SWANZ Cup 2008

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SWANZ Cup 2008

Record Eighth Triumph For Undisputed Cup Queens

by Jeremy Ruane

Lynn-Avon United recorded a record eighth National Women's Knockout Cup triumph on September 13, accounting for a feisty but ultimately outclassed Western combination 6-2 at North Harbour Stadium.

Fielding a starting eleven which, to a woman, has represented New Zealand at senior or age grade level in recent years, the hotly favoured Lynn-Avon combination set about the task of justifying that status as early as the third minute.

Hayley Moorwood, Emma Kete and Melissa Ray opened up Western on the left flank, with the last-mentioned angling a ball in to Amber Hearn. She turned it into Emma Kete's path, but at the vital moment, Mel Anngow stepped in to avert the danger.

But Western weren't present just to make up the numbers, and could well have taken the lead in the fourth minute of play. Aimee Phillips ran at the Lynn-Avon defence, who stood off and allowed her a clear passage into the penalty area, from where she let fly. Ashleigh Cox tipped her near post effort round the upright.

United's `keeper was in action again ten minutes later, grabbing the ball under her crossbar as Western's star turn, Rachel Oliver, lashed a twenty-five yard free-kick at the target.

Lynn-Avon were gathering a head of steam, however, and in the twelfth minute, Kete battled through two challenges to combine with Katie Hoyle and Jenny Carlisle, whose hanging cross picked out the unmarked Moorwood. Sadly for the midfielder, her volleyed finish flew well wide.

Unperturbed, the Football Ferns captain busted through a tackle just two minutes later, and surged on before slipping the ball to Hoyle. Her teasing cross found Sarah Gregorius hurtling in on the far post, but her volley flew over the bar.

Hoyle then stormed down the right two minutes later before whipping in a cross which Moorwood, again on the volley, sent fizzing narrowly over the crossbar.

Three minutes more elapsed before Hearn's determination won the ball in midfield, allowing Kirsty Yallop to employ Gregorius' services once more. Into the penalty area she stormed, only to see Oliver block her shot.

Western scrambled this opportunity to safety, but they were undone by an unlikely source in the twentieth minute. Hearn played the ball across to Moorwood, who allowed it to run on into the path of Melissa Ray, who was racing up from her full-back role.

A slick one-two with Kete later, and Ray found herself rampaging into Western's penalty area, the opposition defenders' startled expressions matched by the disbelief of Megan Andrew, who remained rooted to the spot as Ray approached and calmly slotted home between the goalkeeper and her near post for one of the easiest finishes in her career.

The Cantabrians were shell-shocked, and within two minutes, found themselves 2-0 down. Hoyle sent Kete clear of the offside trap near half-way, and the striker stormed downfield before meeting her match in Andrew. The `keeper parried her shot, but only into the path of Hearn, who, following up, headed home from close range.

Lynn-Avon suddenly had their tails up. Carlisle and Hearn combined to release Gregorius down the right, and her cross found Moorwood on the edge of the penalty. Andrew saved her 24th minute effort, then looked on with relief as Hearn's thirty-yarder crashed off the stanchion holding up the goal behind her.

After Hoyle and Moorwood had worked a tidy one-two which saw the former sting the gloves of Andrew, United made it 3-0 in the 28th minute. Kete set up Yallop for a shot which Andrew parried, and this time it was Hoyle who was following in to enjoy the plaudits.

The red tide kept pounding away at Western's beachfront. Gregorius picked out Moorwood who, crowded out, squeezed the ball through to Kete. Andrew blocked her shot, then was grateful for referee Anne-Marie Keighley's whistle as Hearn sent the ball thundering past her into the net, the striker adjudged to have fouled Anngow in the build-up.

Kete was next to go close, darting in and heading the ball over Andrew in the 35th minute. But the striker was unable to keep the ball in play on this

occasion, although her persistence was instrumental in Lynn-Avon's next opportunity, eight minutes before the interval.

Yallop picked out Hearn's head with a corner. Andrew parried it under pressure from Kete, with the ball spilling loose to Carlisle. Her shot was cleared off the line by Lauren Harkerss, seconds before Andrew hurtled out of goal to deny Hearn, as she raced after Yallop's ball through from midfield.

Western fired another warning shot across Lynn-Avon's bows in the 39th minute. Alice Pilgrim played the ball across to Leigh Alexander, in space on the left, from where she sent a twenty-yarder fizzing narrowly past Cox's right-hand post.

And after Andrew had saved with her legs from Kete, Pilgrim and Phillips combined with a right wing one-two which saw the latter pick out Bridgette Lawry with an angled cross. But the striker lacked the self-belief at the vital moment, and failed to capitalise on a situation which saw her with just Cox to beat two minutes before half-time.

The frequent finalists enjoyed the luxury of substituting two of their goalscorers at the interval, but it was Moorwood who was first to impact upon proceedings in the second spell, turning this way and that on half-way to completely deceive Harkerss before stroking a measured pass into Kete's stride and surging forward.

Kete played the ball back into Moorwood's path, and her shot ricocheted off Anngow to Yallop. United's captain's attempt was spilled by Andrew, but Western survived on this occasion.

Seconds later, Sam Selwyn, one of the replacements, played an angled ball forward which Kete flicked on. Dashing in behind the defence was Moorwood, who found herself with just Andrew to beat in the penalty area. But the midfielder squandered a glorious chance, Western's overworked custodian thwarting her at close quarters.

Lynn-Avon had more joy from the resulting corner. Yallop delivered it to the far post for Selwyn, whose shot was parried by Andrew. Carlisle was unable to turn home the rebound, while Selwyn's attempt to do so struck her team-mate square amidships.

