Three Kings United completed the perfect Lotto Northern Premier Women's League season at Galloway Park on August 21, downing previous champions Claudelands Rovers 7-2 to win all eighteen league matches in the campaign. They have become just the sixth team in the forty-four year history of the NPWL to complete a perfect league season, with parent club Eden, in 1987, the last team to achieve the feat, after Mt. Wellington had won all before them without dropping a point in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1986 - 53 games in total. The newly crowned champions got off to a flying start, scoring after just 102 seconds. The initial move saw Sophie Stewart-Hobbs send Paige Satchell streaking down the right, past both Michaela Foster and Serena Murrihy, from where she picked out Martine Puketapu with a low cross. Her shot was blocked by the legs of Emily Hanrahan, but the rebound fell to Isabella Richards, who slammed a shot into the side-netting just 67 seconds into the contest. The resulting goal-kick was a poor one, and Richards was onto it in a flash before feeding Puketapu, who despatched the ball into the top corner of the net on the stretch - a great strike from the Golden Boot winner-in-waiting. United maintained their early pressure, Caitlin Pritchard's sixth minute free-kick being scrambled clear to Satchell, whose shot was smothered by Hanrahan, and whose pace caused the home team problems all game long. It wasn't all one-way traffic, however. Sarah McLaughlin has crafted a hard-working team from next to nothing after last season's title-winning side broke apart for various reasons, with Rovers stalwart Katherine Robinson epitomising their spirit. In the thirteenth minute, she intercepted a Richards pass and surged forward before releasing Sarah Krystman through the inside right channel. Rivalina Fuimaono saved at her feet, to which United responded by strongly pressing for a second goal. Just three minutes later, Stewart-Hobbs and Richards linked up with Satchell, who held off the challenge of Foster to deliver a low cross which Puketapu somehow contrived to steer past the far post - it seemed easier to score than miss! That didn't put Three Kings off, however. Just sixty seconds later, they doubled their lead, with Satchell again instrumental in the move. Both Foster and Murrihy were again left trailing in her wake, and this time the speedster's cross found Alosi Bloomfield up in support. The Young Fern had a lot to do, but did it superbly, evading two challenges before slamming the ball home into the top far corner of the net from an acute angle - 2-0. United were still celebrating when Rovers reminded them that they had no intention of making up the numbers in both clubs' final game of the season. Just two minutes after the goal, the home team were back in the contest, Foster's corner to the far post picking out Leah Gubb, whose drive startled Fuimaono, crossing the line before the 'keeper could react to the danger. 2-1 then, the goal prompting United to renew their efforts to claim an eighteenth league win and enter the history books. And after Puketapu had rattled the side-netting following yet another Satchell raid, the visitors made it 3-1. Claudia Crasborn's 26th minute free-kick was an absolute gem - right into the near post area in between Hanrahan and her defenders. Nadia Pearl stole in to put the 'keeper off as she reacted to the danger, the ball ricocheting off United's skipper into the goalmouth, where Stewart-Hobbs reacted fastest of all to make it 3-1 from close range. Rovers' response saw them reduce the deficit again three minutes later. Jess Philpot tangled with Emma Golding in the penalty area, with the defender fortunate to avoid a red card for what appeared to be a retaliatory shove in response to the striker's challenge. Referee Torres Chang settled on a penalty being the most suitable punishment to address the situation, and Foster wasted little time in sending Fuimaono the wrong way from twelve yards to reduce the deficit to one goal once more. Cue further attacking efforts from United, with Pearl miscuing a shot in the 31st minute after she had combined with Bloomfield, Richards and Satchell to engineer the opening. Hanrahan was little troubled in saving this effort, but had to save at the feet of Satchell soon after, Fuimaono having picked out Puketapu with a clearance which the striker deftly turned into her fellow front-runner's path. The Golden Boot chaser then sent a twenty-five yarder sizzling over the bar, before Foster just managed to head a Crasborn corner to safety before Pearl pounced five minutes before half-time. Pearl went close twice more before the interval, thrashing a long-range effort over the bar before heading another Crasborn corner narrowly over the woodwork, after having - in tandem with Bloomfield and Richards - been engaged in a terrific midfield tussle with Krystman, Helen Talbot and Emma Cawte, who worked their socks off for Claudelands' cause throughout proceedings. United came out all guns blazing in the second spell, with Hanrahan producing a superb save to keep out Bloomfield's dipping effort inside the first forty-five seconds of the half.

