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03/07/05
Superb Goal Decides Pulsating Cup Tie
by Jeremy Ruane
Three Kings United progressed to the last eight of the Uncle Toby's Women's Knockout Cup competition on July 3, a superb goal from Merissa Smith deciding a pulsating cup-tie against Glenfield Rovers at Keith Hay Park.
What will rank as one of the most memorable games of the season saw a handful of New Zealand's Senior Women's Elite International Development Group members taking to the park, with one in particular - Maia Jackman - relishing the chance to get some all-too-rare game-time by producing an outstanding defensive performance which significantly contributed to United's 1-0 victory.
The initial pace of the game was absolutely ferocious, with both teams going at it hammer and tongs as they pounded away in search of an early goal. There was good play aplenty, but little penetration in the first
twenty minutes, largely thanks to the respective interventions of Jackman and Rovers' Catherine Porteous, who should be well pleased with her personal performance, despite some of her colleagues failing to take heed of her example in this regard.
Such was the level of intensity and commitment from both teams that it took a full twenty minutes for either of them to register a shot on target - neither had been able to engineer a scoring opportunity which required saving until this point in time!
It was Marisa Smith who was responsible for warming the gloves of Jenny Bindon on this occasion, Rovers' New Zealand goalkeeper being called into action after the United speedster had caught Michele Hogg in possession on the edge of her penalty area.
Six minutes later, Glenfield were twice forced to scramble the ball to safety after United, who were by now beginning to dominate matters territorially, had forced openings.
The initial thrust came from Hannah Rishworth, who had a slow beginning to the match as the Elite Squad member got used to the idea of starting a match for just the second time this year! But she announced she was well up to speed with a bone-crunching tackle on Hogg in the 26th minute, and promptly linked with Annalie Longo.
The crafty playmaker instantly sent Anne Ormrod through Rovers' defence, but Porteous forced her away from goal towards the by-line. The one-time New Zealand international cleverly evaded the defender on this occasion, however, and drilled in a nasty cross which cannoned off Fran Ebbett dangerously towards her own goal.
Rovers survived on this occasion, and from the resulting corner, Ormrod's delivery being flicked on by Rishworth towards the far post, where Longo came desperately close to turning the ball home.
The visitors responded with a couple of raids of their own, both utilizing the right-wing talents of Anna Perkins to the fullest. After evading a couple of challenges, she whipped in a cross on the half-hour which flew beyond all to the unmarked Ally Pratt. She lined up a shot and duly let fly, but Ashleigh Cox got down well to parry.
However, the ball was still heading towards the target, but as Liz O'Meara dived in to turn it home, Jackman swooped to clear off the line and avert the danger for at least five minutes, at which point in time another Perkins cross picked out Nadine Hayle, whose twenty-five yarder rattled the rear stanchion after dipping narrowly over the crossbar.
Back came United, the midfield axis of Rishworth, Kristy Hill and the ever-lively Betsy Hassett prising a 41st minute opening through which Ormrod rampaged. But Porteous stuck to her like glue, and while the speedy striker did manage to wrong-foot her, the defender's presence forced a hurried, inaccurate shot - goal kick, job done.
The enthralling nature of the contest continued, with both teams looking to employ their respective passing games at every opportunity, even in times of trouble. Such as in the 44th minute, when Porteous turned defence into attack with a peach of a ball over the top for Gillian Thurlow to pursue. Jackman, haring across, forced her former Auckland team-mate wide, and Cox was well placed to save the subsequent shot.
Her clearance upfield was neatly controlled by Hassett, who went Longo scampering through Rovers' rearguard. Porteous - who else? - came across to cover, forcing the youngster to check, then kick on once more, only to then shoot straight at Bindon.
The half-time whistle afforded referee Graham Whitford and his team, as well as the crowd, to collectively draw breath, but barely seven minutes later, both teams were at it again in much the same manner as they began the first half, with quarter neither asked for nor given - it was a tremendous contest.
All it needed now was a goal, and in the 48th minute, it arrived - a belter, both in conception and execution. Jackman instigated the raid, and a string of one-touch passes flowed through Abby Erceg, Cox, Rishworth and Hill to Smith, who tore past Hogg and Harriet Steele before coolly chipping Bindon from twenty-five
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 Annalie Longo (TKU) and
Anna Barlow (Glenfield)
 Hannah Rishworth (TKU) and
Anna Barlow (Glenfield)
 Liz O'Meara (Glenfield) and
Betsy Hassett (TKU)
 Kristy Hill (TKU) and
Fran Ebbett (Glenfield, obscured)
 Anne Ormrod (TKU)
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yards on the run - a superb strike, and a goal fully befitting such a titanic battle of wills.
