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15Jun17
Shore Stunned By Fightback Ferns
by Jeremy Ruane
17th Grade Conference leaders North Shore United bottled a two-goal lead as they succumbed to a stunning Football Ferns Development Squad fightback on the North Harbour Stadium Oval on June 15.
Trailing 2-0 after an hour, Gareth Turnbull's charges drew level within six minutes, then hit the crossbar before Liz Anton, fresh out of a Chemistry exam, concocted the winning formula with two minutes to go.
It was a terrific display of character and resolve from the Development Squad, who held their nerve well against their physically imposing opponents, some of whom wouldn't have looked out of place in a basketball team, such is their height.
It was all Shore early doors, Bradley Howell's ball-handling skills culminating in a third minute shot which Victoria Esson could only parry. Meikayla Moore got back to clear the danger before the fast-closing figure of Elliot Hooker could pounce on the rebound.
Three minutes later, Ben Davies wasn't far away with a twenty-five yard chip before the Ferns responded with their first raid of the match. Moore pinged the ball forward, Jane Barnett her target, but Ben Marsh thwarted her progress, only to see his clearance anticipated splendidly by Aimee Phillips.
The ever-lively attacker swiftly lined up with Sammi Tawharu, whose lay-off invited Katie Rood to let rip from twenty yards. She mis-timed her effort on this occasion, the first move of a handful by the Ferns which promised plenty but which ultimately fell foul of Shore's tall timber - the balls over the top, intended for the front-runners, just weren't high enough to clear United's rearguard more often than not.
Shore gradually got on top of the contest, Christian Burke desperately close to breaking the deadlock with a long-range chip which had the back-pedalling figure of Esson rather relieved to see the ball clear the bar by not a lot in the eighteenth minute.
Five minutes later, Esson grabbed another effort from the beanpole striker, , but only after her opposite number, Tom Ross, had been called into action for the first time, dashing off his line to prevent Tawharu from latching onto Grace Jale's through ball.
Fine work in midfield by Phillips was supplemented by Catherine Bott's careering run past two opponents on the right in the 25th minute, the fullback's measured cross plucked off the head of Jane Barnett by Ross.
The 'keeper sent the ball downtown, and Shore's first corner resulted. Burke's delivery was headed against an opponent by Grace Jale, with Esson snatching the rebound greedily.
On the half-hour, a promising Phillips run was curtailed by Hooker, allowing Toby Smith to launch a counter-attack in tandem with Alex Mezzan. Burke was the ultimate beneficiary, and once more he went close with a shot which arrowed past the diving figure of Esson, but past her right-hand upright also.
Daisy Cleverley is home from Berkeley University at present, and had been a little too ponderous and peripheral during the opening half-hour of play. But she played an influential role in a series of triangles with Phillips and Rood in the 32nd minute, culminating in a twenty-five yarder from the latter which stung the gloves of Ross.
Shore responded with a quick-fire counter-attack from which they opened the scoring. Burke inevitably featured in the raid, holding the ball up well before laying it off to Mezzan, who darted between Moore and Saskia Vosper before squeezing a shot under the advancing figure of Esson into the far corner of the net in the 33rd minute.
United looked to double their advantage inside sixty seconds, Hooker this time using his hand to control the ball before Esson used hers legitimately to deal with his shot.
The Development Squad spurned a great chance to level the scores in the 39th minute, when they carved Shore open down the left. Moore's lofted ball wide to Rood was headed inside to Vosper, whose incisive pass invited Tawharu, dashing into the penalty area, to let fly with her weaker left foot.
The young striker wanted to get the ball onto her right foot, however, but by the time she did, Shore's defenders were there en masse - the trigger wasn't pulled, a sharp opportunity went begging, and a lesson was learned, specifically your weaker foot isn't just for standing on!
Shore's response, two minutes later, saw the giant-sized figure of Burke holding off the challenge of Anton, who had a fine game in the face of adversity (and beanpole strikers!) The forward laid the ball off to Harry Christian, who glided past Cleverley's outstretched leg before lashing a shot past the far post.
The Ferns were only denied an equaliser on the stroke of half-time by the offside flag, much to the disappointment of Moore, who stole in well to convert an opening arising from a short corner.
