Ulverstone edged out the Kingborough Lions during a closely fought 1-0 affair, with the result pinning the first win on the board for the Reds. Around the hour mark Eli Cropp broke the deadlock with a goal scored through traffic. Danger from the counter attack from both sides was reminiscent of quality counter meals at the pub. Despite the threats, Ulverstone hung onto its single goal lead.
The match began with a bang. Tiela Weeda sent a rocket that smashed off the upright. While the opportunity ultimately provided a false gauge of the game’s attack, it did mark Ulverstone’s early intent. Out of the gates with a high press, the Reds were met with the stubborn resistance of a well organised Kingborough Lions.
The return of Olivia Gardner proved vital for the Lions. Shouts of organisation and encouragement from Kingborough’s goal square was as important as cooking pasta with boiling water. Simple mistakes at the back, particularly in distribution, has marred Kingborough’s season. That wasn’t the case against Ulverstone, even with experienced centre back Phoebe Clifford sidelined with injury.
Early territory favoured Ulverstone, with Weeda and Cropp particularly dominating in the middle at this stage. The Lions dropped deep into their half to compensate, with bodies behind the ball. Passes to release Lucy Reimer on goal were swept up by Gardner, while the Lion’s centre back Airlee Lawson was called upon on more than one occasion to put in the final word to stop overlapping fullback Courtney Hingston.
Ten minutes in Kingborough were able to produce their first attacking opportunity. A driving run by Amy Ollington opened up space, showing the Lions were dangerous on the counter. Shortly after another counter attack saw Laura Davis glide past Odette Carpenter, Emily Nellis and then Carpenter. The resulting shot at goal required Meghan Gaffney to clear too close to the goal line for comfort. Similar counters led by Davis would threaten time and again, but Ulverstone’s scrambled defence somehow won every time.
Midway through the half the heavens opened up. The ominous clouds in the distance made its way over the Showground for a 5 minute party. In the same tune, Holly Bonertz-Benn tried to recreate the magic of her twin sister in round one. A near replica, from distance but she couldn’t hit the top corner, instead Ulverstone’s keeper Georgia Anderson pulled out a diving mid-air save.
With the rain come and gone, the match had worn to a more open affair. The opportunities stacked up at both ends, but the final product lacked. Ultimately it was the midfield that stamped its authority on the match, with both sides showing structure and work ethic off the ball.
Half time drew and Ulverstone hadn’t been able to capitalise on their possession, while Kingborough looked solid but their counters reaping no reward.
Optimism for the second half coincided with the sun’s rays. Kingborough wrestled control of the territory after the break, with Ulverstone the team to revert to the counter attack.
A tide of momentum was building for the away side. Shots begun to tally up, with the most exciting opportunity from Holly Bonertz-Benn coming from a strike after chaos ensued from a corner. Anderson was called into action with a point blank save.
Cropp’s goal would go on to throw a spanner in the works for the Lions. Against the run of play, Ulverstone secured the lead with a bit over half an hour left of play.
Kingborough roared with opportunities after the goal. One saw Isabelle de Smit play Davis through on goal, only for Nellis to recover in time to put in the challenge. But it was the defences that triumphed, with opportunities few and far between for a long spell of the second half.
The final minutes of play saw a flurry of action. A crunching challenge denied Amy Ollington from ripping a shot at the top of the box. Hingston and Davis wound up in a tangle, the forward earning the foul. A fast counter at the other end saw Gaffney demand the ball, as she accelerated to the byline, also drawing a foul. Both sides would have another free kick each in the dying minutes, one producing an off target header, the other seeing the Lions keeper cross into congestion from halfway.
The single goal was all to separate the sides, in a matter that could easily have tipped the other way. Ulverstone will be grateful to have shaken the win-less monkey off their back, but know there’s still room for improvement. A mature display for Kingborough may not have produced a valuable win, however improvement in their structure off the ball ought to be welcomed.