Eastern Suburbs became the first team to lower the colours of Three Kings United in Lotto Northern Premier League action since June 2015 on May 5, downing the reigning champions 2-0 at Madills Farm to take over at the top of the table on goal difference from the title-holders. This was a terrific encounter between two closely matched sides, and was at times reminiscent of the peak years of Three Kings' incredible rivalry with Lynn-Avon United, a fixture which more often than not pitted the crème de la crème of the country's foremost women's footballers against each other - it wasn't uncommon to see at least eighteen NZ internationals on the park when they clashed. This match boasted sixteen such players with senior or age-grade international experience to their name, and the quality and intensity of football produced bore testimony to that level of skill. The players also fully merited the sizable crowd which surrounded the pitch for this eagerly awaited encounter - few would have been disappointed with what they witnessed. The game enjoyed the perfect start, with Suburbs opening the scoring just six minutes in. Leah Mettam sent Jacqui Hand away down the left, and she outpaced Caitlin Pritchard before delivering a cross to the far post, where Aimee Phillips was flying in to head home from point-blank range. That sparked a strong response from United, with Lily Dowsett and Jessie Mathews combining to release the overlapping Estelle Harrison down the left. Her measured cross picked out the head of Alosi Bloomfield, who should really have headed home, but instead directed a downward header into the grateful gloves of Corina Brown. Three minutes later, Bloomfield swooped on a stray Nicole Mettam pass and, after evading a challenge, played in Dowsett, a surprise starter whose inexperience was frequently exposed during her time on the park - she's not up to this level yet, despite what some would have you believe! On this occasion, the young striker was wrong-footed by the pass, one which would have left her with just Brown to beat. Instead, Suburbs cleared their lines, sparking a thirteenth minute attack in which Tayla O'Brien - to the delight of her vocal fan club! - caught Pritchard in possession and promptly fed Hand, whose shot drew a fine flying save from Rivalina Fuimaono. Two minutes later, Hand sent a rising twenty yarder flashing over the bar after an attempted Claudia Crasborn clearance had ricocheted off O'Brien into Hand's stride during a decent spell of pressure from the home team. Kate Carlton was next to feature for "The Lilywhites", ranging up in support of the attack before delivering a cross from the right onto the head of O'Brien. She headed the ball forward for Phillips, but Fuimaono grabbed well under pressure from the game's first goalscorer. Fuimaono cleared the ball downfield, but Nicole Mettam sent it back towards her, with Hand in hot pursuit. United's 'keeper was always favourite, however, but shanked her attempted clearance, directing it straight to O'Brien, who, when a lob over the head of the stranded 'keeper and into the untended net would have done the job, opted instead to pass to the offside Hand … a golden chance squandered. Paige Satchell's pace will always cause opponents problems, and in the 22nd minute she pinned her ears back and went on a high-speed surge past three opponents before linking with Hannah Blake, who evaded two more challenges, only to shoot tamely at Brown, much to the 'keeper's relief. Now it was United's turn to enjoy a spell of pressure, during which they created just one more opening. Bloomfield spread play wide to Harrison in the 26th minute, and a swift interchange with Blake and Dowsett resulted in the fullback getting beyond Suburbs' back-line and unleashing a cross-shot, one which Brown greedily grabbed. End-to-end action was soon de rigeur, and chances were coming thick and fast. On the half-hour, Grace Jale released Phillips down the right, from where she crossed to the near post for O'Brien. Fuimaono was perfectly placed to thwart the danger, and promptly sparked a counter-attack which sent Claudia Crasborn charging downfield. She linked with Dowsett, who swiftly brought Harrison into the equation. The fullback invited Blake to let fly, something she did from twenty yards after evading a challenge. Brown was grateful to see this 31st minute effort clear her crossbar, but the former age-grade international was smartly off her line to save at Blake's feet two minutes later, Mathews and Bloomfield having combined to prise open Suburbs' rearguard. Back came Suburbs, Hand leading the charge down the left. Pritchard blocked her initial cross, but Hand's second attempt picked out Phillips in the goalmouth, only for Georgia Martin to hurtle across and avert the danger. Rebecca Burrows was having a strong game in United's midfield, and ten minutes before half-time evaded two challenges before unleashing a curling twenty-five yarder. Brown grabbed it gratefully, and instantly sparked a counter-attack which saw Jale release Phillips on the right. She rode Crasborn's tackle before sweeping past Pritchard, only to find Martin to be one challenge too many to overcome.

