A pulsating 3-3 draw between FC Bulleen Lions and Ashburton United on Monday night has ultimately damaged the long-term Women’s Premier League aspirations of both teams.
Ashburton blew a two-goal lead which would have given them outright second on the table, while an agonising Bulleen miss in the eighth minute of stoppage time meant the Lions missed the chance to gain valuable ground in their pursuit of a finals berth.
Caitlin Friend turned the chance to win the game wide in a chaotic scramble deep, deep into added time.
Bulleen dominated the final 20 minutes and made Ashburton pay for failing to capitalise on a wealth of chances created earlier.
Ashburton’s pressing of Bulleen goalkeeper Cass Dimovski forced the first goal of the game after just three minutes, finished by Brittany Thomas after Olivia Edwards had made the initial interception of a Dimovski clearance.
Ashburton led 2-0 after 17 minutes when Georgia Cloepfil’s floating free-kick cleared an advancing pack of players to bounce in.
Thomas hit the bar with a header between the goals, while Ayres’ regular raids down the left forced four one-on-one saves by Dimovski through the course of the match.
Bulleen scored against the run of play in the 43rd minute when defender Emily Dolzan got forward and played through Beattie Goad for a neat finish and 2-1 half-time deficit.
Ashburton resumed control of possession and territory after the break, and looked a winner when Cloepfil restored the two-goal cushion from the penalty spot in the 56th minute.
Emily Dolzan and Bella Scott converged on Melina Ayres as the Ashburton attacking moved into the penalty area to give away the hotly disputed spot-kick.
An unmarked Laura Spiranovic volley over Ashburton’s best chance for a 4-1 lead in the 71st minute.
Bulleen pegged the score back to 3-2 in the 74th minute when Ashburton goalkeeper Melissa Maziels parried a close-range Ashleigh Beagley volley into Caitlin Friend’s path.
Cloepfil then hit the crossbar in the 83rd minute with a rasping shot from the right side of the penalty area.
Bulleen would complete their comeback when Cindy Lay flicked in a loose ball in the six-yard box after Ashburton had failed to put a head on a Dolzan corner.
Bulleen dominated the last 10 minutes of regulation and lengthy stoppage-time period but were ultimately impatient when in sight of goal – blazing over and wide with a string of low-percentage attempts from distance.
“We had chances that with a little bit more concentration we could have and should have own the game,” Bulleen coach Bobby McGuinness said.
“We didn’t cope with [Ashburton’s pressing] in the first 15-20 minutes and were really poor. From there I thought we were the better side.”
Ashburton’s Emma Checker played in midfield and was a driving force for her team.
“I think we died down, I don’t know if it’s fitness but [the fade out] is something we can work out and come back out stronger next week,” Checker said.
“We came out strong and died out towards the end. [The draw] was a fair result.”
Photo: Adrian Shaw
***
FC Bulleen Lions 3 (Goad 43′, Friend 74′, Lay 85′) Ashburton United 3 (Thomas 3′, Cloepfil 17′ 56′ [p])
FC Bulleen Lions: 1. DIMOVSKI Cass, 2. SERNIO Tessa, 3. SCOTT Isabella, 5. STOCKDALE Maddie, 6. FRIEND Caitlin, 8. LAY Cindy, 10. COPPOCK Em (20. NATOLI Alex 19”), 12. IACONIS Liana, 16. GOAD Beattie, 19. GUDELJ Dani (7. BEAGLEY Ashleigh 27” (14. McGILP Charlotte 85”)), 22. DOLZAN Emily.
Unused Substitute(s): 4. TRIMBOLI Bianca, 43. SNELLEKSZ Tori
Yellow Card(s): Nil
Red Card(s): Nil
Ashburton United: 1. MAIZELS Melissa, 2. PATRIKIS Maria (13. ERENLI Azize 80”), 3. RICHARDSON Holly, 4. THOMAS Brittany, 5. STENSHOLT Kristin, 9. AYRES Melina (16. JARVIS Rachel 86”), 14. PFEIFFER Christine, 15. CHECKER Emma, 18. CLOEPFIL Georgia, 19. EDWARDS Olivia, 21. SPIRANOVIC Laura.
Unused Substitute(s): 11. FREW Fede, 26. KEANE Bridie
Yellow Card(s): Thomas 90+1, Jarvis 90+9
Red Card(s): Nil