Casey Comets star Rachel Lamb contests a header with her Eltham North opponent at Comets Stadium on Sunday. 19982 By Marc McGowan
TWENTY-FIVE minutes of dynamite soccer were not enough for the Casey Comets to avoid a 4-2 Women’s Premier League loss to finals-bound Eltham North at Comets Stadium on Sunday.
Stung by a 7-0 humiliation at the hands of their opponents in April, the Comets burst out of the blocks on the weekend with two magnificent first-half goals to stun the visitors.
Leigh Terek set Casey in motion with a superb finish from a Talia Silivestros cross in the 17th minute.
When Rachel Lamb thundered the ball home from inside the box not long after, the Comets looked set to run all over a shell-shocked Eltham North.
But slowly the tide turned as Eltham North began to wrest control from Casey.
The momentum switch was complete in the 37th minute when Deanna Niceski scored the first of her two goals.
Niceski beat off Lamb before drawing Comets goalkeeper and coach Deborah Nichols and putting the ball into the back of the net.
Nichols assumed the goalkeeping duties after Emma Bracken re-injured her calf at training on the Thursday night before the fixture.
Moments before half-time, Niceski was back in the action, flicking a pass inside for Enza Barilla to produce the equaliser.
Casey had plenty of opportunities after the break, dominating for a 15-minute period after falling behind 3-2, but was unable to capitalise.
Nichols also lamented what she felt should have been a penalty awarded to Algeria for an Eltham North infringement with her side a goal down.
But a fourth score, curled in following a corner as time ticked away confirmed Eltham North’s seventh victory of the season.
Silivestros was impressive again, displaying her ever-growing confidence, while veterans Lamb and Terek were strong contributors.
Nichols was thrilled with her team’s blistering opening, but conceded that Eltham North’s efficiency was the difference in the end.
“Our first 20 minutes were amazing and our overall performance over the course of the day was fantastic,” she said.
“When we sit back and analyse it, they had maybe five chances to score and scored four and we had more chances – at least four in the first half and scored two, and at least four in the second half.
“They were not half chances, either; they were fairly cut and dry chances, and we had the most possession in the second half – I was getting cold at one point.”
Despite scoring twice, Nichols again pointed to her club’s lack of strike power up front as a major reason for its eighth defeat of 2008.
“The frustrating part is if we took our chances we’d be standing here smiling,” she said.
“It’s that deep frustration that if we had a 15 or 20 goals a season goalscorer we’d be far more competitive.”
Nichols has not given up on the finals, despite the Comets falling nine points behind fifth-placed Eltham North.
“We’ve made it very hard, we’d have to have a lot go our way, but we’ll keep plugging away because as soon as you give up on that you virtually give up on the season,” she said.
Casey drew 1-1 with Eltham North in the reserves contest.
The Comets play Sandringham at Kingston Heath Soccer Complex, Cheltenham, on Sunday.
The reserves play at 1pm and the seniors take to the field at 3pm.
