Reigning Lotto Northern Premier Women's League champions Eastern Suburbs held Claudelands Rovers to a 2-2 draw at Madills Farm on August 17, a result which did the title-winning prospects of either contender any good whatsoever. Yet it's one Rovers should have won at a canter. They absolutely battered Suburbs, but the under-strength title-holders somehow clung onto their opponents' coat-tails and secured an unlikely share of the spoils at the death. Both Helen Collins and Tessa Leong went close to opening the scoring twice apiece in the opening fifteen minutes as Rovers largely kept Suburbs penned inside their own half. Collins then set off on a great run towards goal, and was only thwarted by a timely challenge which re-directed the ball into the stride of Rebecca Brown. The former Suburbs player unleashed a dipping twenty-five yarder which crashed against the crossbar, much to her former team-mates' relief. Seconds later, another driving run from the league's leading markswoman, this time down the left, culminated in Collins getting the better of Marlies James and firing in a low cross intended for Leong. Rachael Slocum blocked the ball, however, the first of a string of saves she was to produce which literally kept her team in contention. In between these efforts, referee Chris McDermott had delved into the box marked "obscure calls" and left eyebrows raised with a couple of decisions which went against Leanne Tiffen, despite the Suburbs player having clearly been fouled on both occasions. It wasn't the official's most memorable display, truth be told. Thankfully, the players of both sides more than made amends over the course of a memorable ninety minutes. Sound defending by Kylie Jens thwarted Melanie Gooch as she looked to mount a rare raid by the home team, after which normal service resumed - a red tide sweeping towards Suburbs' goal. Fullback Chantelle Laban linked with Leong on the right in the 22nd minute, with the striker's cross being headed narrowly wide at the near post by Michaela Foster, who featured again two minutes later after Laban and Collins had combined to pick out her angled cross-field run. Foster evaded a challenge then unleashed a cross which zoomed across the bows of the incoming Jeanette Adams. The resulting goal-kick was won on half-way by Kate Carlton, who set off on a swashbuckling run downfield, busting through challenges left, right and centre. That of Chelsey Wood brought her progress to a halt - inside the penalty area. Suburbs dodged a bullet as referee McDermott waved play on - Claudelands thought otherwise, not least coach Alan Witt, who was a rather animated and vocal figure on the sideline throughout proceedings. He certainly was in the aftermath of this call. Carlton reverted to a more traditional role in the 29th minute, that of attack launcher. She it was who sent Collins away down the right, running at James and turning her this way and that before engineering the space for an angled drive which careered narrowly past the far post with Slocum at full stretch. Emily Stotter - by her standards, a very subdued display - came to Suburbs' rescue two minutes later, diverting a twenty-yarder from Adams over her own crossbar after James had headed Foster's corner to safety. Collins took the resulting corner, and fizzed it right into the near post area. Slocum somehow kept it out, then looked on as James and Collins contested a near post cross from Leong. The defender got the vital touch, but the officials deemed the ball had come off Collins - "goal kick", a call which amused both striker and stopper, who were still having a chuckle over it when Slocum took the resulting set-piece. It didn't go too far downfield, for Leong promptly sent Collins spearing through the inside right channel while the speedster raced forward in support herself. That run proved highly fruitful for Claudelands, for once Collins' progress had been curtailed, she sought a team-mate … Leong arrived bang on cue and fair belted the ball past Slocum into the roof of the net - 1-0, and given Rovers' dominance of proceedings, a richly deserved and long overdue goal at that. Two minutes before half-time, Slocum was perfectly placed to deal with Collins' twenty-yarder, after Jens' timely interception - Suburbs had been pursuing a swift equaliser - had culminated in the fullback sending the striker surging through the middle. Another such run from Collins sparked the second half into life just two minutes after the resumption. She got the better of James before rifling a fifteen-yarder at the target. Slocum parried the shot, and recovered in time to prevent Leong from pouncing on the rebound. Two minutes later, Leong sent one sizzling narrowly over the bar from just outside the area. Slocum's resulting goal-kick was poor - straight to Collins, of all people. The striker promptly beat the 'keeper all ends up with her drive, only for the post to come to Suburbs' rescue. This was real Lotto ticket territory - on another day, this would have been Rovers' sixth goal at least! They were so dominant it wasn't funny! Had they not scored before the interval, it would have gone down as the most one-sided scoreless forty-five minutes of Northern Premier Women's League football played in many a moon! But they did have a goal to show for their efforts, and were denied a second in the 51st minute as Slocum smothered a Collins shot after James had thwarted Leong's progress towards goal initially.

