Forrest Hill-Milford United lifted themselves into a share of second place on the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League table on May 1, edging Eastern Suburbs 1-0 in a highly entertaining and well-contested encounter at Madills Farm to keep alive their title-winning prospects for 2016. Both goals came under threat inside the opening three minutes of this clash, setting the tone for what was to come. Inside the opening sixty seconds, Corina Brown's anticipation prevented a Tayla Christensen cross from reaching Saskia Vosper, to which "The Lilywhites" responded with a counter-attack that culminated in Jacqui Hand going desperately close with a twenty-yarder. Emily Couchman played the resulting goal-kick short, and upon receiving the ball back found herself under tremendous pressure from Hand, who nearly caught the 'keeper in possession. Methinks a visit to a Lotto shop may well be in order, Miss Couchman - you dodged a bullet there. Quite deftly, too, truth be told. The quality of the spectacle didn't falter over the next ten minutes, and was epitomised by Brown's excellence throughout proceedings in the sweeper-'keeper role, and her stunning one-handed save low to her right, the 'keeper expertly tipping a dipping twenty-yarder from Christensen round the post after "The Swans" new signing had weaved her way through three challenges in the thirteenth minute. Seconds later, another of United's new recruits, Issy Coombes, was caught in possession just outside her penalty area by the well-performed Milly Hawkins, who swiftly brought Nicole Messam and Hand into play. Hand directed the ball into the stride of Hawkins, only for the midfielder to be denied well at close quarters by Couchman, sparking a "Swans" counter-attack which featured a tantalising through ball from Hannah Carlsen for Christensen to exploit. Brown saved this effort soundly at her near post, then produced another breathtaking denial sixty seconds later to deny the marauding figure of Chloe Wilson, whose storming run forward was rewarded by a pass from Carlsen which invited the fullback to let rip from twenty yards with a shot which was destined for the net by the base of Brown's left-hand upright when she flung herself across to turn it round the post. There was plenty of ebb and flow to the game, to which frequent turnovers of possession contributed greatly. It was one such concession of possession from which Suburbs should have taken the lead in the 25th minute. Deven Jackson pounced on a stray pass and found herself bearing down on goal with just Couchman to beat, only to fire straight at her when scoring appeared the easier option. Soon afterwards, Suburbs were presented with a corner by a wild Lily Jervis clearance - her performance, defensively, was not one which inspired great confidence. Leah Mettam duly fizzed the set-piece in towards the near post, where Rebekah Van Dort arrived on cue to head narrowly past the upright - a close call for the visitors. How "The Swans" responded. It took them a few minutes to do so, mind, but what they uncorked six minutes from time was a scintillating move which opened Suburbs up like the proverbial sardine can. Tessa Berger sparked things off, bringing the ball out of defence before linking with Wilson outside her. Thence to Carlsen, and instantly to Malia Steinmetz, who spread the ball wide into the stride of United's overlapping fullback Chisato Nagahara, who took the ball on for thundering a twenty-five yard screamer which rattled the stanchion holding up the netting behind Brown's goal. Four minutes later, Wilson set off on another burst down the left before combining with Carlsen and Steinmetz, who looked to bring Sammi Tawharu into play, only for Kate Seatter to produce a timely interception as she tracked back, ensuring that the teams would turn around without a goal on the board. Within fifteen seconds of the resumption of play, Christensen took off down the left at pace before scything inside and unleashing a shot which Brown was right behind, a feat both repeated seven minutes later, Christensen this time shrugging off the attentions of Erinna Wong before letting fly, concluding a move which also involved Steinmetz, Coombes and Tawharu. In between these efforts, Steinmetz's pass to Nagahara was pounced on by Jade Parris, who did more than most in white to endeavour to make up for the absence of the injured Grace Jale. On this occasion, she darted forward before shaping to shoot, only to see Jervis launch herself in a successful attempt to block her attempt to break the deadlock. In the 58th minute, Parris and Jervis locked horns again, and this time it was the striker who came out on top, catching the central defender in possession then checking inside before uncorking a curling, dipping effort which had the beating of Couchman but not the crossbar. Instantly United countered, Coombes releasing Christensen with a great ball down the left which the Texas Christian University-bound speedster latched onto before delivering a low cross intended for Tawharu. Seatter intervened once more, allowing Brown to ignite a that rare beast, a counter-counter-attack. Downfield "The Lilywhites" streamed once more, Nicole Mettam's peach of a pass playing Parris in behind "The Swans" defence on the left. The talented young striker gave both Nagahara and Jervis the slip before setting up Hand with a low cross from which she looked certain to score.

