A late flurry for NTC salvaged a 2-2 draw and put a dent in Sandringham’s Women’s Premier League finals hopes at Darebin International Sports Centre on Tuesday night.
Annabel Martin and Emily Harbis netted a goal each in the three-minute spell that cancelled out Sandringham’s two goal lead.
The draw means Sandringham (seventh, 26 points) is still four points and nine goals difference behind fifth-placed South Melbourne (30).
NTC had not looked at all likely for a goal up until Martin’s left-shot out of a cluster of players curled past Sandringham goalkeeper Ingrid Philippe in the 83rd minute.
Even with the deficit cut to 2-1, NTC’s play up to that point of the night had rarely threatened the Sandringham goal.
But two minutes later Whitney Knight played NTC’s best attacking pass of the game to set Emily Harbis through one-on-one.
Philippe went to ground to try and take the ball off Harbis’ feet, but Harbis got the shot away with enough power that it could take a deflection off the Sandringham goalkeeper and stay on course to hit the net.
Sandringham had earlier built its 2-0 lead via goals to Nicola Westwood and Annabelle Gibney.
Westwood opened the scoring in the 11th minute when a Sandringham press won the ball, and after an initial save from starting NTC goalkeeper Teresa Morrissey, Westwood was able to guide in the second shot.
Gibney doubled the lead in the 51st minute when she won the ball in a tackle and scored in the same motion.
Catching NTC’s Edith Fordyce-Croker in possession two meters outside the area, Gibney’s challenge deflected perfectly to slide like a well-placed shot into the bottom right corner of the net.
NTC created the best late chance for a winner in the 88th minute.
Martin played Harbis through down the right but Harbis was unable to hit the target with her shot on a tight angle.
Sandringham had opted to take off two of its players on yellow cards, Emma Runnalls and Steph Tanti, in the 10 minutes prior to NTC’s late goals.
Sandringham’s other player on a yellow, Kirstie Shearing, was booked for dissent two minutes into stoppage time and subsequently shown a red.
NTC’s next match is Friday at Knox against Ashburton United, while Sandringham returns to Kingston Heath next Monday for the visit of Boroondara Eagles.
Photo: Graeme Furlong
***
NTC 2 (Martin 81”, Harbis 83”) drew with Sandringham 2 (Westwood 11”, Gibney 51”) at the State Football Centre
NTC squad: 1. HUDSON Erin, 2. WILLIAMS Jaimee, 3. DAKIC Natasha, 6. TARANTO Adriana, 7. HARBIS Emily, 8. TARANTO Adriana, 9. CARTWRIGHT Joey, 11. KNIGHT Whitney, 14. FORDYCE-CROKER Edith, 15. SANDHU Akeisha, 16. MORRISSEY Teresa, 17. RICHMOND Hayley, 25. BARBIERI Melindaj, 28. BUCALO Nicolina, 31. McINERNEY Coby
Sandringham squad: 1. PHILIPPE Ingrid, 4. ROBERS Emma, 6. PARTON Stephanie, 7. SHEARING Kirstie, 8. WESTWOOD Nicola, 9. RUNNALLS Emma, 10. TANTI Stephanie, 11. KAPUSTA Lucy, 12. GLEADELL Eliza, 16. ROBERS Elisabeth, 18. FOGARTY Sienna, 19. GIBNEY Annabelle, 20. STUART Hannah, 21. COOK Niki, 30. GUNN Emma