A last-gasp winner from midfield general Kate Loye put Lotto Northern Premier League leaders Claudelands Rovers on the brink of winning the title for the second time in four seasons on August 16, as they edged out Eastern Suburbs 4-3 in an enthralling encounter at Mt. Albert Grammar. What made the game was Suburbs' fightback. They trailed 3-0 after twenty-seven minutes, pegged it back to 3-2 by half-time, then drew level on the hour mark to set up a barnstorming final half-hour in which both goalmouths survived numerous scares until "The Lilywhites" line was finally breached again as the game entered stoppage time. Claudelands couldn't have got off to a better start if they'd tried. Just three minutes into the contest, Michaela Foster's corner to the near post saw attempts by both Loye and Issy Coombes blocked, but they didn't have long to wait to open the scoring. Inside the next sixty seconds, Helen Collins gathered possession and sent a delightful through ball into the stride of Paige Satchell, who exploited Emily Derlin's kamikaze charge from goal to the full, slipping the ball past the advancing 'keeper, who had got her angles all wrong, to open the scoring. Derlin redeemed herself somewhat two minutes later with a fine save, as Rovers pushed for a second goal at the expense of a shell-shocked Suburbs side, who were unhinged on this occasion by a lovely move featuring Libby Williams, Satchell and Collins, whose lay-off invited Loye to let fly from fifteen yards. Derlin tipped her rising drive over the bar. Suburbs worked their way back into the contest after this close call, but it was Rovers who were still calling the tune in an attacking sense, and in the twentieth minute only a fine tackle from Malia Steinmetz denied Satchell in the act of shooting, after Loye and Collins had combined to recycle possession following a headed clearance by Rebekah Van Dort. Foster's corner, resulting from Steinmetz's tackle, was headed out by Van Dort, but only as far as Loye, who squandered a glorious chance to double Rovers' lead when she snatched at her shot and sent the ball flying well wide of the near post - better is expected from you, my dear. That was poor by your standards, as well you know! Suburbs finally threatened as an attacking force in the 23rd minute, with Deven Jackson and Grace Jale combining to get the better of Williams. Jale then set off on a run which culminated in her working a one-two with Nicole Mettam before lashing a twenty-yarder over the bar. Rovers' response was clinical - they doubled their lead in fine style. From the resulting goal-kick, Collins gathered the ball on the left and set sail for goal, surging past both Erinna Wong and Van Dort before unleashing an unerring shot across Derlin and into the far corner of the net - 2-0. Suburbs were still reeling from this blow when they fell even further behind three minutes later. Rovers earned a corner, which Foster delivered into the danger zone. Jale's attempt to head clear succeeded only in heading the ball against her own bar, and when it dropped down, Loye was "Johnny-on-the-spot" a yard out from goal - 3-0. At this point in proceedings, it would have been perfectly understandable for anyone present to think "That's it, game over, it's Rovers' title to lose". They were well on top, and having scored two goals in three minutes, the threat of more seemed imminent. And more goals were imminent - but it was Suburbs who scored them! Straight from the kick-off, Jackson darted through the middle of the park before picking out Jale ahead of her. The tall teenager had work aplenty to do, as is to be expected when confronted by the formidable pairing of Football Ferns defender Rebekah Stott and, in Kate Carlton, a central defender whom many - this writer among them - consider well worthy and fully deserving of the chance to represent her country at the highest level, were the powers that be to consider "stepping outside the square", so to speak. Neither Rovers rearguard sentry stood a prayer re what Jale had in mind, however. Her blistering twenty yarder careered past Adams en route to the back of the net, which bulged emphatically - 3-1. A consolation goal? Not on your life, mate! That goal rattled Rovers as sure as earth tremors challenge the nerves and test the patience of Cantabrians, and it wasn't too long before the alarm bells were ringing loud and long. They didn't quite drown out the near-constant stream of advice Suburbs coach Paul Marshall was delivering to his charges, nor the sideline comments which twice prompted referee Johanna O'Connor, at the players' request, to request a general toning down of remarks by the gathered throngs in the vicinity of the technical areas. Sure enough, during this period Suburbs thrived on the uncertainty of their opponents, who found their advantage reduced to just one goal five minutes before a half-time interval which couldn't come quickly enough for Rovers. It was the same duo which created the mayhem, too. Jale and Jackson caused chaos on the edge of Claudelands penalty area before bringing  Nicole Mettam into play. She let rip a dipping twenty yarder which hit the bar, bounced down and struck the back of the diving figure of Adams before ricocheting into the net - 3-2. Aye, aye, what's going on here then? Was this the same match we were watching fifteen minutes ago? It certainly was, but it wasn't the same Claudelands side - they were spooked in a big way, and they came desperately close to conceding an equaliser in the shadows of the half-time whistle. Jade Parris, who was to depart the fray early in the second half with a lower leg injury, took a corner which was cleared back to her. The resulting cross arced towards the far post, towards which Jackson

