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31/08/04
Universities Provide Cup Finalists With Ideal Tune-Up
by Jeremy Ruane
Uncle Toby’s Women’s Knockout Cup Finalists, Three Kings United, were provided with the ideal tune-up ahead of Sunday’s showdown with arch-rivals Lynn-Avon United, when overcoming NZ Universities 5-2 at Bill McKinlay Park on August 31.
With many of the players on the park backing up having played in the Universities encounter with the NZ national team twenty-four hours earlier, there were a few sore legs by the end of this match, but both teams came through the ordeal without any noteworthy injury concerns.
In the early stages of the first half, Three Kings looked like a team which hadn’t played together for a couple of weeks, and Universities were quick to endeavour to capitalise on their opponents’ familiarisation process, Jen Kendall going close inside the first two minutes with a free-kick which United’s second-string goalkeeper, Puataata Savage, dealt with capably.
After United had retaliated through Zoe Thompson, who sent a low cross-shot zooming across the face of goal upon being released down the left by Sarah Gibbs, the students made a couple of promising raids which foundered before they got to within shooting range. When a shot was next fired in anger, however, it was a succession of them at the other end of the park.
Rebecca Sowden sparked things off with a ninth minute free-kick from twenty-five yards which Fern Feaver fumbled. Sarah Ropati followed in, but directed her angled shot across the face of an open goal.
Two minutes later, Maia Jackman and Ropati worked an opening on the right, with the former firing in a cross for Hannah Rishworth. Her touch on presented Thompson with a chance, but Feaver blocked superbly at close quarters.
The ‘keeper was in action again three minutes later, Gibbs and Thompson having combined on the left, with the latter outgunning Kendall for pace before firing a low cross to the far side of the penalty area, where Jackman was lurking. Feaver hurtled off her line and prevented United’s captain from shooting, and the low cross delivered into the goalmouth was cleared by the covering Tess Murphy.
Universities opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute, a result of a blunder by Dana Humby. She was caught in possession by Renee O’Neill, who swiftly steered the ball inside to Jamie Hackett. Spotting Savage off her line, the striker unleashed a twenty-five yarder which arced over the retreating ‘keeper’s head and into the back of the net.
This served to sharpen Three Kings’ performance up considerably, and within four minutes, the old firm of Feaver and Murphy were doing the business once more to thwart Thompson and Jackman respectively. The goalkeeper then saved well at the feet of Ropati, who was hotly pursuing a through ball from Sowden.
In the 28th minute, United drew level, with Gibbs and Sowden working an opening on the left for Ropati. She still had plenty to do, but the young striker did it with aplomb aplenty, evading a couple of challenges before calmly slipping the ball wide of the advancing Feaver and into the far corner of the net.
Within seconds, United were roaring forward once more. Petria Rennie played the ball high for Jackman, whose splendid header sent Thompson racing through on goal, the defence in her wake. Her rising twenty-yard drive beat Feaver all ends up, only for the crossbar to come to the students’ rescue.
Murphy took the full brunt of a Ropati cross at point-blank range on the half-hour, a blow which left the former Auckland age-grade rep gasping for breath momentarily. She recovered fully, but not before another Three Kings raid which featured Rishworth, Ropati, Jackman and Thompson, the last-mentioned turning Janelle Cameron sharply before drilling a low shot across the face of goal.
An error by Rennie presented Universities with a chance to wrestle back the lead in the 35th minute, with Hackett pouncing on the ball and unleashing a clever curling effort which would have found most ‘keepers wanting. Savage was nearly among them, but somehow managed to scramble across her goal and turn the ball away at her near post.
The resulting corner was cleared by United, only for Ropati to literally hand the students another scoring opportunity, two yards outside the penalty area. Hackett directed her free-kick over the crossbar, when a curling effort into the top near corner of the goal was begging to be executed.
After Sowden had sent a free-kick over the bar, Three Kings took the lead four minutes before half-time. Ropati and Jackman linked well on the right, with the latter delivering a superb first-time cross which had Universities’ defence at sixes and sevens. Gibbs was in amongst them, and controlled the ball before neatly
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tucking it past Feaver to conclude the half on a scoring note.
