minute, with her snapshot flying narrowly past the post as a rather relieved goalkeeper looked on. Three minutes later, "The Lilywhites" mounted their first attacking threat, Leah Mettam whipping in a corner which was cleared as far as Ava Collins, who thrashed a drive over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Hamilton were on the attack again, with Emma Cawte - she had a monstrous game in midfield - linking with Wisnewski on the right. The Young Ferns' starlet delivered a delicious cross to the far post, where Kim Maguire soared salmon-like to execute the perfect downward header. The ball looked in for all money until Brown plunged to her right to parry it to safety - a stunning save, one reflected by the collective cries of the Hamilton hordes gathered behind the goal. The sound of elation turning to deflation in a nanosecond as cheers turned to groans was a wonderful aural backdrop to this moment in the match. Back came Suburbs, Hannah Pilley lashing a first time effort over the bar in the ninth minute after Tayla O'Brien had dashed down the left. The former Junior Fern led another raid six minutes later which culminated in Jade Parris letting fly, but her effort from distance gave Angelique Tuisamoa scant cause for concern. O'Brien was central to much of what was good from an attacking perspective for the visitors, and she it was who sent Pilley haring through the inside right channel in the seventeenth minute. But her progress was calmly cut off by the covering figure of Lilly Muspratt - an eye-catching display. Hamilton regained the ascendancy soon afterwards, but found penetrating Suburbs' rearguard - in which Van Dort was immense and Kate Carlton calmness personified - quite the challenge. From Chelsea Elliott free-kicks through attacking bursts by Wisnewski, very little progress was enjoyed, while Maguire earned the encouragement of the gathered throngs when going down under a Van Dort challenge deep inside the penalty area in the 27th minute. Referee Ashley Wilson didn't share their view that the New Caledonian's tumble merited a spot-kick, but was perfectly positioned to award the home team a corner on the half-hour, after Brown failed to gather Elliott's angled free-kick to the far post, where Helen Arjomandi was lurking, only to see her goalbound shot blocked by Van Dort. Suburbs' skipper blocked a Cawte drive following Maguire's subsequent corner to the far post, soon after which Pilley landed awkwardly after leaping in vain to meet a Mettam cross following a counter-attack by the visitors. Her day was done - ankle ligament damage the likeliest diagnosis - and on in her place came Annie Byrne, whom this writer, upon seeing the respective line-ups, had a gut feeling would play a major role in the outcome of the tie. (If only one could be as prescient when it comes to the outcome of the Lotto draw!) The newcomer was still getting up to speed when Parris should have opened the scoring in the 41st minute. Hannah Hoeksema and Collins prised open the home team's defence to send the striker through, but with the postage stamps gaping invitingly, she shot straight at Tuisamoa, and instantly knew she should have done better. On the stroke of half-time, Arjomandi put paid to Byrne's first involvement in the game with a timely intervention to prevent the newcomer from latching onto an O'Brien pass, concluding a first half which was as tight as it was tense, attributes which didn't relent throughout the second spell, which Suburbs began brightly. A concerted attack straight from the kick-off saw Arjomandi blocking an O'Brien shot, with Collins latching onto the rebound and inviting Mettam to deliver a delicious dipping cross which tempted Tuisamoa, who initially came for the ball but ultimately left it - wisely in the circumstances, as it was a hard one to judge, especially with Parris lurking with intent in the immediate vicinity. Soon afterwards, Mettam and Parris worked a one-two on the left which culminated in the fullback delivering a hanging cross which wasn't cleared. Byrne latched onto the ball and let fly, only for Muspratt to block her shot for a corner. The resulting Mettam set-piece wasn't cleared, and in the ensuing melee a Suburbs shot struck a Hamilton defender's hand, in response to which the visitors were up in arms as one, claiming a penalty. Referee Wilson was shaking his head, however - ball to hand, not deliberate handball. While Suburbs were disputing proceedings, Hamilton got on with the task at hand, clearing their lines and launching a counter-attack. Brown misjudged it, then compounded her error by losing her footing as she pursued the charging figure of Power, in the absence of fast-retreating defenders. The midfielder, taking full advantage though out near the corner flag, fired a cross into the goalmouth which only needed a touch to put the home team in front. But none was forthcoming - a huge let-off for Suburbs, who swiftly sought to make amends with a flurry of opportunities just shy of the hour mark. Parris pounced on an Elliott stumble, but lashed her twenty-yarder over the bar. Soon after, another