United rises to the top once again - July 28 2009
United rises to the top once again
July 28 2009
Shepparton News
Shepparton United's women are back in the familiar surrounds of top spot on the Goulburn North East Football Association ladder after a 1-0 win against Shepparton at the weekend.
It may have been a scrappy, hard-fought and ugly contest, but ultimately the Blues prevailed to claim pole position in the women's league for the first time this season.
Leanne Rawson's goal completed a home-and-away double for United against the Reds and having also defeated Shepparton South in its previous match, the Blues can lay claim to being a deserving top team through 13 rounds of the season.
Shepparton hit back from its loss to Kyabram the previous week and looked on course for a draw to itself take a share of top spot on the ladder with South before Rawson broke through.
The Blues have 25 points, positive 13-goal difference and lead Shepparton South on goals scored (25 against 12 to South's 24 against 11).
Shepparton remains in contention for a top-two spot and qualifying final berth, in third place with 24 points.
Tatura has also crept back into contention for a top-two finish after the 2007 runner-up edged out Numurkah 1-0 at Howley Oval at the weekend.
Lucy Ciancio's second-half goal was the difference between the Ibises and Knights as Tatura moved to 21 points in fourth.
Tatura's win means other top-four contenders Cobram Victory, Benalla and Cobram are all battling against the odds to earn a finals place.
Victory remains best-placed among the challengers after a Hayley Cornish double gave it a 2-1 win against Benalla at Barooga.
Victory has 17 points behind Tatura's 21, with Benalla on 16.
In the weekend's other match, Cobram moved to 14 points with a 1-0 win against Kyabram to stave off elimination from the finals race for another week.
Tania Doyle's goal separated the Tigers and Go-Annas to keep last year's runner-up in with an outside chance of making the top four.
Cobram must peg back a seven-point deficit from Tatura in the last month of the season if it wants to make the finals, starting with a match against the Ibises this weekend.
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