NPLW R16, NPLM R12
A firm response after the break saw our Lions Men fight from two goals down to recover a vital point on the road, while our Lions Women continued their strong form with a comfortable 4-0 victory at home.
LIONS VS REDLANDS UNITED: NPL MEN
Despite a poor start and a two-goal punishment at the interval, our Lions rallied back and clawed back a point in stoppage time.
A quiet first half burst into life after the half-hour mark, with Redlands snatching the lead in an initially balanced game. An overload in our defensive third after a set-piece from the hosts saw Redlands take the lead after a sharp cross found Jack Skinner in the centre of the box.
A much-needed response went awry, with Redlands doubling their lead five minutes after the opener. This time it was Peter Klaassen who breached our defence, steering home from a similar situation to the first goal.
We re-grouped at the break, returning to the second half with fresh intent and renewed belief. Ivan Ozzi joined the match to create more danger up front. After several clear chances, we finally struck back, with Andy Pengelly pinching a goal at the near post to close the gap. A red card for Redlands several minutes later saw the momentum shift in favour of our Lions.
Pengelly struck the crossbar with ten minutes to play in a tense match that seemed destined to end in defeat. Novak Kljajic stepped up to prove that theory wrong, rescuing our Lions in stoppage time with a decisive header at the back post.
In a chaotic end to the match, Matt Ridenton forced a fantastic diving save from a deadly freekick, and Jesse Rigby was shown a second yellow card to see the game end with 10v10.
While we didn’t show up in the Redlands looking for a draw, it is a result that we will look to build upon in the coming weeks as we try to climb our way back into the top four.
Goalscorers:
65’ | Andy Pengelly
90+1 | Novak Kljajic
LIONS VS OLYMPIC: NPL WOMEN
A comfortable victory at home saw our Lionesses continue their relentless form while a Tegan Riding hattrick saw her hit 20 NPL goals for the season.
A rare and unusual start to the game saw us take the lead within five minutes after Tegan Riding was awarded an unexpected indirect freekick. A rare occurrence at any level of football, our Lionesses were awarded the set-piece after defensive confusion saw Bella Shuttleworth pick up the ball after a pass from her teammate. Naturally, Tegan Riding found the back of the net.
In a game that saw Olympic interrupt our flow of possession, Emily Clark did remarkably well to steer an untempered long-range strike onto the woodwork to prevent an equaliser. Riding slotted home at the near post after a sly through-ball from Tia Appoo left her in a pocket of space.
The 20th goal in an already sensational Tegan Riding campaign came on the stroke of half-time, with our veteran attacker picking the top-left corner after an Amy Gunston cutback.
We restarted with the same energy after the break, dominating the match before Meghan McElligott drilled home a final nail to round out an excellent four-goal showcase at home.
Goalscorers:
4’, 31’, 45’ | Tegan Riding
75’ | Meghan McElligott
Follow our Instagram & Facebook pages to see the full post-match interview from Rob Askew & Darren Sime.