Mettam corner wasn't cleared, inviting a Hoeksema shot which Tuisamoa saved well to her left. Then O'Brien unleashed a twenty-five yard curler which arced narrowly past the far post - "The Lilywhites"' knocks on the door were becoming increasingly persistent. Hamilton coach Steven Cox addressed the issue via a couple of substitutions, adding Lisa Evans and Grace Cox to the fray in place of Rachel Major and the unfortunate Maguire, whose cramping calves are playing havoc with her footballing potential - but for that ongoing problem, the ever-popular striker would regularly net double figures in the top league in the country every season, no question. The newcomers' presence helped to wrestle the advantage back towards Hamilton, for whom Arjomandi chanced her arm from distance in the 66th minute. Brown was right behind this attempt, while Van Dort and Carlton continued to repel the vast majority of attacks prompted by Muspratt, Chloe Henderson, Wisnewski and Cawte. Back came the visitors yet again, Mettam - a strong game down the left - surging to the byline before delivering a cross to the near post which O'Brien stabbed past the upright, soon after Tuisamoa had grabbed a Parris corner beneath her crossbar. Hamilton's response to these threats saw a Cawte volley from a Henderson corner cleared by Carlton, while the corner-taker pounced on a stray Collins pass in the 78th minute to send the ever-threatening Wisnewski on the charge towards goal once more. But a superbly timed tackle from the outstanding Van Dort stopped the striker in her tracks. Inspired by her captain's example, Erinna Wong - another in white to excel in this match - foiled a Power-led raid in the 79th minute, while Evans, after seeing a shot splendidly saved by the flying figure of Brown, delivered a cross which Wisnewski met with a flying header which sailed across the face of goal. The soundtrack of the game provided by the Hamilton fans behind the opposite goal accurately depicted the attempt's prospects, the rising sound in anticipation of a goal swiftly replaced by groans of disappointment. Both goals came under siege as the game entered the final ten minutes. O'Brien invited Mettam to deliver another cross, one which Hoeksema failed to control. Tuisamoa grabbed the ball and instantly launched a counter-attack - the long ball remained Hamilton's principle attacking weapon of choice, despite having, in Cawte and Henderson, players

who can inflict more telling damage via precise passes. On this occasion, Tuisamoa's clearance picked out Power, who played the ball inside to Wisnewski. She got the better of Carlton on this occasion, but not of Brown, who smothered the striker's low cross. With extra time looming large on the horizon, "The Lilywhites" mounted an 89th minute attack which finally broke the deadlock, Parris and O'Brien combining for Byrne to drill the ball home via the far post, although there was certainly a hint of offside about the goal. Suburbs' celebrations were manic, with all the outfield players converging on coach Mauro Donoso in the dugout, which was on Suburbs' side of half-way. Hamilton's players, meanwhile, were eager to attempt to redress the balance in what little time remained, and were ready to kick off … What happened next was one of the most bizarre sights this writer has seen (albeit via video footage long after the game's conclusion, as the writing of notes about Suburbs' goal was ongoing when what happened next unfolded) in four decades of following NZ women's football! With Brown the only Suburbs player in position, and Hamilton raring to go, referee Wilson blew his whistle to restart play, in doing so blotting his copybook on two counts. Firstly, he breached the spirit of the game. It's one of the unwritten rules of football that when play resumes following a goal, the scoring team should, by and large, be back in position, certainly at least physically, if not mentally. Suburbs weren't, on either count. They were still in celebration mode by their dug-out, antics which Mr Wilson should have made it his business to curtail in person - there was, after all, a game still to be completed, and not just any match, given a place in the Cup Final was at stake. Instead of spoiling Suburbs' party by personal intervention, Mr Wilson chose to do so by blowing his whistle to resume play - and in doing so made an even bigger blunder, an incident for which Wisnewski is also deserving of criticism. As the Suburbs players reacted in shock to the sound of the whistle to restart play, one of our 2018 Young Ferns' stars promptly kicked off and set sail for goal, Brown her lone obstacle, one she overcame by ramming the ball past the goalkeeper to level the scores less than sixty seconds after Byrne had struck what looked to be an almost certain winner for the visitors. But the equaliser shouldn't have stood. Indeed, Wisnewski shouldn't have been afforded the chance to take the ball beyond the centre circle, having committed the cardinal sin of not passing to a team-mate when kicking off to resume play. The elation-laden lapse in concentration the Suburbs outfield