Louise Campbell finished off a flowing five-woman move to earn The University of Edinburgh a share of the spoils with defending champions, Watsonians, under floodlights at wind-swept Peffermill in the Premiership.
The stunning strike came deep into the final quarter of an entertaining match in which the league pace-setters looked to have wrapped-up thanks to an unstoppable, penalty corner strike from Emily Dark early in the third quarter which ripped high into the net. She also thundered the ball against a post later in the same quarter.
Keith Smith’s squad have now lost their previously unblemished record while the students remain on their coat-tails, five points adrift.
Smith was happy with the way the team played, they certainly enjoyed greater possession in the first-half, but he felt they were not clinical enough in the circle and it cost them.
His counterpart, Sam Judge, believed her side had enough chances to win the game.
Scottish international duo Jess Ross and Ruth Blaikie were influential for the students and another international, Jika Nyirenda, had fleeting sight of goal on at least two occasions but was snuffed out.
For Watsonians, Scotland striker Sarah Jamieson was always a threat and so was Dark from penalty corners, but Watsonians had several chances to prevent the game-tying goal.
The move was initiated by Blaikie inside her own half. She found Jess Ross who fed Ava Findlay down the left. She found Amy Brodie who spotted Campbell unmarked in the circle and the Perth-born player made no mistake on a one-on-one with the advancing Watsonians goalkeeper.
Watsonians now have 40 points from 14 fixtures, having scored 80 goals and let in seven, while Judge’s charges have 35 points from their 14 outings, scoring 78 goals and letting in ten.
Both are not scheduled to play again in the league until April 6, Watsonians hosting Western Wildcats and the students in Glasgow to face GHK as the run-in to the end of season gathers pace.
PICTURE: Louise Campbell displays her nickname during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Picture by Nigel Duncan
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