While Rovers regrouped - coach Peter Buchanan wasted little time in ringing the changes after the goal - United looked to build on their advantage, with Rishworth firing over a cross from the right which had Bindon flapping. Ormrod was lurking with intent, but that of Ebbett to clear the danger was far greater.
Glenfield went desperately close to levelling matters in the 57th minute. A Pratt corner was cleared to O'Meara, whose cross was pawed out by the well-performed Cox. Anna Barlow - another to shine - found the ball dropping sweetly for her to volley goalwards, but she groaned in dismay as the sphere cleared the bar by a yard at most.
Back came United, Smith pouncing on some hesitant passing among Rovers' rearguard to let fly with a shot which careered over the crossbar just after the hour mark. Two minutes later, she found herself in the action again, this time after a result of Jackman intercepting a cross then surging upfield a la Alan Hansen. Smith's cross arced beyond Ormrod to
Roseanne Cox, but Ebbett was on hand to thwart the danger.
Another raid soon after which featured Smith saw her on the receiving end of an after-the-ball challenge from Bindon, after the pair had contested the ball in the end. The incident left Smith clutching her side, and eventually having to be replaced, with Bindon's contribution to this keenly contested incident earning her a stern rebuke from referee Whitford - some considered the official to be a tad lenient in the circumstances.
With nineteen minutes to play, Rovers had to go for broke, else their Uncle Toby's Cup prospects would be ended by Three Kings for a second successive season - United ousted their rivals at the quarter-final stage in 2004. Barlow prompted this raid, linking with Hogg, whose angled cross found Hayley Stirling beyond the far post.
Her drive was turned round the upright by Cox, who, under a truckload of pressure seconds later, didn't flinch as Pratt's corner careered towards the near post, catching it cleanly to foil Rovers once more.
Still the visitors charged, but Jackman was their nemesis once more, this time cutting out an Ebbett cross intended for Thurlow. New Zealand's vice-captain surged upfield, carrying on her run after linking with Ormrod, who in turn fed Roseanne Cox. Her cross found Jackman arriving on cue, and her header flashed past the post in the 76th minute.
Nine minutes from time, the game was up for grabs, as Porteous sent another fine ball through to send Thurlow racing through Three Kings' offside trap and bearing down on goal with just Ashleigh Cox standing between her and an equaliser.
But Jackman came hurtling back and executed a superbly timed tackle in the penalty area to stop the seasoned campaigner in her tracks and avert the danger - had she got it wrong, it was red card country for certain, and a sure-fire spot-kick as well. Instead, it was a match-saving tackle, one which ultimately broke Rovers' hearts.
For after Cox mopped up following Pratt's resulting corner, the home team dominated the time which remained, and should have won by a much larger margin than the one goal by which they prevailed.
No-one was following in as Bindon parried an Ormrod shot, while three minutes from time, Holly Jones played in Longo, who let fly with a screamer. It beat Bindon all ends up but hit the crossbar, the rebound
falling to Ormrod who, after dwelling on the opportunity for far too long, finally hit the ball towards the target.
Bindon said “Thankyou very much”, and did so again moments later, as Ormrod, forced wide by Ebbett, shot goalwards once more, this time after linking with Jones. But the striker should have made it safe for United in stoppage time, on receipt of a through ball from Hassett.
It put Ormrod through with just Bindon, and a fast retreating Porteous, to beat. The first obstacle was cleanly rounded, but with the goal gaping, United's leading goalscorer appeared to suffer a crisis of confidence, and spurned a tremendous opportunity to double her side's winning margin.
Thankfully for Ormrod, the final whistle sounded soon afterwards, leaving the Jackman-inspired United squad to anticipate a road trip to Whangarei in the next round. Rovers won't have to wait long to extract revenge, however - the teams clash in the league next week, this time without their international stars, a factor which should make a significant difference.
United: A. Cox; Jackman, Erceg, Rennie; Smith (Jones, 74), Hassett, Rishworth, Hill, R. Cox; Ormrod, Longo
Rovers: Bindon; Ebbett, Porteous, Hogg, Steele (Marcellino, 48); Perkins ((Stirling, 50), Barlow, Thurlow, Pratt; O'Meara, Hayle
Referee: Graham Whitford
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