THIRROUL THUNDERBIRDS VS SOUTH COAST FLAME | WD1 ROUND 10 | MATCH REPORT
A spectacular free-kick from Jamie Ryan was a fitting late equaliser for the Thirroul Thunderbirds on Sunday afternoon as their round-ten fixture resulted in a 3-3 draw with South Coast Flame at Thomas Gibson Park.
It was a fast-paced start to the match with South Coast Flame putting nothing but pressure on the home side with a breakthrough past the defence line by Eliza Webster before getting a wide shot at goal.
Just four minutes in, Jessica Cruikshank was sent down the line, travelling past her defenders and plotted the ball in the back of the net to take an early 1-0 lead for the Flame.
Thirroul reacted back instantly with captain Claytyn Gehrke receiving the ball just outside the 18-yard box before being denied at goal by the hands of Sage Dixon.
A well-structured one-two between Asha Meusburger and Chloe Hocking saw a double attack at goal before Hocking’s shot was blocked by a strong South Coast defence line.
Monique Koloski was just centimetres away from doubling their lead for the Flame in the 20th minute with a long-range power shot skimming the cross bar.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to find the equaliser with Danielle Blackett taking space through the centre of the midfield before getting an impressive shot at goal and finding the back of the net in the 26th minute.
The visitors took back their lead in the 34th minute with a switch ball from Brooke Love into striker Emilia Skopal who comfortably placed the ball past goalkeeper Ashleigh Orvad.
The heat began to rise when the visitors were rewarded a penalty in the 45th minute of the match.
Love stepped up into the penalty spot before forcing the ball past Orvad to secure a 3-1 lead at the half-time whistle.
The second half brought nothing but effort from both sides continuing to pile on the pressure with the Flame coming close to scoring the opener in the 55th minute with Skopal getting a wide shot at goal.
The Thunderbirds weren’t deterred and fought their way back with Francis Maya calmly winning a tackle in the centre of the pitch before sending a low through ball into Hocking who placed a bottom corner shot past Dixon in the 65th minute.
Thirroul continued to rock the boat in the final 15 minutes of the match with Gehrke getting a shot at goal but was easily saved by Dixon.
Not long after, a hard-working Skopal took control of the midfield sending Cruickshank towards goal before taking a strike that went narrowly wide of the post.
The Flame were looking dangerous, but it was Thirroul who would strike back with a late comeback in the 87th minute of the match with Ryan being rewarded a free-kick just outside the 18-yard box before scoring a spectacular top corner goal, setting the final score at a 3-3 draw.
Thirroul Thunderbirds now sit in seventh position with nine points going into round-eleven whilst South Coast Flame sit in ninth place with just five points on the table.
Thirroul Thunderbirds: 3
South Coast Flame: 3
Thirroul Thunderbirds: 1. ORVAD Ashleigh, 3. CARLON Hannah, 4. BLACKETT Danielle, 5. HOCKING Chloe, 6. RYAN Jamie, 7. VAUGHAN Grace, 8. CABASSI-POWER Lottie, 9. MOTT Kaitlin, 10. GEHRKE Claytyn, 11. WARD Kirsten, 12. MAR Keely, 13. MEUSBURGER Asha, 14. FRANCUS Maya, 16. WILIAMS Ambrosia, 2. BOWEN Hannah
South Coast Flame: 1. DIXON Sage, 2. BLANCH Ruby, 3. DE LAZZARI Erin, 4. FRANKLIN Emily, 5. KELLY Taya, 6. KOLOSKI Monique, 7. LOVE Brooke, 8. PORTELLI Bethany, 9. RUSSELL Caitlin, 10. SKOPAL Emilia, 11. MCLEAN Emma, 12. WILSON Sariah, 14. HASAN Zinah, 15. WEBSTER Eliza, 16. CRUICKSHANK Jessica, 38. LOVEDAY Libby
Date: 6 June 2021
Referee: Stuart Bell
Report by Alison Dinh, on Twitter @alisondinh