players were experiencing was clearly infectious, Wisnewski and the referee having caught the bug as well! While some will put the Hamilton player's actions down to youthful exuberance when faced with a solitary opponent to beat, the fact remains a New Zealand international, no matter their playing level, should know the Laws of the Game, in this case that relating to kicking off to resume play. So, too, all four match officials - Wilson, his assistants and the fourth official all stand guilty as charged on this lapse! As soon as Wisnewski touched the ball for a second time after kicking off, the whistle to which the Suburbs players were still reacting should have sounded once more, this time to award the visitors an indirect free-kick for a fundamental breach of one of the game's standard procedures. In the absence of the whistle being blown, a flag should have been raised, indicating the technical foul - one of the reasons linespersons are now labelled referee's assistants is to, as their title suggests, assist the referee in carrying out his duties. They didn't on this occasion. Needless to say, the Suburbs players were ropable regarding both the resumption of play and the awarding of the goal. Mr Wilson wasn't having a bar of their arguments, however - 1-1. Having won the game once, Suburbs instantly resolved to win it again. And they came desperately close to doing so in the eight minutes of stoppage time which were added at the end of the regulation ninety minutes. Cox blocked an O'Brien effort, but it was Elliott's foul on Parris just outside the penalty area which presented "The Lilywhites" with their best chance to regain the lead before an additional thirty minutes of play was called for. Parris picked herself up, dusted herself down, and uncorked an absolute gem of a dipping twenty yard free-kick which curled over the defensive wall and hit the crossbar. The rebound fell invitingly to O'Brien, who, with the last touch of the ball in regulation time, headed it agonisingly wide. To extra time we went, with Hamilton having already used their quota of substitutes. But it was the lone replacement Suburbs had made inside the ninety minutes who was to break the deadlock for a second time, in the 99th minute. Arjomandi misjudged Lucy Carter's ball forward, and Byrne, anticipating the opportunity perfectly, stole in behind her and stormed towards goal before battering a low drive beyond Tuisamoa and into the corner of the net - 2-1 Suburbs, and this time, there was no celebrating wildly with the coach! Cue an all-out assault from Hamilton in pursuit of a second equaliser. Maddi Ollington - what a stirring final thirty minutes she had! - rampaged down the right before linking with Cawte, who picked out Wisnewski with her 103rd minute cross. Brown was right behind this effort, and looked on with relief as Elliott's long-range attempt flew over the bar two minutes into the second spell, Cawte and Henderson having combined to engineer the opening for the centre-back, who had moved forward to add more oomph to the attack in the time remaining. The offside flag denied Wisnewski a second equaliser ten minutes from time, while after Parris had stung Tuisamoa's gloves with a twenty-five yard grasscutter, Hamilton mounted two last-ditch attacks in the final minutes as they sought an equaliser which would almost certainly prompt a penalty shootout. 'Twas not to be for the valiant home team, however. Ollington and Elliott linked with Wisnewski in the 118th minute, and while she got the better of Carlton, Brown bravely anticipated the striker's run and plucked the ball off her toe. Cawte then picked out Wisnewski with a measured pass which invited a shot on the turn from the striker, the game's final kick. Brown smothered the strike low to her right, and upon doing so, heard the sound of the final whistle being blown. Twas a tune which prompted a number of players to slump to the ground, some in despair, others punching the air with a mixture of delight and relief, all in exhaustion at the end of two compelling hours of semi-final football, an epic encounter in which both teams gave everything they had to give and more besides. A terrific tussle, with "The Lilywhites" advancing to a showdown with Coastal Spirit on September 8 in the NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup Final thanks to this 2-1 triumph over a gallant Hamilton side which has come a long way in a very short time, this being just their fourth season at this level of the game. This experience will stand them in good stead, just as Eastern Suburbs' 2017 Cup Final defeat will doubtless inspire them to go one step further this time round at the expense of the 2013 champions. If the Final is as intense and as dramatic as this tie, it'll be quite a match. Hamilton:     Tuisamoa; Ollington (booked, 105), Elliott, Arjomandi, Muspratt (Rose, 90); Cawte, Henderson, Major (Evans, 65), Power; Wisnewski, Maguire (Cox, 67) Suburbs:     Brown; Wong, Carlton, Van Dort, Mettam; Hoeksema, Carter, Collins; Pilley (Byrne, 35 (booked, 86)), O'Brien (Heath, 111), Parris Referee:     Ashley Wilson