A fortnight on from their thrilling 3-3 draw at Fred Taylor Park, Auckland’s U-20 squad and a much-depleted Northern Football combination did it all over again at Keith Hay Park on February 12, with the home team again the ones to be frustrated by a dramatic equaliser to bring about a repeat of that scoreline. Northern’s ranks had been decimated by injuries leading into this match, and the wedding-enforced absence of four of their over-age players meant they were down to the bare bones, so much so that coach Nathan Janes couldn’t even name a full compliment of substitutes. Their cause wasn’t aided by the sight of Megan Lee slumping to the ground in a great deal of distress just eight minutes into the contest, and it was quickly evident that her day was done due to ankle ligament damage. Hannah Wilkinson wasn’t helping Northern’s cause greatly either, particularly in the early stages, as she constantly strayed offside in a contest whose early exchanges were cagey. The first hint of an opening came while Northern were down to ten due to Lee’s injury. Rosie White raced down the right before crossing for Annalie Longo, but she was unable to capitalise on the opportunity. Seven minutes later, Erin Nayler grabbed Hannah Carlsen’s twenty-five yarder, before a lovely piece of skill from Longo saw her turn Kate Seatter and slip the ball through for White. The striker brought out the very best in Nayler, who flew to her left to pull off a top save. Her opposite number, Ashleigh Cox, was first called upon in the 25th minute as Liz Milne’s quickly taken free-kick saw Wilkinson get in behind Claudia Crasborn. The ‘keeper saved at the striker’s feet as she looked to hook home Northern’s first attack of note in the match. Eleven minutes before half-time, Auckland made the breakthrough. White was fouled just outside the penalty area, and duly linked up the free-kick before smashing a twenty-yard effort over the wall and the flailing arm of Nayler into the roof of the net. It was a blow from which Northern quickly recovered, so much so that they should have been on level terms five minutes later. Wilkinson won possession on half-way by the dug-outs, and stormed downfield after playing a one-two with the well-performed Nikki Couling. The Football Ferns starlet careered into the penalty area at pace, drawing defenders and Cox towards her before clipping the ball into the goalmouth. There, all alone with the gaping goal at her mercy, was Tayla O’Brien, but her first touch was poor, and Maia Jackman appeared from nowhere to ensure she didn’t get a second by heading clear. Auckland were soon hot on attack, White leading the charge. Her first effort, a first-time lob of Nayler on receipt of a Cox clearance, drifted past the post, while three minutes before half-time, Jackman and Longo - a superb first-time pass - played "The Golazo Girl" through the inside left channel. White’s volley thundered past the upright. How she and her team-mates suffered for such profligacy! Right on the stroke of half-time, we witnessed one of the goals of the season, a brilliant individual strike from O’Brien. Couling’s cross from the left flank cleared all-comers, the ball finding its way to the slender young winger on the far side of Auckland’s penalty area. Jessie Verdon and Jackman were the obstacles facing O’Brien, but both were wrong-footed by their young opponent as she swivelled, swerved and shimmied her way between them to reach the edge of the six-yard box, where, cool as you like, she nutmegged the advancing figure of Cox and sent the ball into the far corner of the net. 1-1 - and how! A quite breathtaking goal! Cue a rip-roaring second half, which was less than a minute old when White sent Longo surging through the inside-left channel. The talented number ten pulled her shot across the face of goal, to which Northern responded with their best spell of the match so far. Couling played O’Brien in on the right in the 51st minute, and the flank player’s shot on the run was tipped round the post by the advancing figure of Cox, who was in action again three minutes later, vainly attempting to prevent an O’Brien shot, which deflected off Crasborn, from crossing the dead-ball line by the post for a corner. Milne whipped the ball in from the quadrant, picking out the head of Bridgette Armstrong. Her header flashed over the bar, while Milne sliced a shot wide of the mark two minutes later, which resulted in a Cox goal-kick.

