Another 2-2 draw between University and Ulverstone has drawn the curtains on the 2020 Women’s Super League season. A long range hit by Michelle Tadros was the sole goal of the opening half, with a flood of goals arriving midway through the second. A penalty apiece was sandwiched by Mikalha George putting the finishing touches on a free kick, leading to a repeat score line from the Round 2 match up between the pair.
University approached the match with a point to prove, dominating the early territory battle. The Bees controlled the middle of the park to limit Ulverstone’s moves forward to the flanks. A disciplined Ulverstone defensive line kept a cap on the avenue of choice for the home side, which was sending searching balls for Lillian Shegog in behind the defence.
The first opportunity arrived for the University forward just as the 10th minute arrived. On the counter, Shegog beat Emily Nellis in a footrace to shoot early. The low shot cruelly drifted to the far side of the post, but demonstrated the Bees early intent. Shegog produced another opportunity soon after, and this shot showed more sting to force Georgia Anderson into a reaching top corner save.
The Midfield saw a bulk of the contest, with Ulverstone limited to hopeful shots outside of the area. The difference would come on the half hour mark. The Bees had breached Ulverstone’s defence, drawing players and more importantly the goalkeeper to their left flank. Unsuccessful in the first attempt, the clearance landed in the midfield at the feet of Tadros. With an empty net in sight, from 30 yards out, it was purely target practice to hand University the lead.
High balls from deep caused chaos for the Reds defence. Minutes after the first, University’s lead was almost doubled when Zoe Lovell received the ball from the scrap with an empty net in sight, however Lovell couldn’t find the target to capitalise.
In the last ten minutes of the half Ulverstone lifted to wrestle more of the territory. Pinned outside of the box, chances were still limited to quick snap shots at the top of the area. While Hingston asked questions down the left flank, the fullback produced consecutive byline crosses across the face of goal.
In contrast to the first half, the balance of territory fell to Ulverstone in the second. Corners began to tally for the chasing team. The best opportunity of the ten deadball chances they would win arrived in the 50th minute, when Hingston was waiting on the far side of the pack and fired a shot on goal that saw Rhiannon Steele deftly push the ball over the crossbar.
With pressure building, the only question was how the next goal would come. Just after the hour mark the answer arrived in the form of a penalty when a driving run by Eli Cropp was cut down. The fouled player stepped up to the task and produced the equaliser with a swoosh of the net.
The intensity on the pitch reached a boiling point in the final 20 minutes. A false start from a Susannah Blackwood-Beattie free kick provided the script for the goal that arrived once everyone was well and ready. A ball was sent between the defensive line and keeper into the mixer for a waiting George, who wasn’t going to be denied at close range.
University wasn’t going to settle for second best, determined to get something from their final game and immediately mounting a reply. Olivia Young forged through on goal only to be taken out by Anderson. The fouled player was again the penalty taker, with Young hitting the bottom corner to tie the match up once again.
Bark was shown by both sides to find a winner, but the bite wasn’t found. The golden opportunity landed at the feet of Claire Farrell when another bouncing ball caused chaos but the substitute couldn’t find the first touch required to find the net for University's maiden win of the year.
The result wraps up Round 15 and the WSL season. University doubled their season’s tally with the point. While a late table shuffle was denied, with Ulverstone forced to settle for fifth place on goal difference.