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12/07/98
Three Kings Rock On As Records Roll
by Jeremy Ruane
Three Kings United’s relentless pursuit of the Bluebird Northern Premier Women’s League title continued unabated on July 12, the league leaders producing a record-shattering display as they mercilessly swept aside West Auckland 19-0 - yes, that’s right, nineteen - at Keith Hay Park.
The West Auckland side, by their own admission, came with the sole objective of learning from a team they readily acknowledge as being far superior to them. Learn they did, but they certainly didn’t intend to play an active role in the rewriting of Premier Women’s League history!
That, however, was their fate, as Three Kings ruthlessly went about the task of surpassing the former Premier League record score of 17-0, recorded on no less than three occasions by the Eden “Invincibles” of 1987. What’s more, United’s 19-0 triumph equals the club record score set in 1996, in a knockout ties against Oratia United.
Michele Cox scored a club record eight goals in that match, and was on the scoresheet in all three of those 1987 routs. And, after volleying an early opportunity over the top, she started the ball rolling in this affair, the ninth minute move germinated by her trademark forty yard pass which switched play to Pernille Andersen on the left. West Auckland’s attempts to block her cross succeeded in directing the ball into Cox’s path, the captain stroking home in confident manner.
Exactly sixty seconds later, Beth Clark smashed a volley into the far corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. Having released Renee Brookland on the left, the striker moved forward in support of her overlapping team-mate, whose cross was blocked by West’s defence. The ball fell perfectly for Clark - 2-0.
The third goal of the game came two minutes later. Jane Simpson gathered the ball on the right, and sent Maria Wilkie forward at pace. Having missed two earlier opportunities, the speedster was keen to make amends, and opened her account with an exquisite angled chip over the unfortunate goalkeeper and in off the far post - arguably the goal of the game!
There were numerous other candidates for this prize, however, none were forthcoming in the next eight minutes, as Simpson and Wilkie both spurned opportunities to score the fourth goal. Andersen showed them how it was done in the 21st minute, however, latching onto Cox’s through ball before weaving her way through the defence and finishing with
nonchalant ease.
The Dane’s next strike, six minutes later, was cheekiness personified. Cox and Simpson combined to provide the striker with the ball on the edge of the area, and three challenges were brushed aside before she charged into the goal area and slipped the ball past a bemused goalkeeper.
Clark headed her second, United’s sixth, in the 29th minute, on receipt of an inch-perfect cross from Cox, the captain, despite the ball being in open play, being allowed a good six seconds in which to assess the situation, tee up the ball then deliver the sphere. (Just as well it was accurate!!)
Three minutes later, Clark, with her sights set on claiming her first hat-trick of the season, let fly from twenty yards when team-mates were better positioned nearer the target. One of them was Wilkie, and the sight of the ‘keeper parrying the ball between her legs was all “Speedo” needed to close in for the kill - 7-0.
Two minutes later, Wilkie became the first player in the game to score a hat-trick,. Cox’s inviting cross wasn’t dealt with by the defence, and the striker needed two attempts to force the ball home. The ’keeper parried her first effort, but Wilkie wasn’t to be denied her first ‘three’ of the year.
Andersen (twice) and Wilkie had chances to enhance the score still further before the interval, but 8-0 it remained until the 47th minute. After Tarah Cox had been denied by the ’keeper, Andersen sent Brookland away down the left. She returned the ball inside to Andersen, whose flick sent the ball onto Clark. To say she gleefully thumped the ball home for her hat-trick is something of an understatement!
Andersen spurned a grand chance two minutes later, but made amends before a further two minutes had elapsed. Tarah Cox sent her on her way, and two defenders plus the ‘keeper later, Three Kings were into double figures for the fifth time this season, with three hat-trick scorers to boot.
The overworked ‘keeper denied Andersen soon after, but the league’s leading goalscorer was soon released down the left by a superbly weighted Brookland pass. Andersen cut in and drew the ‘keeper before squaring the ball across for Wilkie, who slid home number eleven in the 55th minute.
Brookland struck a richly deserved goal in the 58th minute, culminating a Cox sisters’ - inspired raid by curling the ball over the ‘keeper and just under the bar from the edge of the penalty area - a stylish finish, well in keeping with Three Kings’ play generally.
By now the SWANZ Cup holders were really turning on the style, fluid passing movements emanating from all over the park. Helen Exler cast aside her defensive duties and joined the attack in the 62nd minute, throwing the ball into Andersen, whose sharp turn and low cross picked out Michele Cox on the edge of the box. The ‘keeper stood nary a chance - 13-0.
Right from the restart, Andersen gained possession and set off towards goal. She virtually ran right through West Auckland’s beleaguered line-up before slotting the ball home, much to Clark’s annoyance. “Right, Skalle, that’s it. I’m not running any more!!”, she said, having been up in support of her team-mate from go to goal.
Marlies Oostdam’s perfectly struck 66th minute corner engineered goal number fifteen for Three Kings, with Tarah Cox celebrating in a manner in which French fans were to copy inside the next twenty-four hours. At least they had good reason to do so - “TC” had succeeded in the far less demanding task of bundling the ball over the line from a yard out! C’est la vie!!
Two minutes later, the toils of Simpson on the right were rewarded by the sight of Clark walloping home Three Kings’ sixteenth goal of the game, the scorer’s fourth.
Within moments, Michele Cox attempted to add her name to the list of hat-trick scorers in the match, sending a searing drive just past the upright after Wilkie had created the opening with a burst of speed on the left. Had she netted ... well, can you remember the last occasion when hat-tricks were scored by four members of one team in a premier grade soccer match?
The sight of Andersen being sent sprawling in the box in the 73rd minute saw much discussion amongst Three Kings’ ranks as to who would take the penalty, their recent strike rate in this aspect of the game not being what it could be. Captain Cox initially volunteered, but with Oostdam eagerly racing forward, to her went the honour, and United’s search for a spot-kick specialist may now be over - 17-0, the record score in Premier Women’s League soccer having been equalled with this strike.
Michele Cox then hit the post, while the ’keeper twice saved from Andersen in the next twelve minutes, and Oostdam fired wide, as Three Kings went all out for the record. It came in the 86th minute, and Andersen had the honour of scoring the goal, pouncing on a stray pass before rounding the last defender and drilling the ball unerringly into the bottom far corner of the net.
Not satisfied with eighteen goals, United pressed forward in search of further reward. Michele Cox played the ball through for Clark in the 88th minute, and the ‘keeper parried her cross. Andersen reacted like lightning, smashing the ball into the roof of the net to complete the scoring.
Unbelievably, Andersen missed a golden chance to notch number twenty in the last minute, having been slipped through by Michele Cox. The ‘keeper did well to foil Andersen, standing her ground when one-on-one with a striker who has now scored 37 goals in the league, one goal more than that mustered by any other team in the competition!! How impressive is that?
19-0 it finished, though, this record-breaking performance ending on a bit of a sore note for Three Kings, with Diane Exler a little the worse for wear after thwarting a late West Auckland raid - the visitors, to their credit, forcing both a corner and a save from Michelle Hodge as they pressed for a consolation strike in the last ten minutes, a time by which most teams, in their position, would have long thrown in the towel.
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