Berger had other ideas on that score, producing a superbly timed tackle to prevent the home team from opening the scoring on the hour in a match which, increasingly, looked destined to be decided via an error, so well-matched were both sides. "The Swans" definitely had an attacking edge, however, with Christensen a key component of that. Once again she powered down the left at pace in the 62nd minute, Wong and Seatter trailing in her wake as she set sail for goal. Rebekah Van Dort proved a far more formidable opponent, however. Suburbs' captain duly cleared the danger, the ball arcing over Wilson towards Hand, whose progress was just as quickly halted by Jervis - the defender stood her ground well on this occasion. How United failed to open the scoring in the 63rd minute defies logic. Seatter directed a clearance straight to Christensen, who promptly let fly with a sizzling shot which Brown did well to parry away to her left … Right into the path of the lurking figure of Vosper, whose reaction was what most defied logic - she seemed somewhat surprised to see the ball heading straight to her, and promptly lobbed it straight back into Brown's grateful gloves. A bizarre miss! Suburbs gained confidence from this let-off, and soon earned another corner. Parris delivered this one into the danger zone, but a towering headed clearance by Berger sparked a "Swans" counter-attack, with Carlsen the beneficiary. Much to Brown's horror! The 'keeper was half-way up-field, and when she saw Carlsen looking up she knew what was coming, thus beat a hasty retreat towards her own goal as the playmaker looked to do a Xabi Alonso - score from half-way. Sadly for Carlsen, her effort lacked accuracy, much to Brown's relief! Twenty minutes from time, United uncorked another stunning raid down the left, with the ball zipping from the rock-solid Berger to Wilson, to Carlsen, and into space for Christensen to stride onto as if it was laser-guided. The fresh legs of Bernadette Goulding blocked the resulting cross at the expense of a corner, which was taken by another substitute, Morgan Owen. Her delivery reached the near post, where Jervis' flicked header ricocheted off Brown into the roof of the net - 1-0 United, nineteen minutes from time. The goal stunned Suburbs, and the visitors were swift to go for the jugular. Three minutes later, Carlsen intercepted a pass and worked an opening for Tawharu, whose cross was intended for Christensen, racing in on the far post. The retreating figure of Goulding was forced to hook the ball over her own crossbar to avert the danger. The home team weathered the storm, and were nearly presented with what would have been a nonsensical equaliser twelve minutes from time. A ball over the top for Parris saw the striker flagged for offside when she began her pursuit of it, which she just as quickly halted. The ball ran through to Couchman, who played it back towards where Parris had been when flagged, not realising that referee Morgan Archer quite rightly hadn't blown her whistle - Parris' near-instant cessation of her run rendered the flag call a tad premature, and the official opted to over-rule her assistant on this occasion. So when Couchman played the ball forward, the ball was still live, and Parris this time wasn't offside as she swooped on the sphere and triggered a shot which the recovering goalkeeper did well to save at full stretch, having temporarily forgotten one of the basics you're taught when young - play to the whistle. Parris was disgusted with herself at squandering that opportunity, but five minutes later she came desperately close to making amends. Latching onto a Nicole Mettam pass, she linked with Jackson and Hand, who picked out Parris with two defenders on her back in the penalty area. How the co-winner of last season's NPWL Most Improved Player award engineered the room in which to turn and shoot, given the circumstances, was remarkable, but turn and shoot she did, forcing Couchman into a smart save low to her left by her near post. That, as it turned out, was Suburbs' last chance of the match, but in stoppage time they should have found themselves two goals down, after Goulding directed a back-pass straight to Tawharu. The striker rounded Brown, who forced her opponent to the by-line, from where she looked to set up substitute Casey Ridsdale for a tap-in. Leah Mettam wasn't having a bar of this, however, but the damage had already been done as far as Suburbs were concerned, Brown's outstanding display notwithstanding. The final whistle brought delighted cheers from United's players, who knew how important it was for their title hopes to take maximum points from this match. For had "The Swans" lost today, they would have been nine points adrift of leaders Three Kings United - realistically an insurmountable deficit to chase down with virtually a third of the season already played. Hence their joy in victory - their season's still alive. Suburbs:     Brown; Wong (Goulding, 69), Stotter, Van Dort, L. Mettam; Hawkins, Cooper (Masson, 71), Jackson, N. Mettam (booked, 85); Hand, Parris (booked, 90) United:     Couchman; Nagahara, Jervis (Windsor, 89), Berger, Wilson; Steinmetz (Owen, 64), Coombes (booked, 44), Carlsen; Vosper (Ridsdale, 71), Tawharu, Christensen Referee:     Morgan Archer