Sport
30 June, 2026
Lexton completes late comeback to vanquish Trentham by narrowest of margins
Lexton’s rollercoaster season hit a critical crossroads on Saturday at quarter time of their pivotal clash with Trentham.
Courtesy of a sensational Saints start, the Tigers entered the opening break trailing by six, with the looming threat of losing their fifth consecutive game at its most harrowing.
With a will to survive, the eye of the Tigers thrived on the thrill of the fight, rising up to the challenge of their rivals to complete a spirited one-goal victory.
The heart-pumping triumph restores Lexton’s four-point cushion in fifth ahead of sixth-placed Trentham, who were the unfortunate losers of a game where both teams deserved the four points.
Despite being without dynamic shooter Hannah Weier, the Saints entered Saturday’s match with confidence as shooter Georgia Fearn and defender Lauren Girvan returned to the side.
Meanwhile, Stella Alexander-Foster and Kristy Hadler were the inclusions for the Tigers, replacing Ebony Howell and Sally Riley.
The first quarter immediately set the tone, as both teams were forced to remain patient in the attacking third to maintain possession and break down their opponents’ defensive structure.
Despite the defensive excellence on display, Trentham’s Fearn and Sharna Ford and Lexton’s Charlize Kennedy and Rachel Phelan quickly hit the scoreboard, with both tandems rectifying any early misses with strong offensive rebounds.
Following a tense opening few minutes, it was the Saints who gained the advantage, recording the first three centre breaks to generate a six-goal lead.
After not recording a centre break in the opening 10 minutes, Lexton reshuffled their defensive third, with Alexander-Foster, Shanae Hepworth and Cindy Teggerth all utilised.
However, it didn’t stop the Saints’ offence from humming along and preserving Trentham’s noticeable advantage at the break.
After Fearn punished Lexton in the first quarter with her excellent positioning, Alexander-Foster was doing a commendable job limiting those passing lanes when play resumed for the second quarter.
Centre Caitlin Howell was conducting the Tigers’ offence, the focal point in the visitors’ transition that was finding Kennedy and Phelan more freely.
Despite Lexton’s improvements, the Saints remained remarkably consistent across the court, preserving a four-goal lead at the end of the first half.
Assisted by some minor half time alterations with Charli Copeland holding wing attack duties and the fresh Madelyn Keeping subbing in at wing defence, Trentham remained incredibly composed as they looked to stay ahead.
After slightly sputtering in a similar position against Dunolly, Copeland and Amy Vandenham were meretricious in attack, with Ford and Fearn also clinical.
Howell, Hadler, Kennedy and Phelan were equally excellent for the Tigers, but they were unable to draw themselves any closer to the Saints, still trailing by four goals at the final change.
On the verge of their fifth consecutive defeat, the Tigers clawed into another gear in the fourth quarter, mounting unbear-able pressure on Trentham.
After a successful stint at the end of the third quarter, Eliza Bell was a brick wall at goal keeper alongside the reliable Hepworth, cutting the Saints’ avenues into the goal circle.
While their defenders played their part, Phelan and Kennedy were making the most of their interventions, giving Lexton the lead as virtually every shot ended with a swoosh of the net.
Both teams produced moments of individual brilliance at the death, but when the final whistle blew, it was Lexton who jubilantly celebrated a memorable victory.
The shooting of Kennedy and Phelan was key to the Tigers’ turnaround, with the dynamic duo scoring 34 and 16 goals respectively.
Fearn and Ford were outstanding in Weier’s absence. Fearn led with 31 goals while Ford netted 20.