Te Puke Women’s extra time winner
AFOOTBALL
makeshift back line, giving second best in the physicality stakes and going down 1-0 early — Te Puke Women could have been forgiven for thinking Sunday wasn’t going to be their day.
But they would have been wrong. It was an early start to get to North Hamilton for the 10am kick off of the Waikato Cup final against Cambridge Utd B.
Te Puke made a great start with three opportunities in the opening quarter of an hour going begging.
Just after another attack was thwarted by the Cambridge keeper, it was the Waikato side that took the lead, with the Te Puke women having to come to terms with the unfamiliarity of a very physical opposition.
Rosa Atkins had been shuffled back to play sweeper having never played at the back, with Te Puke only having two of their usual defence unit available. In the 41st minute she found right back Jessica Pepperell. Pepperell fed striker Chynna Davie who got to the corner and put in a superb cross for strike partner Sammi Parish to run on to and slot the ball into the corner of the net.
Rachel Mcgills, making her comeback after a leg injury, went off at halftime with Ellie Hansen taking her place.
After the break, both teams stepped things up, but neither could find the net and for the second week in a row, Te Puke were facing extra time.
Keeper Swantje Mettenleiter kept her side in the game with two fantastic saves, drawing the praise of the Cambridge coach.
As they have many times this season, Davie and Parish combined, this time with Parish the provider and, although the initial effort was saved, Davie reacted quicker to score a deserved goal that proved to be the winner, delighting the Te Puke supporters.
Finalists: Silver: Trish Cavanagh v Suzanne Bassett. Bronze 1: Judith Roadley v Dianne Sandford. Bronze 2: Jenni Harford v Pene Meiklejohn Results September 17: Brigitte Boyles 38 Stbs, Judy Calvert &
With players missing through injury and others playing in unfamiliar positions, coach Tessa Blaymires said the whole team gave everything.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the team,” she said. “Sarah Earle directed the back line superbly, Kelly Barker, in a new position, played for 120 minutes, injured players Irene Cox and Kate Earle were on the bench just in case, Maia Moko played with a swollen black and blue ankle and high schoolers Tori Hill and Summer Bailey just didn’t stop.”
Atkins was given the Anann Pineapple Bar player of the day award with Hansen, who hadn’t played since the start of the year, and Mettenleiter also given accolades.
Suzanne Bassett 35stbs. Hidden hole: Brigitte Boyles. Nearest the pin: Helen Payne.
September 21: Sue Winters & Anne Barry 32 stbs, Judy Miller 30 stbs. Hidden hole: Sue Winters & Anne
Barry. Nearest the pin: Lynette Powell.
Ladies nine hole: Sept 21 Stbd. Heather Borland 22, Judy Cram 19, Jackie Merritt 19, June Day 19, Maree Lourie 18, Desley Gash 18.
Hidden hole: yn Erni & Heather Borland. Longest putts: Judy Cram & Kyn Crone.
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