Report by Jonathan Coles
Thames Women FC maintained their place at the top of the table with a commanding 4-1 victory over Waikato Unicol at Rhodes Park on Sunday.
In a start reflective of last week’s outing in Taupo, Thames were caught cold as the visitors scored an early opener. A fluid attack saw Jessica Eyeington slide a precise pass to Georgia Mantell, who fired a first-time shot into the bottom corner for 1-0.
Thames didn’t panic, instead settling into their natural attacking rhythm and delivering several dangerous crosses. Their first clear-cut change fell to Ceyda Nemburt, who controlled neatly before bursting into the box, but the finish trickled past the post.
Brooke Douglas was next to have a glimpse of goal as she found a pocket of space before turning and firing a shot over from 30 yards. A sustained spell of pressure paid off when Thames equalised with a superb goal. Jess Rendall’s long ball found Keltie McManus, who applied a touch of magic to cushion the ball into the path of Douglas, who drilled a low finish for 1-1.
Samantha Chamberlain, Thames’ midfield linchpin, then came close with a left-footed shot after cutting in from the right. Despite dominance in possession, Unicol remained dangerous on the break, with Mantell’s powerful shot rattling the bar just before halftime. Grace Teata followed up, but Megan Jamieson denied her in goal.
Unicol started the second half similarly to the first, creating a good chance. Teata found space on the edge of the area, but her curling effort drifted just wide. Thames found their feet again and took the lead. Last year’s club top scorer, McManus, showed great pace to latch onto a searching pass down the left from Emma Hinds-Senior, before calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing keeper to make it 2-1.
Thames’ narrow lead came under threat as Unicol launched a smart attack, reminding the hosts that the game was far from over. Mantell pulled the strings through midfield, combining well with Teata and Eyeington, but despite their pressure, the defence held firm and the final shot flew over the bar.
With 25 minutes to play, Thames grabbed a crucial third to give themselves breathing room heading into the final stages. Rendall burst through the backline with a marauding run before hitting the post with a curling shot – the rebound fell to Nemburt, who was sent crashing down by a last-ditch tackle.
Hinds-Senior’s initial penalty was well saved, but she followed up to smash the rebound into the roof of the net. The two-goal lead gave Thames more freedom. They came close to extending it further, with Nemburt and Rendall creating chances, but their shots failed to trouble Erika Parish.
Lydia Mahon put the result beyond doubt with a pinpoint right-footed strike from the edge of the box, sending the ball into the bottom corner and wrapping up a crucial three points to keep Thames firmly in the title hunt.
Northern United’s win means the gap at the top stays at one point with four games remaining. Thames now face another crucial test next week away to Melville Epics, a side still firmly in the title hunt with games in hand.
“Very proud of the team for coming through another tough game with all three points, enduring difficult field conditions along the way,” said manager Xavier Brown.
“Huge effort from Lydia Mahon, deservedly awarded Player of the Match for her brilliant goal and constant threat down the wings.”
Final score Thames Women FC 4-1 Waikato Unicol Women Development
