The two teams who had yet to be beaten in women's football this season clashed in the ASB National Women's Knockout Cup semi-final at Becroft Park on July 20, and it took until 56 seconds from the final whistle for the contest to be decided. Forrest Hill-Milford United's injury time winner ended Coastal Spirit's reign as Cup holders, the home team's 2-1 victory earning them a maiden Cup Final appearance against next-door neighbours Glenfield Rovers on September 6. But make no mistake, "The Swans" had to work extremely hard for this win, in a tie which looked for all the world to be destined for extra time until Emma Rolston struck 274 seconds into stoppage time. The home team made all the play in the early stages, Briar Palmer setting out her stall with a thunderous thirty-five yard free-kick which cleared the crossbar by the merest smidgin in the fifth minute. Kate Seatter was narrowly astray five minutes later and ten yards closer, while in between these efforts, Emily Jensen twice came within inches of getting on the end of Daisy Cleverley corners, as United sought an early goal. A stinging Palmer drive was pawed away by Una Foyle in the thirteenth minute, but no-one in a white shirt was able to capitalise on the rebound, which finally allowed Coastal Spirit some breathing space. Last season's Mainland Premier Women's League winners were swift to exploit this brief reprieve, with Michelle Hernandez drawing a save from Lily Alfeld in the seventeenth minute. United's 'keeper had been in the sticks for Spirit last season, and her former team-mates soon forced her into action again. Mel Cameron motored down the left, outpacing Jensen before fizzing in a cross intended for Chloe Webster. Alfeld had other ideas, her intervention the catalyst for another concerted United attack which culminated in Spirit's crossbar being struck twice within ten seconds in the twentieth minute. Catherine Bott powered down the right at pace before firing a cross beyond the far post - consistently accurate delivery is a facet of her game on which much work is needed; 'hit and hope' balls are far too frequent compared with those of precision and quality. It was left to Palmer to pick up the pieces, then pick out Bott with a peach of a cross which gave the fullback time to control the ball on her chest before swivelling to unleash a fifteen yard half-volley which crashed against the crossbar. Such was the power in the shot that the rebound careered well away from goal. But within ten seconds, said crossbar was reverberating once more, this time the result of Seatter letting rip from twenty yards after striding onto the sphere. Spirit scrambled the ball to safety, then proceeded to match United stride for stride all over the park throughout the remainder of a keenly contested first half. From Laura Merrin - rock-solid at fullback and decidedly unlucky to miss out on the Junior Ferns' squad - through Lauren Dabner in midfield to leading scorer Cameron, it wasn't hard to see why the visitors hadn't lost a match since August 6 last year. And this without injured duo Annalie Longo and Victoria Esson, both of whom were sitting on the bench for this match but, when fully fit, would walk into the starting line-up of any team in the country, such is the quality and class they bring to the game. United were forced into an early change just after the half-hour mark, Tayla O'Brien succumbing to illness. Megan Lee was introduced to the fray, and was soon involved in the thick of the action, but not before Whitney Hepburn sent a shot sizzling over "The Swans"' crossbar eight minutes before half-time, a feat repeated by Hernandez on the stroke of the interval. Lee, meanwhile, went head-to-head with fellow Football Fern Meikayla Moore in the 42nd minute. The winger took on the defender, who stood her ground well and looked to jockey Lee into an area of seemingly less danger. The Louisiana State University student had other ideas, however, and managed to squeeze a shot past Moore and the advancing figure of Foyle. But the effort lacked sufficient power to prevent Spirit's captain from recovering the situation, and ensuring the teams turned around with the score unchanged since the semi-final started. The words of astute United coach Mauro Donoso were clearly heeded by his charges during the half-time break, for within four minutes of the resumption of play, they had broken the deadlock. Initially, Bott and Rolston worked an opening on the right which saw the latter send a cross fizzing across the face of goal, and just beyond the bows of the incoming figures of Lee and Palmer. The warning wasn't heeded by Spirit, for within seconds, Bott had won possession and wriggled through a couple of challenges before firing a cross into the danger zone. Cleverley was first to react to the delivery, and gleefully bundled the ball home from close range - 1-0 United.