The reigning champions quite literally hadn't fired a shot in anger up to this point in time, with Rovers' goalkeeper Emily Hanrahan as much a spectator as those of us watching this title contenders' tussle from numerous spots around the ground. She was a spectator still when Suburbs equalised - out of nothing - in the 52nd minute. A free-kick was awarded some thirty-five yards out from goal as the home team embarked on a rare sortie into Rovers' half. James enjoyed scoring her first goal in over two years seven days ago that, having reacquired the taste, she wanted more. Godfathers, how she delivered - an absolute thunderbolt of a set-piece which, from the moment it left her boot, never looked like missing. Hanrahan stood not a prayer as the ball soared over all-comers before crashing in off the far post - 1-1. Claudelands couldn't believe it! They had totally dominated the game to this point, yet found themselves on level terms as a result of one of the finest free-kicks you'll see this season - it really was a stunning strike! So they set about restoring the advantage on the scoreboard they had taken so long to establish. Half-time substitute Tayla Christensen was first to fire a shot in anger, albeit a poor one, the ball sailing over the bar due to poor technique - Christensen was leaning back when she let fly, and there's only one direction the ball is bound to head in when that happens! Adams then sliced an effort past the post after being set up by Collins, before Suburbs mounted something of a revival, inspired by Emily Cooper. Her touch in controlling the ball in the 64th minute was exquisite, while her subsequent ball forward invited Tiffen to try and flick the ball home at full stretch. She couldn't get enough purchase on the ball, however, meaning Hanrahan's first save of the match would be as comfortable as her second - she greedily grabbed a James free-kick seconds later. Jens decided it was time to inject herself into the match as more of an attacking weapon at this point, and Claudelands' next three attacks were all instigated by their tigerish number four. In the 66th minute, she beat Tiffen to the ball and promptly fed Christensen, whose pass inside invited Collins to let fly. Slocum saved well at her near post, then tipped a twenty-yarder round the post at full stretch following Adams' drive three minutes later, Jens, Collins and Christensen all having contributed to an attack which Wood so nearly thwarted with a timely intervention. Eighteen minutes from time, Jens sent Collins spearing through the inside left channel, from where she saw her angled drive turned across the face of goal by Slocum. No-one in a red shirt was following in on this occasion, but within seconds, that mattered not one whit. Laban stripped Becky Hawker of possession on the left and instantly supplied Leong with a pass which she took on in her stride. Her cross to the far post found Collins lurking with intent, and while her first well-struck effort was splendidly blocked by Slocum, the striker reacted quickly to volley home the rebound and restore Rovers' lead, seventeen minutes from time. Suburbs rallied, Hawker and Gooch combining on the left four minutes later. The latter wriggled her way through and unleashed a cross-shot which Hanrahan dived over. Much to Rovers' relief, the ball carried on across the face of goal, with Tiffen a stride away from being in position to slide the ball home on the far post. Back came Claudelands, keen to kill off the contest once and for all. Leong outpaced Harriet Steele and James on a run down the left before picking out Collins with a cross which presented the Football Ferns striker with a great chance. Cooper's sterling defensive challenge did just enough to put Collins off, however, allowing Suburbs to breathe again. How vital that challenge proved to be became evident two minutes from time. Indeed, it was Cooper's interception which sparked off the move resulting in Suburbs' dramatic late equaliser. Gooch was the first beneficiary of the defender's intervention, and she promptly brought Steele into play - the substitute was visibly struggling with injury, but her willingness to put team before self was just seconds away from gaining its reward. Steele's pass picked out Tiffen, who turned on the ball and promptly chipped Hanrahan from twenty-five yards. The 'keeper got her hand to the effort, but couldn't keep it out, much to Suburbs' undisguised delight - a 2-2 draw they hadn't even remotely looked like securing was now theirs, much to Claudelands' chagrin. On another day, the champions would have been dead and buried long before the final whistle, but the point they earned from this clash means that they now share the league lead with Forrest Hill-Milford United, "The Lilywhites"' opponents in their last two games of the campaign. Given all the injuries and absences they've endured this season - they had ten players out for this game alone - it's a minor miracle that they're still in title contention! Claudelands are three points further back, with a game in hand on the team which somehow denied them all three points in this encounter, although in truth, their profligacy was ultimately the visitors' downfall. How didn't they win? Suburbs:     Slocum; Wong (Steele, 41), Cooper, James, Wood; Tiffen, Stotter (McLeod, 80), Manak, Hawker, Kraakman; Gooch Claudelands:     Hanrahan; Laban, Carlton, Williams, Jens; Leong, O'Connell, Brown, Foster (Christensen, 46); Adams (booked, 85), Collins Referee:     Chris McDermott