NPLW Round #8: A Momentum-Building Victory in Style

LIONS WOMEN CONTINUE DOMINANT FORM WITH A RESOUNDING VICTORY AT LUXURY PAINTS STADIUM

An Amy Gunston hattrick and a collective team performance saw our Lions Women secure a second consecutive 4-0 victory in style.

Our Lions hit the ground running in our first game since the Easter break. Meaghan McElligott had an early effort saved after breaking into the box one-on-one in the second minute.

Ten minutes later, she struck the woodwork after a powerful shot orchestrated through an incisive pass from Tara O’Keeffe. Jessie Rasschaert was forced off early due to an injury in a defensive challenge. She put in a fine performance across the first 25 minutes, so hopefully, it is nothing serious.

A fizzing through-ball from Meaghan McElligott met Tegan Riding’s run into the box. She rifled a brutal strike into the crossbar at the tip of the top right corner before Amy Gunston won a penalty on the opposite side of the box.

She made no mistake from the spot, stepping up with composure and burying her penalty into the top right corner. We entered the break with a slim 1-0 lead.

The second half continued with just as much intensity, a physically demanding fixture that drew more fouls than shots. We attacked effectively in wide areas, with AmyGUnston and Tegan Riding causing constant danger while Tara O’Keeffe, Tui Dugan and Emileigh Bowman orchestrated the play from midfield.

Immediately after the hour mark, Amy Gunston doubled our lead with a deft near-post effort underneath the keeper from close range. We scored two more goals in the following ten minutes.

Tegan Riding drove a volatile freekick into the bottom right corner from 30 yards to make it three before Amy Gunston secured her hattrick minutes later with a piercing effort into the top right corner.

We continued to dictate the game for the remaining twenty minutes, creating several further chances while snuffing out any attacking threat. The match ended 4-0, with our Lions Women earning a second consecutive cleansheet with an identical scoreline.