Clarence Zebras prevailed over Ulverstone their Saturday WSL clash with a late Zoe Nichol all that split the two sides. A first half of sussing each other out was followed by a Clarence search and rescue effort to find the back of the net in the second 45. Deep into the match, with just 3 minutes of regular time left the breakthrough against a stubborn purple defence was found.
The match roared to life from kick off. Congestion in front of the Zebras goal was apparent in the early pickings, with Georgia Burt’s firing a hopeful effort from range after being unable to unpick the Red’s defence with early passes.
Ulverstone showed intent too with Lucy Reimer’s driving run down the left side into the area only deterred by smart defending by Zara Dixon.
Clean play and movement in the midfield kept the match buzzing. The visitors had the better of the opening chances as Febey Mitchell found space behind the defence to shoot early, forcing Cook to use her feet to block the effort.
On the balance Clarence had the better of it, switching play at will. Momentum slowly built for the home side, with a number of swooping crosses from the right side begging for a back post finish that wouldn't arrive.
On the half hour mark, Zebras turned it up a notch against an Ulverstone team limited to ten players for a spell. Allie Berry had been asking questions, with Georgia Burley the one often tasked with handling them, particularly at 30 minutes forcing a corner to dampen the threat. A half bite at goal resulted from the dead ball situation, with Danielle Kannegiesser narrowly missing an opportunity at the back post moments later.
Often limited to shots from range, chances were growing for Clarence Zebras as the half died down. Isabella Ferrier had a glistening opportunity, sticking the right side of the offside flag to chase a ball set between her and the goalkeeper. A sliding block was required by Georgia Anderson to keep it level.
With little time left to the half, Ulverstone averted a near calamity in defence. Bronte Gadon caught the midfield ball watching and drove forward to find a pass to Kannegiesser. Anderson met the situation, but the ball slipped between the keepers legs, with the Zebras winger sniffing about. A last ditch lunge at the ball ensured the match remained scoreless at the break.
There was one thought in the second half for Clarence Zebras and that was to score. The affair turned scrappy, as Ulverstone showed resilience and battered down the hatches. The best of the early pickings arrived when a Berry cross looked to be dipping under the crossbar, but Anderson reached to tap it over to concede the corner.
The intencity dial for the match was well and truly turned, but clear cut chances were still tough to come by. Shots on goal were limited to long range dreamers that were comfortable for the keeper.
Ulverstone’s backs to wall defending almost pulled off a result, but the knocking didn’t stop. With time running out, a wild deflection nearly provided the opener. Kannegiessier’s low cross blindsided Susannah Blackwood-Beattie and forced quick thinking for her keeper.
Finally the door swung open as in the 87th minute, the Clarence Zebras persistence was rewarded. Berry found the golden ticket of a well weighted ball to Nichols, who was lurking on the last line of defence. Composure arrived, with the forward finding the far bottom corner, leaving an outstretched Anderson in the lurch.
The result clearly establishes Clarence Zebras in second, but questions will be asked following two late, narrow wins. Meanwhile the fate of where Ulverstone finishes remains in the hands of other teams, with the North West outfit’s final match of the season against University the sole round 15 match on next weekend.