Claudelands Rovers kicked off their 2012 Lotto Northern Premier Women's League campaign on a winning note on 1 April, but will be disappointed with certain aspects of their performance as they overcame a plucky young Three Kings United side 5-3 at Keith Hay Park. Rovers began in the manner they intended, tearing into their inexperienced but exuberant opponents from the outset. It took just 140 seconds for their first shot at goal to materialise, Olivia Chance and Rachel Porteous combining to send player-coach Helen Collins dashing through the inside right channel, from where she fired narrowly over the crossbar. That proved to be a range-finder for the former Junior Fern, for in just 45 seconds inside the next four minutes, she had afforded the visitors a two-goal lead. The first was classic route one football, with Naomi-Beth Carter's raking clearance allowing Collins to dash through Three Kings' rearguard and finish deftly beyond the advancing Corina Brown. Straight from the kick-off, Porteous intercepted a pass and promptly sent Collins racing between two defenders. Brown parried her effort this time, but couldn't take the pace off the shot, which bounced into the net behind her - 2-0. At this stage, a rout looked likely, with Chance going close five minutes later. She scooted down the left before whipping in a swerving cross which clipped the crossbar, as Claudelands maintained their early pressure. Libby Williams was next to threaten for the visitors, working a one-two with Tessa Leong before letting fly from twenty yards. Brown, who had barely met any of her new team-mates prior to kick-off, and was still familiarising herself with the names of the back four during the match, saved this fourteenth minute effort solidly. United offered their first attacking threat five minutes later. Jasmine Pereira's pressure earned a throw-in, which Hannah Robert directed to Stephanie Eaton, who worked her socks off throughout proceedings. She steered the ball into Pereira's stride, but Carter was out quickly to save at her feet. Normal service soon resumed, with Rovers carving out a trio of chances in the next six minutes. Kate Loye fed Chance, who beat three players before whipping in a low cross to the far post, where Leong, sliding in, was just six inches away from turning it home. Next, Alex Shadbolt and Kylie Jens teamed up, with the latter playing in Chance down the left. Her measured cross to the far post found Collins steaming in, but from three yards, she somehow skied the ball over the bar - definitely a finish not found in the coaching manuals! Rovers' twin terrors on the left flank linked up again in the 25th minute, Jens' pass allowing Chance to sweep past three opponents before picking out Leong with another pinpoint delivery to the far post. The striker directed her volley straight at Brown, who would have stood no chance had the ball gone either side of her. United were next to threaten, in the 29th minute. Pereira pounced on a loose ball and skipped past three opponents before picking out Martine Puketapu with a cross which saw the striker's shot parried at full stretch by Carter. Kate Carlton nipped in to clear the danger and prompt a Rovers counter-attack, with Chance leading the charge. She got the better of the fast-retreating Pereira down the left before picking out Collins with her cross. The striker steered the ball into the stride of Loye, whose volley fizzed narrowly past the far post. After Loye and Williams had combined to present Chance with an opening which Brown did well to save, the home team dragged themselves back into the contest in the 34th minute. The key to the goal was some terrific tracking back by Georgia Brown, who had a debut to remember for all the right reasons. Her refusal to allow Collins get the better of her allowed the fullback to step in between striker and ball and retrieve another threatening situation deep in United's half. Hannah Hoeksema hooked the ball upfield after Brown played it back to her, and Pereira gathered the clearance and took on Rovers' rearguard at pace. She worked herself into a situation whereby she had just Carter to beat, and she duly took the ball past the prone 'keeper before tucking it into an empty net. Rovers appeared shell-shocked at conceding a goal in a game which should have been killed off as a contest long ago, but worse was to come for the visitors in the 41st minute, as Three Kings levelled the scores. Captain Kristen Molloy launched a counter-attack by clearing the ball to Pereira, who sent Puketapu haring through Rovers' rearguard to find herself one-on-one with the advancing Carter. The 'keeper was duly lobbed, but the goal was only awarded after referee Len Gattsche had consulted with

