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| VSU squander another chance to beat drop |
Viking South Utsira kept their battle against the drop from Division 1b going to the final day of the Xpert Ladies season, but may be left to rue 'one that got away' last Tuesday against Space Chicks. At home to a team sitting 3rd yet who look likely to steer clear of both the playoff slot and the relegation melee, and so with not that much to play for, Viking snatched a vital lead when Anneke Hovland hammered in just her second goal all season on the hour mark. That however sparked a pair of substitutions for the visitors -- which proved inspired, as experienced forward Marleen van Putten came off the bench and almost immediately netted her 12th of the campaign. In a game of few chances, that was enough to earn the Chicks a share of the points.
For Viking, it meant a third draw in four winless games, and the hope that had been kindled by a good mid-season run that saw them win five of six has largely evaporated. Frustratingly, despite that fine spell having put them surprisingly on the fringes of the promotion race, and with four of their five remaining fixtures at home, that position has been squandered. Draws at Ragnar Rock with Juventistele and now Space Chicks have bookended a home loss to Bucovina Panthers and a goalless draw at leaders Bombastic Girls -- to leave them back down to 5th, just a single point above the dropzone.
Everything instead comes down to the final day, when VSU host a Brkate Zetovke side who sneaked ahead of them by a single goal on goal-difference thanks to a 2-1 home win over hapless Queirela FC this week. Anything other than a win will thus doom Viking unless the Panthers, a point behind the pair, also fail to win. Their former top-flight compadres are in the happier situation perhaps of going to a Space Chicks side already guaranteed to finish 3rd. Squeaky bum time awaits.
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