Crasborn's resulting corner to the far post saw Pearl lurking with intent once more, but Hanrahan punched the ball off her head. An almighty scramble ensued, with Richards and Tiana Hill in the thick of things, before Puketapu took charge of the situation, evaded two challenges then rattled the bar with a rising drive. Claudelands survived that scare, and went very close to levelling matters soon after. Fuimaono's clearance was pounced on by Krystman, who was prevented from firing home past the out-of-position goalkeeper by Pritchard's desperate covering block. United went straight down the other end of the park following this let-off and restored their two-goal advantage. Stewart-Hobbs sent Satchell motoring down the right once more, and her low cross was deftly steered home by Puketapu - 4-2 after fifty minutes. Three minutes later, any hopes Rovers harboured of denying Three Kings a place in Northern Premier Women's League history evaporated, courtesy a goal from a most unlikely source. United were making in-roads down the left, with Richards and Tessa Leong prominent in their progress, ably supported by Crasborn. The former Junior Fern checked inside off the left flank and curled an inviting cross towards the danger zone … which kept on curling until it struck the inside of the far post and bounced into the net, much to the initial surprise then undisguised glee of the goalscorer. Rovers continued to battle industriously - Cawte's rolled-up sleeves reflected not just the heat of battle, but her intent and willingness to work hard for the cause, a lead many of her team-mates followed. It meant that, over the course of the next half-hour, clear-cut chances were few and far between, with errors the source of those that did present themselves. Such as that on which Satchell pounced in the 62nd minute, which Richards swiftly turned into a chance for Puketapu. While she sent this twenty-five yarder sizzling over the bar, she made no mistake four minutes later, completing her hat-trick with aplomb when through on goal with just Hanrahan to beat, Stewart-Hobbs and Pritchard having worked a one-two to ignite the raid, with Bloomfield's pass instrumental in the final outcome. The same combination - Bloomfield and Puketapu - worked a 74th minute opening which saw Hanrahan turn the striker's shot round the post. Nine minutes later, substitutes Hannah Wall and Hannah Blake combined, with the latter's effort deflecting off Kate Williams into the grateful arms of Hanrahan. Seconds later, Wall worked a cheeky one-two off an opponent, then set Satchell surging past two Rovers players before setting up Puketapu for another shot. This, too, was blocked, Murrihy's denial allowing Claudelands to eventually scramble the ball clear. Three minutes from time, a by now rare Rovers raid was mounted, Foster picking out substitute Chloe Rootes with a ball forward which the youngster chased down well. She then unleashed an angled drive which Fuimaono did well to parry at her near post, the 'keeper looking on with relief as Hill's despairing efforts to latch onto the loose ball saw her just fail to keep control of it within the field of play. United's response to this was to go straight down the other end and apply the coup de grace. Richards released Satchell down the right past two players before picking out the unmarked figure of Blake on the far post - far better there than the hospital bed she'd been occupying twenty-four hours previously, due to illness. Blake unerringly steered the ball into the unguarded net to the delight of her team-mates, who converged on the scorer - she had come from nowhere to fire herself into Golden Boot contention in the last couple of weeks, with Blake's efforts playing a large part in United becoming just the fifth team in NPWL history to score a century of goals in a season. Rovers looked to finish with a flourish - Talbot's twenty-five yarder tore just past the far post - but with a 7-2 scoreline, it was United's day, and season, one which was further rewarded during the post-match activities by the presentation of three NPWL media awards. Alosi Bloomfield was named the Most Improved Player of 2016, while Hannah Blake took out the much-prized Young Player of the Year honour. And the Three Kings team was presented with The Jeremy Ruane Trophy, their eighteen wins from as many league matches fulfilling the award's criteria, which recognises Meritorious Achievement by a women's team or individual from the northern region. Further recognition of United's history-making campaign is anticipated, with Martine Puketapu poised to win the Golden Boot within the week - Western Springs' Rebecca O'Neill will have to score five goals in her team's final game of the season on Friday night to surpass the 27-goal tally which Puketapu has amassed this season, one in which Three Kings United have been, by some distance, the best team in the league. Claudelands:     Hanrahan; Robinson, Williams, Murrihy, Foster; Hill, Talbot, Krystman (Rootes, 75), Cawte, Gubb (Power, 75); Golding Three Kings:     Fuimaono; Stewart-Hobbs (Roberts, 66), Pritchard, Philpot, Crasborn; Richards, Bloomfield (Wall, 81), Pearl; Satchell, Puketapu, Leong (Blake, 54) Referee:     Torres Chang