Liz Milne (Nor) and Nadia Pearl (Auck) Tayla O'Brien (Nor) evades Jesse Verdon (Auck) Maia Jackman (Auck) clears, watched by Hannah Wilkinson (Nor) Rosie White (11, Auck) unleashes the opening goal Tayla O'Brien (Nor) races past Becky Burrows (Auck) Samantha Rogers (Nor) and Rosie White (Auck) eye up an incoming ball

Northern returned her clearance with interest, Armstrong sending the ball downfield for Wilkinson to stride onto. She charged into the penalty area, where the combined efforts of Verdon and Cox thwarted her progress. Referee Anna-Marie Keighley was perfectly placed to judge that they had impeded the striker’s progress, however, and didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot - penalty. Cox dived in vain to her right, but Wilkinson’s spot-kick was too powerful to stop - 2-1 Northern. And so nearly three, three minutes later. Couling sprayed the ball wide to Jess Innes, whose teasing cross-shot was grabbed under the shadow of her crossbar by Cox as Wilkinson came flying in behind her in a vain effort to head the ball home. Auckland responded with a splendid goal of their own to restore parity in the 65th minute. White wriggled through two challenges but found her progress thwarted by Chloe Wilson, only for the striker to nick the ball off the fullback seconds later - the first signs that Wilson was tiring; the poor lass was out on her feet long before the final whistle, but bravely fought on, given Northern’s numerically challenged state. Not that her opponent’s physical state concerned White one whit at this moment in time. Briony Fisher certainly had no objections as she raced down the right and onto a pass White rolled into her stride. The overlapping fullback’s pinpoint cross to the far post was expertly volleyed home by Longo, who executed a technically difficult finish with accomplished ease. 2-2 then, and the momentum back with the home team, who looked to take the lead two minutes later through substitute Leanne Tiffen. Cox’s clearance picked out White, who threaded the needle for the newcomer’s benefit, with Tiffen shrugging off a challenge before smashing the ball into the side-netting - the opportunity deserved a better finish! After Cox had smothered a twenty-yarder from Milne, Auckland raided again, Steph Skilton linking with Longo in one-two fashion, with the substitute skipping into the penalty area before sending a low cross fizzing across the bows of the incoming White and just past the far post fifteen minutes from time. Auckland’s pressure was soon to pay off. Three minutes had elapsed when Skilton was like a cat among pigeons on the edge of the Northern penalty area, where the visitors were making a right royal hash of clearing the ball. It eventually broke clear of the scrum of players in the area, but to Northern’s horror, who should it fall to but White. You could picture her eyes lighting up at this gift - the tell-tale big grin afterwards spoke volumes - and she wasted little time in extracting maximum punishment to put Auckland in front for the second time in the game. A super solo raid by Wilkinson saw her slalom through five challenges six minutes from time, but Cox proved equal to the task, and launched a counter-attack through Fisher. She sent Tiffen away down the line, with the newcomer playing in White, who unleashed a vicious dipping cross-shot which crashed against the crossbar. Northern responded to that let-off by laying siege to Auckland’s goal. The soundly-performed Hannah Hoeksema picked out Wilkinson with a cross which saw Cox grab the striker’s header, while in stoppage time, the ‘keeper produced a fine tip-over save to thwart O’Brien, after she had been sent clear by Wilkinson. Cox’s subsequent goal-kick was a poor one, straight to Wilkinson, who wasted little time in despatching it at the target. The ‘keeper was relieved to see this twenty-five yarder flash inches past her left-hand post, but fared little better with her next goal-kick, as the game crept into the fourth minute of stoppage time. The ball this time landed between Carlsen and Milne, with the Football Fern winning the tussle between the two and unleashing a dipping left-footed drive from twenty-five yards which arced over Cox and under the bar, barely twenty seconds before the final whistle sounded. 3-3, and the body language of the two teams spoke volumes. While Auckland reeled in disbelief, Northern reacted as if they’d just won the FA Cup Final - fair enough, too, given how unlikely this result seemed given their under-strength nature. And it may well prove highly significant, with the semi-finals looming large on the horizon. Northern are still unbeaten, while Auckland can no longer afford to drop points if they intend extending their season into March. All to play for … Auck. U-20s:     Cox; Fisher, Crasborn, Jackman, Verdon (Head, 60); Burrows (Tiffen, 60), Pearl, Carlsen; Puketapu (Skilton, 60), White, Longo Northern:     Nayler; Rogers, Seatter, Armstrong, Wilson; Couling (McDonald, 66) (Wimbrow, 79), Hoeksema, Milne; O’Brien, Wilkinson, Lee (Innes, 12) Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley