Bankstown City Lions showed they are the come back queens of the National Premier Leagues NSW Women’s competition securing a 1-1 draw against the NWS Spirit at Christie Park on Saturday afternoon.
On a unusually warm Autumn afternoon, Spirit took the lead through a fantastic Monique Holder free kick inside the first ten minutes.
For the fifth time this campaign, Bankstown had to come from behind to get something from the game and managed to do that 15 minutes from full time through Siobahn Edwards.
It was actually the visitors that started the game better as Spirit hit the front.
A free kick well wide on the left was awarded to the home side with Monique Holder obliging, catching out Steph Grimbilos and finding the top corner to give Tiana Gauci’s team the lead.
Bankstown’s first big opportunity came toward the end of the first half a Jess Frampton set off on an incredible run down the right.
Powering her way beyond a number of defenders, Frampton got to the by-line and fired a cross to Edwards inside the six-yard box, but the striker unable to guide the ball home into an empty net.
Bankstown continued their pressure as Alexia Karrys-Stahl played in a beautiful ball forward to substitute Jess Fallah, the later shooting inches wide of the target.
The second half saw Edwards in the thick of it again, pinching the ball off Kaiya Buchanan on the edge of the area, but failed to test Mio Nemoto with her shot.
The points should have been sewn up for Gauci’s team with about 15 minutes remaining on the clock.
Skye Halmarick burst through the Bankstown defence, moving in one on one on Bankstown’s replacement keeper Ashley Purcell.
With the goal at her mercy, the first half substitute Halmarick could only place her shot wide of the goal.
When you don’t take your chances, punishment follows.
From the ensuing goal kick, the Lions played the ball all the way up the field, Steph Ambrose making a forward run and delivering a perfect ball into the box, this time Edwards making no mistake with her finish to bring the visitors level.
Just when you expected the Lions to go on with it, it was the home side that responded.
Almost immediately, Sarah Morgan got lucky with a cross as the ball rebounded off the crossbar.
From the same attack, Ella Buchanan picked up the ball and blasted a goal bound shot, only for Purcell to make a fine save.
Spirit almost won it in stoppage time as Natalie Cash let fly with an effort, beating Purcell but not the crossbar as she was denied a fine goal.
The points were shared in the end in a pulsating 90 minutes of football.
Match Stats
NWS Spirit 1 (Holder 9’)
Bankstown City Lions 1 (Edwards 75’)
Saturday 16 April, 2023
Christie Park
NWS Spirit: 21. Nemoto, 2. Perrins, 4. Morgan, 7. K. Buchanan, 12. Tavares (8. Schembri), 13. Roberts, 14. Radman (32. Halmarick), 16. E. Buchanan, 18. Casha, 19. Holder (20. Bonovas), 34, Jensen.
Subs Not Used: 5. Martin, 23. Holder, 42. Vassallo.
Bankstown City Lions: 24. Grimbilos (21. Purcell), 3. Ambrose, 4. Karrys-Stahl(33. AL Fararjeh), 6. Danaskos, 8. Cassachia, 11. Bacon, 17. Borromeo (26. Fallah), 16. Mostaghimi, 18. Thew, 19. Edwards, 22. Frampton (54. Scamardella)
Subs Not Used: 14. Montenegro, 38. Harris.