That scoreline nearly doubled seven minutes later when Lee clipped the top of the bar with a dipping twenty-five yard effort. But from the resulting goal-kick, the Cup holders worked their way downfield and earned a free-kick some twenty-five yards from goal. There was only one taker for this, and Merrin unleashed a beauty - she deserved far better than to see her effort swerve round the wall and come crashing down into the goalmouth off the crossbar. United's attempts to scramble the ball to safety foundered on Cameron, who instinctively fired goalwards, her shot creeping through the gathered throngs and past the far post for … Alfeld's dirty look spoke volumes when she saw referee Helen Mallon pointing in the direction of the corner flag. That dirty look was swiftly replaced, however, by one of horror. For Alfeld was all at sea when Merrin's inswinging corner scythed through the air and swerved over the line before the 'keeper could react. 1-1 then, and all to play for with half-an-hour left. United stepped up the pressure, and Spirit's defence was soon living dangerously as efforts from Palmer, Hannah Carlsen - great to see her back in action again after what she's endured over the past year - and a close-range header from Rolston gave them more than a little cause for concern. Discipline started to become a factor, with Maia Vink and Hepburn finding their way into referee Mallon's notebook for challenges deemed unsuitable in nature. In between these efforts, Cleverley had to use all the tricks in her locker to extricate herself from a tight spot before inviting substitute Chloe Knott to let rip from twenty-five yards. Foyle foiled - sorry, couldn't resist! - that effort, and was relieved to see another flash past her post in the 73rd minute, as Cleverley's corner picked out the head of Jensen amidst the gathered throngs. Spirit survived a genuine scare sixty seconds later, as Palmer's well-weighted ball in behind the defence found Rolston arriving on cue to meet it. Offside claims fell on deaf ears as the striker bore down on goal, but she spurned a great chance to restore United's lead, firing past the post as the advancing figure of Foyle closed her down. The visitors had introduced Longo to the fray by this stage, and she quickly made her presence known, tightly bound hamstring notwithstanding. Within three minutes of her appearance, Spirit contrived a by now rare effort on goal - Alfeld dealt comfortably with Cameron's twenty yarder. They continued to probe, but Nicole Stratford and Jensen proved peerless for the duration, their prowess providing the platform for United to come on strong, particularly inside the last five minutes of the match, when the prospect of extra time was beginning to loom large on the horizon. Palmer is a clever player, constantly scheming for ways in which to outsmart her opponents. The back-heel she played, on receipt of Dallas Olsen's pass, to send the fullback scampering down the left in the 85th minute was ample proof of this, as Spirit's right flank was sliced wide open as a result. Olsen exploited the new-found space well, and duly delivered a measured cross which Rolston flicked on at the near post. Unfortunately for United, Lee was two strides too late in arriving to turn it home on the far stick. Two minutes later, Moore calmly contained the danger posed by a Bott cross, only for Rolston to nip in and strip her of possession in the penalty area. The resulting volley had a great degree of difficulty, and there was little surprise in seeing the striker's attempt fail to hit the target, but it certainly came as a relief to a rather startled "Mouse". United were building up a real head of steam now, and two minutes from time, Olsen, Rolston and Palmer combined down the left. The winger raced into the penalty area before picking out Carlsen, whose low fifteen yard drive crashed off the base of the far post - desperately close. Seconds later, Knott took charge of proceedings, ghosted through two Spirit challenges then let fly from the edge of the penalty area. Foyle flung herself to her right to produce a fine parried save. Into stoppage time, and in the third minute of four, Lee found herself in space on the right, and promptly pulled the trigger. Foyle blocked this effort with her legs, but the rebound was swiftly pounced upon by Bott, who got the better of Merrin before firing a cross into the goalmouth. Rolston was first to react to the ball, and with 56 seconds left on the clock, volleyed home from close range to break Coastal Spirit's hearts and end their reign as holders of the ASB National Women's Knockout Cup, beaten 2-1 at the death by a Forrest Hill-Milford United team which has still to taste defeat this season. United:     Alfeld; Bott, Stratford, Jensen, Olsen; Carlsen, Seatter (Knott, 54), Cleverley; O'Brien (Lee, 33), Rolston, Palmer Spirit:          Foyle; Vink (booked, 62) (Da Niel, 85), Moore, Jones, Merrin; Hernandez, Hepburn (booked, 71), Dabner, Proctor (Longo, 72); Webster (Roberts, 50), Cameron Referee:     Helen Mallon