Manly United and Bulls share the spoils

Trudy Simmons was the hero on a cold Sunday evening at Cromer Park as Manly United and Bulls FC Academy shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw. 

A last-minute penalty was saved by Simmons to extend the newly promoted team’s unbeaten run to five games.

Despite the scoreline remaining untouched for 90 minutes, it was far from an uneventful match.

It was the visitors that were the more dominant in the first half, picking up where they left off from last week against the Northern Tigers.

Their high press was causing the home team problems, not allowing Manly to get out of their half.

In saying that, the first chance of the game went the way of the hosts. Emily Minett breaking through the offside trap, only for Simmons to stand tall and save with her legs.

Soon after that chance, the tide shifted to the away side as a Charlotte Lancaster sent through an in-swinging ball that caught out Nicole Simonsen but rebounded off the crossbar.

Consecutive corners put Manly under real pressure, but they managed to survive the onslaught.

Lancaster’s fantastic left foot started creating problems for the home side’s defence, finding Peta Trimis at the far post on a couple occasions, the later unable to get onto the end of the crosses.

The half was ended with an opportunity for Minett after neat work by Alexa Forner, the striker’s effort going wide of the target.

In the second period, Tom Hopley’s side improved and shut down the threat from the left wing.

They started taking a stranglehold in midfield and began creating opportunities with Sienna Dale more involved.

Again though, it would be the visitor’s who would threaten.

This time a cross from the right by Trimis found Tamires Souza at the far post, the Brazilian unable to control her header.

With Lancaster’s only real opportunity to create something in the second period, she sent a delightful ball across goal into the path of Trimis who tripped at the last moment, thwarting her of a chance at goal.

The game looked as though it would finish scoreless until drama unfolded in the 90th minute of the match.

Sienna Dale was brought down from behind by Lancaster with the referee given no option but to point to the spot.

Manly top scorer Minett stepped up against Simmons but the keeper read the penalty expertly, making a fine save to her left.

From the resulting corner, Simmons was called into action again, this time punching the in-swinging corner onto the cross-bar.

With the remaining minutes of stoppage time, neither team could break the dead lock and the points were shared.

Match Stats  

Manly United 0  

Bulls FC Academy 0  

Sunday, 7 May, 2023

Cromer Park

Manly United: 1. Simonsen, 2. Stuart, 5. Arnold, 6. Jackson, 8. Kingston-Hogg, 9. Minett, 12. Gilbane, 13. Jarvie (10. Simon), 17. Forner (15. Biasi), 22. Bastow, 30. Dale.

Subs Not Used: 19. Collins, 21. Simmons, 31. Burton.

Bulls FC Academy : 1. Simmons, 2. Trimis, 4. Seaman, 5. Lancaster, 7. Prakash, 9. Chessari, 10. Souza, 11. Valletta, 13. Di Sciascio (3. Grey), 18. Volkanovski, 20. Ferris.

Subs Not Used: 8. Hancock, 16. Gyzen, 19. Cheeseman, 21. Segavcic, 24. Corry.

-By Nikola Pozder