Ulverstone and Olympia played out a hearts in mouths, 2-2 thriller, as the Women’s Super League was brought to Valley Road. Pre-match expectations of a blockbuster were well and truly met with the match being full of action. Jazmin White was in fine form, producing an early goal and then the late equaliser. Meanwhile, new American signing for the Warriors, Lexi Pelafas announced herself to the competition, bagging a brace for her new side.
In the early going, Ulverstone came out looking to keep it organised off the ball, while feeding White up front quickly with it. On the other foot, Olympia played with an element of caution against the reigning Champions, but looked primed for putting the gas on and burning the competition as usual. Early switching balls from the Warriors in behind the Reds defence produced some tense moments between Ulverstone’s defence and Olympia’s pacey front-women.
Despite the early attempts from the away side, it was Ulverstone who drew first blood. With barely fifteen minutes played, White pounced on a poor short goal kick. Ever the predator with any ball in and around the top of the area, she didn’t need a second opportunity to make Olympia pay for their mistake, sinking the finish in style for the lead.
Not a side to sit back, Olympia quickly produced the reply. Soon enough, Chambers bombed down the left flank, to put in a mint looking cross. New signing Pelafas was awaiting it in the middle to finish the opportunity, after already showing signs of being the player to watch.
With the match square, the rest of the first half was a blistering display reminiscent of chess played by people drinking red bull, if that were a thing. The chess-like tactical battle won out, and despite some blazing pace and tidy work at both ends of the pitch, it was the organisation that held the score level at the half.
Ulverstone brought on their trump card during the break, introducing Lucy Foote for her first appearance of the season, and it was always going to bring entertainment.
For the early stages of the half, it was Olympia who had arm wrestled the match back into their favour. Earlier questions asked by Pelafas finally came to fruition on the 54th minute. In a goal a long time coming, the American got the better of her opposite number and finally slotted the ball into the back of the net, showing persistence pays off and making it 2-1.
During the spell after the goal, Olympia continued to assert themselves into the match. Meanwhile Ulverstone were backs to the wall, trying to keep within touching distance. Pelafas and Chambers were having a field day on the flanks, turning their fullbacks inside out, whilst also moving centrally to support the other. Whilst Bomford moved in and out of her number nine position, alternating between leading the line and dropping deep to pull the strings in midfield.
A shift in momentum came with fifteen minutes to go. As Olympia were left ruing their missed chances, the Reds found themselves with a bit more of the possession.
With ten minutes to go, Lucy Foote had some space open up in front of goal about 25 yards out. Always one to shoot, Foote fired a long range effort forcing Farrow to come up with a parry. Only needing to tidy up the opportunity, White came thundering in to guide the lobbed ball into the goal, getting bowled over in the process by the oncoming keeper.
The equaliser left it at 2-2 with 10 minutes still to play and plenty of chances still to come. Some of these chances were narrow misses, while others skied above the post. However it was the keepers who pulled out the quality to prevent their sides being the losers.
Up one end, Farrow turned out a quality save to stop a White hattrick. Yet it was up the other side of the pitch where the more dramatic action happened. Anderson’s antics in goal meant Olympia were unable to find a winner at the death.
Having earlier produced a save where she knew very little about it, with the final whistle imminent, the Reds keeper came up big multiple times. She denied a Chambers shot that came directly at her, having moments earlier produced a smother save that poured water on the fire Pelafas was trying to start.
In the end, Ulverstone demonstrated their experience by finding the equaliser, while Olympia put up a stellar performance that was begging for something more clinical in the final third.