was charging, only a stride or three away from being in position to turn home the unlikeliest of first half equalisers. Yet the half could well have ended with Rovers restoring their two-goal margin - only a superbly timed tackle from Van Dort, deep inside her penalty area, prevented Collins from striking once more after she had latched onto a Loye pass and left Wong in her wake. The second half was just three minutes old when Satchell gave Leah Mettam the runaround and fizzed in a cross to the near post. Van Dort's clearance ricocheted off Collins, who was lurking with intent, straight to Derlin - another let-off for "The Lilywhites". Parris' unfortunate injury - it's apparently muscular in nature - paved the way for Maisy Dewall to enter the fray. As introductions go, hers was "outrageous, darling"! But quite what Adams was doing immediately prior simply defied logic. The sight of a goalkeeper attempting to dribble past a striker is not one designed to maintain a coach's calm demeanour. Anything but! Sure enough, the blood pressure of Rovers' gaffer, Alan Witt, swiftly went through the gears as Adams' actions, most kindly described as reckless, put her team in trouble. She managed to get away from Jale's clutches, but promptly directed her clearance straight to Jackson. She wasted little time in squaring the ball to Dewall, who spent less time still in smashing it past the recovering figure of Adams and into the far corner of the net from twenty yards. 3-3 - a scoreline no-one would have anticipated after Rovers had gone three-up just over half-an-hour earlier, but one which Suburbs' stylish recovery fully merited. And it set up a barnstorming final half-hour in which both teams went all out in search of a winner. Rovers were first to threaten, a brilliant jinking run past four players by Satchell in the 65th minute culminating in a low cross which begged a finish to do the supplier's work justice. Sadly for the visitors, no-one in a red shirt was on hand to supply the finishing touch. Four minutes later, Eileish Hayes hammered a volley past the post following a cleared Loye free-kick, which was awarded after Collins was fouled just outside the penalty area. Still Claudelands pressed, Loye again at the heart of the move - if she doesn't win the Lotto NPWL Player of the Year award this year, she is going to go mighty close to doing so, make no mistake! On this occasion, her lofted ball forward was misjudged by Wong, inviting Foster to feast on the opening afforded her. She duly took on Van Dort, at which point Collins stepped in, only to shoot straight at Derlin. The home team continued to press also, with Jale central to much that was good about their play. But the absence of Parris was critical, as it meant the attentions of Carlton and Stott were now largely directed towards containing the number nine alone, rather than a twin strike force which has come on in leaps and bounds as the season has progressed. As a result, Adams was rarely called upon in this frantic final thirty minutes of play. The same cannot be said for her opposite number, with Derlin in the thick of the action right up until the final whistle. Nine minutes from time, Stott lobbed a free-kick towards Loye, whose first-time touch invited Collins to go for goal. Van Dort headed clear, however, but only as far as Loye, who strode onto the sphere and unleashed a full-blooded volley which careered past the post at a fair old rate of knots. Collins then beat three players before shooting straight at Derlin, with whom Foster collided as she poked the ball past her in the 87th minute. Van Dort was on hand to clear off the line, but the raised offside flag meant Foster's effort wouldn't have counted. Derlin certainly came off worse in their collision, however, and she was still feeling the effects of it as the game entered stoppage time. Foster fired a corner to the far post, where substitute Rebecca Brown cracked a volley goalwards. Both Wong and Derlin attempted to clear at their near post, but found themselves helpless to prevent Loye from squeezing home the winner between the Suburbs duo, although the goal wasn't confirmed until referee O'Connor had consulted with her assistant, the scorer having collided with the custodian in the immediate aftermath, leaving the 'keeper with another war wound to wear with pride. Suburbs' 'keeper produced a superb save in the remaining moments to prevent Foster from finishing things off in style for Claudelands, but when the final whistle sounded seconds later, the visitors celebrated their 4-3 victory in a manner befitting of champions-elect - the crown will surely be theirs for the first time since 2012 in seven days' time, when they entertain already relegated Fencibles United at Galloway Park. As for the beaten side, just as was the case in their recent ASB National Women's Knockout Cup quarter-final, such has been their progress this season that in twelve months' time, this will be a game Eastern Suburbs won't lose. There is an awful lot to like about this young side and their development as a team since the start of the 2015 season, and experiences such as this one will stand them in good stead for future campaigns, when disappointments of this ilk will be few and far between. Suburbs:     Derlin; Hawkins, Wong, Van Dort, L. Mettam (Bunge, 52); N. Mettam, Steinmetz, Jackson; Hand, Jale, Parris (Dewall, 58) Claudelands:     Adams; L. Williams, Carlton, Stott, K. Williams; Hayes, Loye, Coombes; Satchell (Brown, 69), Collins (Witt, 90), Foster Referee:     Johanna O'Connor