NPLW Round #10: The Ascendancy Continues

LIONS WOMEN CONTINUE TO CLOSE THE GAP WITH MASSIVE BRISBANE CLASSICO VICTORY

Our Lions Women continued their remarkable form with a remarkable 2-1 win on the road in the Brisbane Classico.

It was an end-to-end start at Imperial Corp Stadium, with both our Lions Women and Brisbane City attacking strongly in the opening stages. Meaghan McElligott created our first clear chance of the game, seeing her effort saved down the centre after a great attack down the right flank.

Our Lions controlled the game and competed with composure, eventually breaking the deadlock through Meaghan McElligott. Standing over a freekick on the left side of the Brisbane City box, Meaghan McElligott whipped a beautiful curling effort that dipped into the top left corner with grace.

We won our first corner thirty minutes in, and the offside flag denied Meaghan McElligott her second after a sharp finish in a move that started with Tara O’Keeffe recovering possession high. We went into the break with a 1-0 lead.

The second half resumed much like the first. We dictated the tempo and moved the ball effectively, coming close through Daisy Bateman and Chloe Dale, who both attempted audacious long-range strikes from the right and left side of the goal, respectively. Bateman saw her effort sail narrowly wide while Dale forced a crucial save at the top corner.

Tui Dugan made it 2-0 with fifteen minutes remaining. After a mistake that saw the keeper rush far off her line, Tui Dugan recovered the ball and calmly placed her shot into the upper right corner of an empty net from forty yards. A great shot to ensure the defenders couldn’t clear her effort off the line.

Emily Clark made a fantastic diving save to preserve our lead, but the hosts eventually pulled a goal back, drilling a low, sharp strike across the goal with five minutes remaining. Despite the intense pressure, we maintained our control and saw out the victory under heavy rainfall and Imperial Corp Stadium.

Having fallen to defeat in our first game of the season against Brisbane City, the strength of this result not only shows how far we have come in recent weeks but also marks the fortitude of this team.