Comets fly to third

By Marc McGowan
THE Casey Comets moved into third spot on the Women’s Premier League table with their second straight victory over high-quality opposition on Sunday.
The Comets fashioned a comprehensive 3-0 triumph over fifth-placed Ashburton at Ashburton Park.
It was the first time Casey has won at the ground and followed its breakthrough success against ladder-leader Box Hill the previous week.
Striker Nicola Prins netted a brace for the Comets to give her five goals in her last three matches and now boasts the second-most scores in the Premier League.
Fellow teenager Alex Gummer, who went head-to-head with former star team-mate Rachel Lamb, thundered home Casey’s final goal in the 82nd minute.
Lamb ironically left the club in the off-season because she wanted to play finals football in the twilight years of her career.
The Comets’ effort to keep Ashburton scoreless was particularly noteworthy considering the hosts’ three-pronged attack of Christine Pfeiffer, Sarah Lovett and Peta Lipec.
Coach and stand-in goalkeeper Debbie Nichols deserves much of the credit with a superb performance, particularly under intense pressure for periods in the first half.
Nichols also praised young defender Laura Croft, who stood up after skipper Vanessa Hellar left the field due to a foot injury in the 34th minute, and midfielder Melissa Atherton.
Both clubs had shots on target early before Prins opened the scoring in the 21st minute.
The Beaconsfield-based talent broke clear after a through ball from Lisa Cloke and beat Ashburton goalkeeper Antoinette Michail one-on-one to stick the ball into the back of the net.
Lovett in particular continued to press and forced a corner before missing a gettable shot to the left of the uprights.
Marcie Algeria also had a great chance late in the half after a cross from Gummer, but missed from close range and Lipec responded at the other end with a similarly wayward attempt.
Prins’ goal was all that separated the sides in the opening half, but Casey emerged from the break keen to ram home the advantage.
Jeni Black, Gummer and Prins all had scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Ashburton was still battling hard, but Nichols was holding firm.
Enter Prins.
She shrugged off two defenders despite appearing to be fouled and successfully chipped the ball over Michail to spark mass celebrations in the 78th minute.
The score seemed to ease the tension for the Comets and they attacked Ashburton’s goal relentlessly in the final minutes.
Gummer, who worked hard on the left wing all day, burst into space and blasted a much-deserved goal four minutes after Prins’ solo effort.
Substitute Talia Silivestros, who replaced Algeria, almost added another when her high-velocity shot in heavy traffic crashed into the top right corner of the goals.
Nichols, who expects number-one goalkeeper Emma Bracken to return this weekend, was delighted after the match and branded the victory even better than the Box Hill win.
The nine-time Matildas representative also believes a finals appearance after two barren seasons is a certainty.
“If we didn’t make the finals this year it would be a disaster based on where we are and how we’re playing,” she said.
“If they don’t go on from here they only have themselves to blame.
“They’ve beaten two sides who are expected to be in the finals – Ashburton will go away thinking ‘blimey, if we meet this team in the finals, how are we going to combat it?’ ”
Casey faces Preston at Comets Stadium on Sunday at 1pm.