The home side must have thought they had salvaged something from the game when Imogen Brady popped up with a 90th-minute equaliser to make it 2-2, but there was one more twist in the tale when Ruby Smith pounced deep into stoppage time to secure all three points for the Green Lionesses.
Anna Gauvain’s side enjoyed the better of the first half, but were unable to make their openings count, with home goalkeeper Rachel Atkins making a smart save to deny Smith, who also hit a post, as did Donna Gallienne.
The hosts came more into the game after half-time and took the lead midway through the second half when Brady took advantage of GFC failing to clear their lines and fired the loose ball past Alana Hockey.
The Green Lionesses hit straight back, though, with a well-worked goal that saw Smith release Scarlett Kenneally down the right before continuing her run to meet the return ball that she headed in from six yards.
GFC Women then went ahead as Gallienne was rewarded for trying her luck from range with her first goal of the season as her shot skipped off the surface before squirming under Atkins.
The visitors looked comfortable with their 2-1 lead up until the last minute of the 90 when the hosts counter-attacked and Brady took her chance well, sending a low shot across Hockey into the far corner.
However, in injury time Smith was alert to an under-hit back pass from the home captain and as the ball bounced up, the GFC forward lifted it over Atkins to score a dramatic winner.
The victory meant it was the first time GFC had won back-to-back matches in the Southern Region Women’s Division One South and they climbed above their opponents up into sixth in the table.
TEAMS
Bemerton Heath Harlequins: Atkins, Griffiths-Lower, Frier, Hayward, Clarke, Brady, Keating, Brazier, Davie, Ward, Harvey. Subs: Howe, Taylor.
GFC Women: Queripel, Kenneally, Jamieson, Ogier, Frampton, Watson, Gallagher, Bougourd, Smith, Gallienne, Dawber. Subs: James, Le Flem, Hockey.
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