Parkview edged out by rivals Greenisland

Greenisland Ladies 3

PARKVIEW Ladies gave undefeated Greenisland Ladies a run for their money before losing out by the odd goal in three.

This Senior League Section 2 fixture was played at Foundry Lane where the home side turned round one up, but the visitors upped the pace after the interval to enhance their promotion aspirations by registering a brace without reply.

The loss of team captain, Susie Weir, midway through the second session with a leg injury was a major blow to the home side, who have now slipped in to the relegation zone.

The Doagh girls started sluggishly against one of the top teams, and found difficulty getting out of their own half during the opening ten minutes, and only a superb low save by Sharon Gaffney prevented the 'Island girls from opening the scoring.

Parkview then had their purple patch with the visitors forced on to the defensive, and following a concerted attack Zoe Purdy opened the scoring, when she rattled the backboard with a firm shot after full back Emma Stubbs and midfielder Susie Weir had brought the ball into the circle.

Greenisland immediately responded with a few attacks that produced a penalty corner which was cleared by influential midfielder Karen Barr, but the home side held out to maintain their lead at the interval.

Two minutes in to the second session the scores were level, when a quickly taken long corner led to Greenisland getting the equaliser from close in.

Despite this reverse Parkview responded positively with Claire Dundee, Joy Hargie and Gail Nicholson being conspicuous in left wing thrusts that resulted in the visiting goalie having to save from Nikki Turkington and Zoe Purdy.

During the final quarter Greenisland piled on the pressure, with Sharon Gaffney having to be at her best on several occasions, before Greenisland netted the winner eight minutes from time with a straight strike from a penalty corner.

Two home penalty corners almost salvaged a point. From the first taken by Emma Stubbs, a Gail Nicholson shot was blocked, and it was a similar outcome from the second taken by Denise Doherty, with Nikki Turkington's effort also being saved.

The Girl of the Game award went to Susie Weir.

Parkviews’s Emma Stubbs, said she felt that Parkview just about deserved to be ahead at the interval, and that a draw would have been a fairer result in a closely contested clash.

Parkview Ladies panel: S Gaffney, L Chalmers, C Dundee, L Stephens, E Stubbs, J Hargie, G Nicholson, S Weir (C), K Barr, N Turkington, Z Purdy, N McWilliams, K Erskine, D Doherty.

Penny Purdy's 2nd XI were beaten 3-0 by Lisnagarvey III in a Junior League Section 4 fixture.

This weekend's fixtures: 1st XI v PSNI, away; 2nd XI v Belfast Harlequins V, home.