But the Football Ferns' striker regathered possession and picked out O'Brien with a cross. Under pressure from Pritchard, she was unable to get decent purchase on her header, much to Fuimaono's relief. Seven minutes before the interval, United produced their best chance of the rest of a highly enterprising first half. Crasborn and Burrows were at its heart, with Blake the prime beneficiary. After evading an opponent, she switched play to Harrison, whose through ball once more left Dowsett wrong-footed. Mathews was dashing through in behind the soon-to-be-replaced striker - Hannah Wall was waiting in the wings - but before United's captain could exploit the opportunity, Brown was on hand to save at her feet. The second spell began in similarly lively fashion, this time with Three Kings initially in the ascendancy. Straight from the kick-off, Bloomfield and Crasborn combined with Wall, whose lay-off towards Bloomfield was well anticipated by Liz Ellis. Her attempted clearance cannoned off the midfielder straight through to Brown. Her clearance downfield was latched onto by Nicole Mettam, whose through ball towards Hand was thwarted by Crasborn's splendidly timed tackle. It was an ill-timed challenge five minutes later which had United up in arms, as referee Deb Stevens, who generally had a good game, missed Jale bundling over Bloomfield near the edge of Suburbs' penalty area. While their opponents were disputing matters, "The Lilywhites" stormed downfield, with Hand leading the charge. Her effort was cleared off the line by Burrows, while another effort from the same player seconds later was grabbed by Fuimaono. A fine covering tackle by Burrows prevented Jale from exploiting an opening which came about when O'Brien caught Harrison in possession in the 53rd minute, while three minutes later there were chances at both ends of the park. Suburbs had the first of them, Phillips dashing across both Bloomfield and Crasborn before linking with Nicole Mettam and Carlton, whose shot was blocked by Martin and swiftly cleared to Satchell. Off she charged, storming past all-comers on a sixty yard run which culminated in her low cross to Wall being fired first-time past the far post by a player who, just twenty-four hours earlier, was running the Waiheke Half-Marathon, all 21 kms of it … Two minutes later, a Crasborn corner was cleared, and off charged Phillips on the counter-attack, with Shivi Anthony jockeying the international well as players of both teams appeared on the scene. Hand was the player to whom Phillips turned for support, but Blake was tracking her run and intervened on a timely basis, only to undo her good work with a  poor clearance. Kate Seatter latched onto it, and lashed a twenty-five yarder narrowly past Fuimaono's right-hand post. In the 64th minute, more United pressure resulted in another Crasborn corner, which Jale failed to clear. Bloomfield and Satchell were swarming around the ball as the home team struggled to avert the threat, the ball eventually breaking for Wall, only for Ellis to block her attempt to equalise. Seconds later, United charged again, Blake dashing through the inside left channel past Ellis, leaving her one-on-one with Brown. You somehow sensed this was the moment when United had to score, if their winning streak was going to continue, but the 'keeper plunged bravely at the striker's feet and blocked the threat superbly. Suburbs threatened again twenty minutes from time, Jale and O'Brien combining with Phillips, who burst past two players into the penalty area, only to be denied in the act of shooting by Burrows' brilliantly timed and executed tackle. Back came United, Blake and Wall featuring in a 74th minute raid which culminated in Brown turning Satchell's cross-shot round the post. Two minutes later, Crasborn delivered a measured cross to the far post, where Harrison was arriving on cue, only for Brown to punch clear off her head. That sparked another Suburbs counter-attack, O'Brien leading the charge through the middle, with Jale in acres of space on her left. She opted instead for Hand, who avoided a challenge only to see Fuimaono tip her shot over the bar. Ten minutes from time, United's by now receding hopes of extending their winning streak to thirty games were finally dashed as Suburbs clinched victory, Hand bundling the ball home from close range after another effervescent run from Phillips had given Three Kings' defence the slip one more. Fuimaono parried her shot, but couldn't prevent Hand from applying the coup de grace. She should have added a third goal five minutes from time, blazing over from twenty yards after being picked out in yards of space by Jale. Substitute Hannah Robert looked to drag United back into the contest two minutes later, but Suburbs saw out the time remaining to record their twelfth successive league win and end Three Kings' run on 29 matches - second only to Mt Wellington (1983-6) in the all-time records. Suburbs:     Brown; Carlton, Ellis, Van Dort, L. Mettam; Jale, Seatter, N. Mettam; Phillips, O'Brien, Hand United:     Fuimaono; Crasborn, Pritchard (Anthony, 46), Martin, Harrison; Mathews, Bloomfield (Robert, 83), Burrows; Satchell, Dowsett (Wall, 40), Blake Referee:     Deb Stevens