This Is Guernsey

Panthers beat Puffins to set up a play-off for the title. (0544133)

Ship & Crown Puffins 1, Approved Personnel Panthers 3
THE women’s league will have to be decided by a play-off after Panthers beat Puffins to draw level on points with the league leaders.

Puffins needed a draw or a win over their rivals on Saturday at Foote’s Lane to secure their first league title since 1989 and one or the other looked on the cards when they took the lead through Helen Watts in the first half.

But Panthers hit back with three goals all from a short corner to force the play-off, a date for which has yet to be set.
‘Disappointing. It would have been nice to have won it today and we really wanted it,’ said Puffins captain Alex Hanna.

‘They are always going to be a strong team. Everyone put in 100% and we pulled together as a team but we just couldn’t quite get that extra goal in.

‘But I guess we’ve got another chance and we’ll just have to go for it. I think everyone enjoyed it. It was a good game.’

Puffins ran the show for the early part of the game as their star player, Mickey du Vial, pulled the strings in the middle of the park.

But Panthers got into the game mainly through midfielder Greta Raath, who is not afraid to get stuck in, and pacy winger Jay ap Sion.

The pair combined well for the blacks to put Puffins under pressure.

With the minutes counting down to half time and against the run of play, Puffins took the lead at a short corner when Emma Curtis drove down the right to feed Watts on the penalty spot and she clattered it home.

But then right on the stroke of half-time, Panthers levelled the score at a short. It was a good move that saw Helen Wills switch the ball to Raath at the far post for an easy shot in.

The blacks took the lead shortly into the second half when their captain Liv Picirilli’s shot took a deflection off whites’ defender Charlotte Breban to loop over keeper Jemma Crouse and into the net.

A couple of minutes Crouse did well to keep out another Picirilli effort.

It was now all Panthers. Ap Sion broke free to hit the post on the hour mark but a minute later it was 3-1 to the blacks, Liz Stonebridge flicking in at a short corner.

‘It was a pretty tough win,’ said Australian Picirilli after the game.

‘We expected a tough game because they’ve been solid all year. We’ve been nipping at their heels.

‘We had a pretty solid defence, but all round everybody deserves a cheer.’