The Clarence Zebras produced a second half masterclass to overcome Ulverstone 6-0 in their Round 9 clash. A closely contested first 45 minutes was forgotten after the break, with Allie Berry scoring four times and Zoe Nichols and Isabella Ferrier also both finding a spot on the goal sheet. Despite less wind than usual at Wentworth Park, all the goals were scored with its advantage.
Returning and injured players saw Clarence Zebra shuffle the deck a little up front. The match winning shift saw Berry and Nichols switch roles, as Danielle Kannegiesser returned to the fold. Ulverstone welcomed Febey Mitchell for her first start in 5 weeks, as midfield engine Tiela Weeda nursed an injury on the bench.
Ulverstone had the brighter start, with Eli Cropp providing a long-range, warm up shot in the first minute. The Red’s forward trio would all be involved in the action in the first ten minutes. Soon Lucy Reimer fed the ball to Mikalha George whose weak shot didn’t trouble the keeper. While Reimer would have herself an opportunity when a long clearance provided a 1v1 with Shelley Cook, but the Red’s forward couldn’t pull off the shot necessary from the tight angle.
But the home side wasn’t going to be kept quiet. A free kick between those opportunities caused havoc, with Georgia Burt’s header nearly fooling a scrambling Georgia Anderson in goal.
The match soon opened up, with opportunities flowing at both ends. Ulverstone used the full strength of the wind to bomb long balls, while Clarence built confidence with sweet combinations through the midfield.
Warning signs of a lively Berry performance were there in the first half, despite her not finding the back of the net. One moment at the 24th minute saw breaths held and a lucky block to deny the forward, who had found space in behind with only the keeper to beat. Up the other end, the battle between Reimer and Madi O’Brien intensified, one scuffle saw the pair lock arms looking a lot like a spin during a bush dance.
The deadlock looked to be broken 7 minutes before the break when Berry sent a delightful ball towards Ferrier, whose header found the back of the net, only to be waved off by the assistant referee for offside. Counters provided a late handful of opportunities for Ulverstone, but the game reached hall
The story of the second half was clear from the very beginning. An early corner by Georgia Burt nearly produced an Olmpico, while a minute later Anderson produced another save against Berry, with Ferrier just unable to find the target from the scraps. The danger of Berry exposing the space between defence and goal was building.
The floodgates opened in the 57th minute with Berry finally reaping reward for her knocking. A poor clearance from Ulverstone’s keeper gifted the forward with space and an empty net which duly fired into. The lead soon doubled, when Ulverstone’s failure to clear their lines from a low cross saw the ball land at the feet of Nichols, who didn’t need to be asked twice.
A splatter of saves by Anderson wasn’t enough to stop the onslaught. The third goal arrived in the 78th minute, with Berry producing a composed finish after Gadon fed the ball through the centre backs. For her hat-trick, it was a matter of rinse and repeat of Berry’s first goal. Distribution woes against the wind stung Ulverstone with Berry bagging another gift courtesy of a loose Anderson pass.
Some spirit was shown, with Ulverstone fighting to find a late goal but the match was won by this point. The icing on the cake arrived for the sixth with Isabella Ferrier opening up with space 25 yards out and sending the ball into the back of the net.
Ultimately this was a match of two halves. Ulverstone looked threatening with the counters and long ball approach in the first half, but fell away in the second 45. For Clarence Zebras, this was a confidence booster. The tinker with their attack provided goals whilst the midfield dominated both on and off the ball. A win sees Clarence Zebras keep the pace in the battle for top spot with Olympia as they temporarily leap them ahead of the Warriors game on Sunday. Ulverstone still remain firmly in third but will need to prove their worth against Kingborough next weekend to solidify the position.