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It was all Shore early in the second half. In the 51st minute, Mezzan made his way down the left, drawing two defenders before picking out Burke in the penalty area. The big striker held off Moore's challenge, only to be denied by a superb reflex fingertip save by Esson at her near post.
Cue another Burke corner, and in the ensuing scramble a shot from an unidentified Shore player was blocked by Vosper, who was guarding the far post as if her life depended on it. This block resulted in another corner, the delivery of which culminated in a shot being saved by Esson after Vosper had only partially hooked the ball to safety.
The pressure for a second Shore goal was mounting, and it finally materialised in the 61st minute. Moore failed to control a clearance ten yards inside her own half, presenting the ball to Burke, who spotted Esson off her line and executed a perfectly measured chip into the far corner of the net - 2-0.
Shore's young men were about to learn the hard way that hell hath no fury like eleven women scorned! Because within five minutes of United doubling their lead, they had been pegged back by the Development Squad via two goals rich in quality.
The first came about in the 64th minute, and was ignited by Liz Milne's terrific run off the ball down the left. Cleverley spotted it, and delivered the ball into the stride of the flying fullback, who promptly roasted Hooker before delivering a driven cross into the area. Arriving on cue to meet it was Phillips, whose header bulleted into the back of the net beyond the stunned figure of Ross - 2-1.
Two minutes later, parity was restored via a real 'pick that one out!' effort from fully forty-five yards! Cleverley's steepling lob found the gap between the portly frame of Ross and the crossbar just above him - 2-2, to the undisguised delight of the scorer and her team-mates.
Talk about a transformation, and not just in proceedings! Shore's mood changed to one of agitation, the sudden threat to their performance posed by this Ferns fightback prompting a genuine sense of nervousness - this hadn't been in Shore's copy of the script!
Nor had a stray pass from Cleverley towards Bott, upon which Logan Eastmuir gratefully pounced just two minutes after the equaliser. He brought Sam Burke into play, with brother Christian making his mark by bursting between Moore and Milne before battering a shot which Esson parried splendidly to her right.
Anton cleared the danger, prompting a counter-attack which culminated in Marsh dashing back to deny Phillips' darting run on the edge of the penalty area. Cue, in response, a couple of Shore free-kicks, both of which were taken by Christian Burke.
Esson was the ultimate beneficiary on each occasion, fearlessly standing her ground to grab the first one as a flurry of boots sought to make contact with the ball in the 73rd minute, then gratefully grabbing the sphere after Mezzan directed his header straight at the 'keeper after getting in behind the defence to meet Burke's well-flighted delivery.
Back came the Ferns, Cleverley and Phillips working a one-two before the former rewarded another smart off-the-ball run from Milne into the inside left channel. Her shot under pressure was saved at full stretch by Ross, who prevailed again seconds later, Milne having supplied a pass for Rood to chase down, ruffling a few feathers along the way while doing so.
Nine minutes from time, Bott and Barnett, with assistance from Rood, teamed up well on the right. Malia Steinmetz was the recipient of their industry, and from twenty-five yards looked to replicate Cleverley's equaliser - a towering lob which, this time, hit the crossbar with Ross again rooted to the spot.
Shore were rattled, but looked to strike back via another Christian Burke free-kick, this one narrowly clearing Esson's left-hand angle. Little did those watching know it, but that was United's last chance, for the Football Ferns Development Squad finished over the top of them in spellbinding fashion in the few minutes which remained.
Twice Barnett was thwarted as she sought a way to goal, while in stoppage time, Bott's hard work on the right culminated in Milne lashing a twenty-five yarder narrowly past the post.
But by this time, Gareth Turnbull's charges had delivered the coup de grace, ironically from a corner in the 88th minute. Shore's tall timber failed to deal with Milne's driven delivery, much to the delight of Anton, who, from six yards, drove the loose ball home through a crowded goalmouth to clinch a famous come-from-behind victory for the Football Ferns Development Squad, embarrassing the league leaders in doing so.
Dev Squad: Esson; Bott, Anton, Moore, Vosper (Milne, 57); Cleverley, Jale (Steinmetz, 38), Phillips; Barnett, Tawharu (Hand, 57), Rood
North Shore: Ross; Hooker, Smith, Marsh, Hall-Taylor; Sent, Barker, Christian; Davies, Howell, Simcock. Rolling subs: Eastmuir, Mezzan, C. Burke, S. Burke
Referee: Wendy McNeely
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