Above: Star Comets midfielder Rachel Lamb produced a series of breath-taking runs on the weekend. 21603By Marc McGowan
CASEY Comets coach Deborah Nichols warned in the lead-up that her club’s Women’s Premier League clash with Preston could turn nasty.
The Comets jumped out to a 2-0 buffer in the first half at Comets Stadium on Sunday, only for the Lions to fight back and register a 3-2 triumph.
But the spitefulness between the teams overshadowed the quality of the match.
The Lions dominated proceedings early until Marcie Algeria scored her second stunning goal in as many weeks.
Algeria casually took the ball forward before launching an audacious shot from the right side that finished in the top left corner of the net to give Casey an unlikely lead.
The goal turned the game on its head, with the Comets assuming control through the midfield.
Victorian squad member Rachel Lamb led the way, running her Preston opponent Paula Massouh ragged with her damaging bursts through the middle of the ground.
And for once Casey’s strong play was rewarded.
The hosts went 2-0 up when Talia Silivestros headed home a perfect chip from dead ball specialist Leigh Terek.
If the first score had not irritated Preston enough, then the second one certainly did the trick.
What had been an incident-free outing suddenly became the bitter battle it was billed to be.
Lamb and Massouh had several interactions, and Linda Restrepo was left writhing in pain in the centre of the park after being tangled up in another contest.
The unpleasant atmosphere seemed to work for Preston as it gradually worked its way back on top.The Lions earned corner after corner late in the first half and finally Sarah Sumner produced the goods.
Sumner sent a marvellous kick from the corner to cut the margin back to one, despite Comets goalkeeper Emma Bracken’s best efforts.
Silivestros had the chance to restore Casey’s two-goal advantage in a one-on-one duel with Preston goalkeeper Nabby Saliba after half-time, but was unable to convert.
Sarah Lovett scored the equaliser soon after and Sumner’s brilliantly taken free kick – following a contentious decision – put the visitors ahead for the first time and proved enough to hold off the Comets.
Nichols was thoroughly disappointed with the result.
“The other team didn’t play that well … it was just a lack of belief that we could have gone on and won the game,” she said.
“We got the ascendancy with Marcie’s goal and then we got the second.
“They’re the sort of team you can get to emotionally, so if we had gone into half-time 2-0 up, we would have won it.”
Nichols traced the teams’ rivalry to an incident a few years back.
“We had an all-in brawl at their ground a few years ago and ever since then there’s been tension in our matches,” she said.
“If you speak to most teams in the league, virtually everyone has had an incident with them.
“They’re not the most loved side.”
Casey’s reserves had plenty of chances, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw with the Lions in the curtain-raiser.
The Comets take to the field for the final time this season against Sandringham at Comets Stadium on Saturday.
The reserves play at 1pm and the seniors kick off at 3pm.