Helen Collins shields from Hannah Hoeksema Rachel Porteous evades Chloe Knott's challenge Olivia Chance assesses her options Kylie Jens prepares to pass the ball Kirsty Hayr on manoeuvres Georgia Brown clears her lines

his assistant, who had flagged for a foul which occurred after the shot had been fired. The goal was awarded - 2-2. Claudelands looked to restore the balance of power straight away, with Chance whipping over a quite superb cross for Collins - a virtual invitation to score. The striker guided her header over the advancing figure of Brown, but just past the far post, much to Three Kings' relief. There was little evidence of a half-time rev-up having been administered in the visitors' dressing room, but there was one player who clearly wasn't impressed with the way things were going, and in the 52nd minute attempted to do something about it in spectacular fashion. Chance nicked the ball off Georgia Brown half-way inside Three Kings' half, and proceeded to slalom her way through seven - count them! - challenges on her way into the home team's penalty area, where she promptly let fly at the end of a quite exhilarating run. Corina Brown produced a fine save to prevent the goal of the season issue from being resolved on its opening day! Seconds later, the goalkeeping Brown kept out a Chance piledriver after Jens and Collins had combined to play in their University of South Florida-bound team-mate, while Brown was again in action soon after, frustrating Leong after Loye had picked her out with a cross. After Carter had dealt with a tame shot from Robert, following an interchange between Chloe Knott and half-time substitute Steph Trowill, a wayward clearance by Rovers' 'keeper landed at the feet of Knott in the 61st minute. She evaded a challenge and let fly, forcing Carter to make amends for her error with a fine one-handed save low to her left. Seconds later, the ball was in the net at the other end of the park. Porteous caught Robert in possession, skipped past her rival and slipped Holly Nixon in behind United's defence, where she tucked home under Brown to edge Rovers back in front, 3-2. After Georgia Brown had swept past three opponents before sending a shot flashing over the bar, the visitors put the game beyond doubt with two goals in five minutes, both scored by Chance. Her first goal, in the 67th minute, saw Porteous and Nixon combine to break up play as United attempted to play the ball out of defence. They linked with Loye to set up Chance for an opportunity which she buried beyond Corina Brown, who was beaten all ends up by the wing wizard five minutes later. Nixon won the ball in midfield and fed Chance, who turned Georgia Brown before surging into the penalty area and smashing a shot across the 'keeper and into the net via the far post - 5-2. And Rovers weren't done with yet. Chance picked out Collins with another quality cross fifteen minutes from time which the striker volleyed narrowly over the bar from a tight angle, while Rovers' player-coach had one more chance to bolster their goal tally in the final minutes, only for Brown to save at her feet in a one-on-one situation. But the visitors, in between times, had been guilty of taking their foot off the throttle again, and United weren't slow to take advantage. Eaton and Georgia Brown combined to win the ball in midfield, with substitute Kirsty Hayr an integral part of what happened next. After playing the ball wide to Knott, Hayr moved up in support of her team-mate, and was perfectly placed to enable a one-two to be played, her return pass allowing Knott the space from which she delivered a cross which Carter misjudged. Jens also failed to clear the danger as Eaton and Brown challenged her, but the ever-reliable figure of Carlton was on hand to spare her side's blushes. Those of Jens didn't go away, however, for a stumble by the fullback in the 85th minute allowed Eaton to pounce and play in Trowill, whose rasping twenty yarder was tipped onto the bar by Carter. The young United team showed their potential two minutes from time with a super move which led to a richly deserved goal. Building from the back, Corina Brown played the ball to Molloy, who worked a one-two with Michelle Windsor before linking with Eaton. Her pass to Georgia Brown allowed the fullback to work a one-two with Trowill before dashing past two opponents on a surging run into the penalty area, from where she thundered a shot beyond Carter into the back of the net to crown a fine personal display with the best goal of an entertaining game won 5-3 by Claudelands. Three Kings:     C. Brown; G. Brown, Hoeksema, Molloy, Windsor; Pereira (Hayr, 46), Eaton, Kolose, Knott, Robert (Anthony, 77); Puketapu (Trowill, 46) Claudelands:     Carter; Williams, Carlton, Shadbolt (Hayes, 57), Jens; Porteous (Hansen, 79), Nixon, Loye; Leong (Coombes, 57), Collins, Chance Referee:     Len Gattsche