Universities looked to draw level straight from the kick-off, with the work of Liz Pearson and Hackett on the right going unrewarded when Kendall’s twenty-yard effort found Savage right behind it.
United’s response was to score twice in a three-minute spell, the first of the brace, scored in the fiftieth minute, being a gem of a goal, a flurry of first-time passes which opened up the Universities rearguard with bewildering precision.
Rishworth, Vicky Butterworth, Humby, Gibbs and Sowden were the surgeons in charge of the operation, the last-mentioned’s slide-rule pass through the heart of the defence allowing Thompson to race through and round Feaver before walking the ball into the net.
Within two minutes, a defensive error saw Gibbs send Thompson haring through once more, only for Feaver to foil the striker on this occasion. But Thompson wasn’t to be denied a second goal, and in the 53rd minute, was sent clear by Kim Rowney’s free-kick, as Universities’ defence went missing, presumed having a good time!
In the space she was afforded, Thompson certainly was, and Feaver was left rooted to the spot by a classy finish from the striker, Three Kings’ third goal in twelve minutes affording them a 4-1 lead.
Universities came close to reducing it in the 57th minute, Pearson prevailing in a ding-dong go with Rowney, with those present afforded a grandstand view as it took place right in front of the dugouts. Pearson played the ball forward to the impressive Hackett, who curled over a cross for Michelle Cooper.
With Three Kings defence’ having taken a leaf out of their opponents’ books - missing, presumed … etc., Cooper poked the ball past Savage, only to have her moment of glory snatched away from her by the well-performed Abby Erceg, who scampered back to clear off the line.
But the students weren’t to be denied a second goal, and Savage’s inexperience - she picked up a back-pass from Humby - presented it to them in the 61st minute. Murphy - another solid performance - touched the indirect free-kick to Hackett, who fair hammered the ball into the top far corner of the net from fifteen yards with venom aplenty. 4-2, and how!
Humby had been itching to make amends for her role in Universities’ first goal, and when the opportunity presented itself to redress the balance in the 69th minute, she grabbed it with both hands. Joining the attack, she linked neatly with Sowden before steering a low cross into the heart of the six-yard box.
Thompson touched it wide of Feaver, and the ball appeared set to creep over the line before Jackman hurtled in to make absolutely certain of Three Kings’ three-goal cushion being restored.
Straight from the kick-off, Universities raced down the left, led by the impressive Mariah Meagher. She linked with Leanne Tiffen and Cooper, who crossed to Hackett. Savage stepped in to deny the striker a hat-trick, as what turned out to be Universities’ last attack of note petered out.
Fifteen minutes from time, Sowden picked out Jackman with a fine pass, and her resulting driven cross saw Thompson, Murphy, Feaver and the ball arriving simultaneously at the near post. The defender prevailed on this occasion.
Three minutes later, Butterworth just failed to make contact with a Sowden free-kick, before the striker’s twenty-yard volley was foiled by Feaver. Two wayward efforts from Jackman followed, before Ropati headed narrowly wide on the far post following Butterworth’s flicking on a Gibbs corner.
Miss of the night honours went to Butterworth, two minutes from time. Rennie and Jackman combined neatly on the right, with the latter seeing off a couple of challenges before getting in behind the Universities defence and presenting her team-mate with a goal on a plate.
The carpark was in greater danger of being hit than the back of the net by Butterworth’s effort - it was woeful, unlike the match, which was a most entertaining affair and served the purposes of both teams very well indeed.
Three Kings: Savage; Erceg, Rennie, Humby, Rowney; Jackman, Sowden, Rishworth, Gibbs; Thompson, Ropati Subs: Butterworth, Dale
Universities: Feaver (Hogg, 85); Harris (O’Keefe, 46), Murphy, Cameron (Light, 53), Meagher; Pearson (Kennedy, 72), Kendall, Bourke (Hansen, 76), Tiffen; Hackett, O’Neill (Cooper, 46)
Referee: Trevor Bradford
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