NEWS: Battle for top spot in Women’s Div 1 all square as Drysdale still leads Deakin by two points
ALL ROADS led to Deakin University on Saturday afternoon as the Geelong Region Women’s Division 1 battle for top spot saw the Deakin Ducks host competition leaders Drysdale SC in the highly anticipated Round 16 clash. In the end, a 2-2 stalemate ensured Drysdale still leads the Ducks for the title by just two points, with two rounds remaining.
Photo: The race for the league title is going to go down to the wire with current leaders Drysdale SC (pictured) just two points ahead of Deakin with two rounds remaining
With much riding on the clash, Drysdale stuck an early blow with Shannon Daffy latching onto a loose ball from a corner, getting the visitors off to the best possible start. Deakin hit back shortly after, a nice through ball giving the Ducks’ striker Lena Mungenast a glorious opening, which was finished smartly to make it 1-1.
The game was fast and furious, with solid challenges and some great football throughout. It went in 1-1 at HT.
Drysdale started the second half the better and controlled much of the play and were finally rewarded late on as Jen Hogan smashed one into the roof of the net from a poorly cleared corner, giving Drysdale the lead for the second time.
Again, Deakin hit back shortly afterwards to equalise 2-2 through Anastasia Globa and a frantic last ten minutes saw decent chances at both ends but ultimately ending in a draw.
In the ‘Battle of the Barwons’, fifth placed Barwon SC kept its feint hopes of qualifying for the Top Four finals’ series alive by defeating Barwon Heads 2-1 at Village Park, courtesy of goals from Alyse Lyndal Cook and Rachael Robertson.
In other Round 16 games, Surf Coast defeated Surfside Waves 3-0, while Kardinia College defeated Geelong 4-0
The race for the league title is going to go down to the wire, with second placed Deakin taking on the two bottom sides, 7th placed Barwon Heads this weekend and bottom side Geelong in the final round.
Drysdale, meanwhile, is home to bottom side Geelong this Saturday, before travelling to Torquay to take on third placed Surf Coast FC in what may well prove to be the league decider.
In the race for the Golden Boot award, Deakin’s Hannah Gordon leads with 31 goals, a massive seven goals ahead of second placed Serena Clapp from Drysdale. Kardinia’s Caelli Wood is in third place with 19 goals.
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