Lions FC 4 (Riding 21′, 24′; Connors 45+2′; Gunston 90+1′)
Capalaba Bulldogs 0
HT 2-0
A Tegan Riding first-half brace helped league leaders Lions to a sixth straight victory in all competitions as they retained the top spot with a convincing 4-0 win over Capalaba Bulldogs on Saturday evening.
Following a good opportunity for Rebecca Kirkup on the quarter-hour mark, Riding opened the scoring midway through the half with a free-kick just outside the box. Her effort squirming through the grasp of Bulldogs keeper Joanne Hurford who’ll no doubt look back on it and feel she could have done better.
The lead was doubled three minutes later. Teagan Thompson’s cross from the left was met by the Lions number ten on the edge of the six-yard box, somehow managing to wrestle the ball from her opponent and cheekily scooping the ball over Hurford who could do little to react.
Fellow striker Amy Gunston should have had a couple of goals herself to put the game out of reach. Her first chance coming on the half-hour when somehow she managed to miss an open goal when latching on to Shea Connor’s deep cross to the far post and just before the break she was put through one on one with Hurford only to see her effort drift narrowly wide.
Lions didn’t miss out though and in first-half added time, Connors struck from close range when picking up the loose ball from a corner, smashing the ball in the back of the net from close range.
The second half saw a far different game, largely due to the torrential rain that arrived five minutes after the restart.
Chances were at a premium but the visitors best chance of the game came on the hour. Amy Chapman with a shot that forced Lions keeper Isabella Shuttleworth into a rare save.
The game finished with Lions looking to extend their lead further and just before the 90 minutes were up, Gunston had a shot blocked on the line by Capalaba’s Leah Miles. Despite the missed chances, however, the young striker would get her name on the score sheet in added time.
A solid run from Riding saw her wrestle the ball off her opponent and cut the ball across from the goal line. The ball evaded Hurford’s reach and rolled nicely to Gunston to fire into an empty net from just outside the six-yard box.
It was a fitting finale to a solid performance from the hosts who maintain their 100% record for 2021.
Next weekend is a catch-up weekend for postponed fixtures which will see the Lionesses have a break until their Round 6 clash away to Mitchelton in two weeks time.
Team line-ups:
Lions FC:
Shuttleworth (gk), Macintyre, Clough, Ward, Thompson, Kirkup, Riding, Connors, O’Keeffe, Gunston, Westland.
Subs: Majstorovic (rgk), Arendse, Teakle, Price, Rink.
Capalaba FC:
Hurford (gk), Spence, Chapman, Maher, Foote, Latham, Wadsworth, Hanson, Ward, Miles, Wheeler.
Subs: Campbell, Knight, Francisco, Celebicanin.