Western scrambled the ball clear, but only as far as the other half-time substitute, Vicki Rainbow. With virtually her first touch of the match, she picked out a beauty from twenty yards - top corner, 4-0, and a delighted goalscorer who raced towards the United dugout to celebrate.

Just about everything United carved out during this phase of the match had Moorwood's paw-marks in close proximity - finishing aside, hers was the game's most eye-catching performance, with the oft unsung Gregorius and Kete also imposing themselves on the final in favourable fashion.

It was this trio who combined in the 58th and 61st minutes to produce United's next openings. The first of them saw Moorwood and Kete combine to release Gregorius down the right, the speedster leaving Rebecca West standing as she raced past her down the flank before picking out Kete with her cross. The striker poked the ball past Andrew but past the post as well.

Soon after, Moorwood threaded another pass through for Kete, who spotted Gregorius completely unmarked eight yards out from goal. How she contrived to shoot straight at Andrew, despite having the goal at her mercy … but for United's profligate finishing, this could easily have been a rout.

Finding themselves being given the runaround was not something which former New Zealand internationals Kelly Jarden and Rachel Oliver appreciated, and in the 62nd minute, they decided enough was enough. Their combination play culminated in a cross which substitute Dayna Napa fired narrowly over the bar.

Seconds later, Western were on the board. Phillips loomed large on the left and lured Cox out of goal before delivering a low cross. Both Carlisle and Terry McCahill failed to clear the danger, much to the delight of Lawry, who walked the ball into the net by the far post.

4-1 then, a setback from Lynn-Avon's perspective, to which they looked to respond swiftly. Rainbow, Moorwood and Hearn combined to allow Yallop to unleash a twenty-yarder, while Kete's persistence exposed three opponents before she charged into the penalty area. Both shots flew wide.

Back came Western, Phillips leading the charge again before setting up Sharlotte Lucas, whose shot was blocked by the legs of Cox in the 67th minute. Soon after, a crunching tackle from Jarden left Yallop in no doubt that the veteran campaigner was as ruthless and uncompromising as her reputation suggested.

It was a bit too late for Western, however - the horse had long since bolted. And after the offside flag had denied Rainbow a second goal, and a superb fingertip save by Andrew denied Kete after Yallop had played the striker in on the right, United made it 5-1 in the 71st minute.

It was a deserved goal for Kete, who lured Andrew out of goal and slotted home nicely across the `keeper and inside the far post after muscling her way through to capitalise upon Western's inability to clear their lines.

The scoreline didn't stay that way for long. Straight from the kick-off, McCahill broke up a Western attack and sent Moorwood racing into acres of space through the inside left channel. This time, the midfielder made no mistake when confronted by the advancing figure of Andrew, past whom an unerring finish arrowed into the bottom far corner of the net - 6-1.

The goal clearly buoyed Moorwood, who promptly delved into her box of tricks on Lynn-Avon's next attack and came up with a juggling routine which allowed her to evade two opponents before unleashing a venomous volley which veered narrowly past Andrew's right-hand post from twenty yards. Goal of the game had it gone in, no question.

Oliver looked to reduce the deficit in the 77th minute with a rasping twenty-five yard free-kick. Cox plucked this from under her crossbar, and promptly set in wheels the attack which culminated in the offside flag denying Lynn-Avon yet again - Gregorius walked into the trap this time round.

Nine minutes from time, Kete and Yallop worked a one-two on the right which saw the striker get to the byline and whip in a cross to the near post. Arriving on cue between defenders was Moorwood, whose deft flick goalwards was brilliantly kept out in reflex fashion by Andrew - she saved Western from a hiding, make no mistake.

Young United substitute Rebecca Burrows had joined the fray a few minutes earlier. The just-turned fourteen-year-old is definitely a name to look out for in the future, as she wasted little time in making an impact on this match.

Three minutes from time, she linked with Moorwood, Yallop and Gregorius to set up a shooting chance for Yallop which the Cup Final's MVP recipient fired tamely at Andrew.

Western's `keeper was beaten all ends up seconds later by an impudent chip from Burrows, which deserved better fate than to crash against the crossbar. Moorwood gathered in the rebound and evaded a challenge before drawing a save from Andrew, who hoisted the ball downfield.

The Canterbury team's hopes of notching a second goal before full-time looked to have been dashed when Selwyn stepped in to break up this attack, but her clearance ricocheted to substitute Karen Almond, out on the left flank. She had Phillips in support, and the striker proved a very useful option indeed.

A Young Ferns contender in the early stages of that squad's development, her hard-working efforts in a beaten team were rewarded by the sight of Cox having strayed off her line a fraction too much. Without hesitation, Phillips unleashed a twenty-five yarder from way out on the flank which arced over the `keeper, whose attempts to tip the ball over the bar proved fruitless.

In stoppage time, Rainbow sent Gregorius scurrying through in a last-ditch effort to get on the scoresheet, but the striker's effort beat both Andrew and post to ensure that 6-2 would be the eight-time winners' lot over a Western side which, but for their goalkeeper's efforts, would have succumbed to a scoreline far more reflective of the dominance exhibited by the undisputed queens of the National Women's Knockout Cup competition, Lynn-Avon United.

United: Cox; Carlisle, McCahill, Humby, Ray (Selwyn, 46); Gregorius, Yallop, Hoyle (Rainbow, 46), Moorwood; Kete, Hearn (Burrows, 77)

Western: Andrew; Pilgrim, Anngow, West (Marshall, 74), Oliver; Harkerss (Napa, 52), Jarden, Alexander, Lucas; Lawry (Almond, 74), Phillips

Referee: Anne-Marie Keighley

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