Photo: ODT Files Sometimes a scoreline just makes no sense. That was very much the case in the national league clash in Palmerston North yesterday. A 2-1 win to wooden spooner Central United would have made little sense as a prediction, and it made pretty much zero sense in an immediate review of how Southern United did not get all three points. Southern, which had been unbeaten in the league for six weeks, was clearly the superior team and created considerably more chances against a side that had lost 11 straight games. But the scoreline does not have to make sense, and it was the spirited young Central players whooping for joy at the final whistle as they finally got their maiden victory. They fought and scrambled, making up for their lack of a cutting edge and experience with wholehearted effort and a fine second-half performance from reserve goalkeeper Sophie Campbell. The home team did not have a lot of chances but made the most of two exquisite long-range pieces of skill — or perhaps it was hopeful ambition. Central was trailing 1-0 in the 58th minute when Southern coughed up the ball in a dangerous spot. Isla Cleall-Harding accepted the invitation and stroked a high shot up and into the net. That was Central’s first attempt on target, but its second with seven minutes to play was something special. Tessa Hyland stood over a free kick from about 40m, put the laces through it and watched the bail sail over the arms of Southern goalkeeper Lauren Paterson, making her first appearance of the season. Southern had a swag of chances before and after the winning goal, but luck was seemingly not on its side. Margi Dias had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 in the 52nd minute but she chose not to shoot and her pass was not accurate. Dias was involved again eight minutes later, when her headed shot was nicely directed but Campbell got low to save. There was a goal mouth scramble late in the game and a couple of corners, but it was not to be for Southern. Southern had dominated large swathes of the first half and might have been slightly frustrated to head to the halftime break with just a 1-0 advantage. With Abby Rankin popping up everywhere and Kennedy Bryant working industriously up front and on the left flank, the Southern women had a few half-chances and sent in some threatening crosses. But the visitors were too often in hit-and-hope mode, and through balls regularly went un-met. Dias had a pair of decent chances and Bryant turned and shot from a decent position. The pressure finally told in the 27th minute when Bryant hustled her opposite off the ball and fired in a sublime low cross to Chelsea Whittaker, who buried it in the net. Bryant connected reasonably well with a bicycle kick a few minutes later, and both she and Whittaker had decent attempts in the dying stages of the half, but the second goal proved elusive. On Saturday, Canterbury United Pride grabbed a three-point jump on Southern in the race for fourth with a 7-2 thumping of Auckland United. Charlotte Roche grabbed a hat-trick for Canterbury. Capital produced an upset with a 3-2 win over Western Springs. National league The scores Central Football 2 Isla Cleall-Harding 64’, Tessa Hyland 83’ Southern United 1 Chelsea Whittaker 27’ Halftime: Southern 1-0.
