Claudelands Rovers advanced to their second successive National Women's Knockout Cup Final on 7 August, outclassing Halswell United 8-0 at Halswell Domain by scoring four goals in each half. The home team mounted plenty of early pressure as they sought to score an early goal, but Grace Parkinson and Holly Patterson combined to carve out the game's first clear-cut opening for Hannah Wong in the third minute. The retreating Ilana Moir denied the Rovers striker on this occasion, but Wong had just three minutes to wait before breaking the deadlock, shooting home early and accurately past Noran Abaza after Nicole Stratford had played an early ball forward which gave Patterson licence to run at the Halswell rearguard. Sarah McLaughlin and Kate Loye combined to create an opening for Patterson in the eighth minute which the lively wide player just failed to get on the end of, before the effervescent Patterson gave Isla Smith a roasting en route to whipping in a cross which cannoned off Wong's thigh over the bar in the eleventh minute. Abaza grabbed a Patterson effort which was bound for the top corner of the net seconds later, then watched a McLaughlin effort clear her crossbar as Rovers eased off the pressure. They almost paid the price for their sloppiness, a failing which Halswell quickly took advantage of in their bid to get back on even terms. Gabrielle Brodie's shot on the run, after evading three challenges, was tipped round the post at the last second by Naomi-Beth Carter in the eighteenth minute, while two minutes later, Rovers' 'keeper had to deal with an Alice Pilgrim piledriver after punching out Franki McAdam's well-flighted corner. Just when Halswell were fancying their chances, and giving it a real good go to draw level, they had the wind taken out of their sails against the run of play in the 28th minute by a trademark twenty-five yarder from McLaughlin which dipped in under the crossbar - Abaza was anticipating the effort would result in a goal-kick. The home team, savouring the presence of the thick end of 300 locals at "The Nest", fired another shot across Rovers' bows five minutes later when a deflected Gabrielle Brodie shot brought a scrambled save from Carter to thwart a McAdam-inspired move deserving of better fate. Rovers' response saw them piling on the pressure. Loye played a lovely ball through for Patterson in the 36th minute, and she dashed around the advancing figure of Abaza before directing the ball towards the unguarded net from a tight angle. Thanks to the intervention of the fast-retreating figure of Moir, it never got there. Abaza then dealt easily with a Parkinson shot, after she had worked a one-two with Wong on the edge of the penalty area, then pulled off a splendid reflex save to her left to deny Patterson after Wong's perseverance in closing down a defender had benefited her fellow Young Ferns team-mate. Abaza's save was in vain, however. The corner which resulted was played short by Loye to Patterson, who skipped past the challenge of McAdam before setting up Holly Nixon for a shot on the turn. It ricocheted off two defenders and a post before finally crossing the line, and the look of despair on the goalkeeper's face when it did said it all. Penny Chapman chanced her arm with a thirty yard free-kick which Carter grabbed under her crossbar in the 42nd minute, and featured along with Pilgrim, Rachel Brodie, Poppy Binning and McAdam - fine off-the-ball movement by her - as United engineered an opening for Gabrielle Brodie, whose hanging cross was greedily grabbed by Carter. Rovers retorted via a Kylie Jens drive which flew across the face of goal, while a goal on the stroke of half-time killed off any lingering hopes Halswell may have held of an unlikely revival. The key to the goal was the movement of fullback Stratford, whose overlapping run down the right was rewarded by a delicious pass into her stride from Parkinson. Rovers' captain steered a low cross into the goalmouth, where Patterson was on hand to score the goal her display fully merited. Straight from the kick-off, and before the half-time whistle, Gabrielle Brodie made a bee-line for the Rovers' goal, weaving through challenges before being foiled by the fine anticipation of Carter, who saved the striker's shot at her feet. Carter and Abaza exchanged saves from shots on goal inside the first six minutes of the second half - McAdam and Stratford were the players most

frustrated - while the latter goalkeeper was again in action in the 53rd minute, a result of Carlton and Wong combining to send Patterson down the right, from where her cross was fumbled by Abaza. Halswell scrambled the loose ball to safety, and hadn't given up hope of celebrating a goal of their own in their first semi-final appearance since 1998, and third overall. Carlton was forced to head a McAdam corner off her line in the 55th minute, while Chapman drew a smothered save from Carter two minutes later when letting fly from twenty yards. In the 59th minute, Rovers went nap, a result of Parkinson splitting the defence with a pass which allowed Wong to slot home past the stranded figure of Abaza from the edge of the penalty area. Claudelands started to enjoy themselves at this point, and conjured up some delightful moves in the next few minutes. Alex Shadbolt and Jens linked with Loye to set up Wong in the 64th minute, only for Abaza to save the striker's shot on this occasion. Mairi Whittle blocked another shot from Wong seconds later, with Patterson directing the rebound straight at Abaza, who could have done better in the 65th minute when Rovers extended their advantage still further. Another riveting raid resulted in Patterson powering past opponents down the right before whipping in a cross. McLaughlin, arriving on the far post, stooped to conquer, directing a header from somewhere around hip height into the top far corner of the net - flawless execution, but definitely one which Abaza could have denied. Rovers were in party piece mode now, with Shadbolt and Loye linking with Wong in the 66th minute. The striker controlled the ball well under pressure before presenting Loye with a shooting chance via the cheekiest of back-heeled lay-offs. Abaza produced another fine save to prevent the ball from arrowing into the top corner of the net. Olivia Chance was introduced to the fray soon afterwards - as if Halswell didn't have enough to concern themselves with! The fleet-footed flank player was quickly into her stride, working a 71st minute one-two with Jens before setting up Loye with a shot which the Young Ferns vice-captain should have done a great deal better with from ten yards. Seconds later, the duo combined again, with the cultured fullback leading the charge until she was tripped just inside the penalty area in the 72nd minute. Up stepped Chance to make it 7-0 from the spot, something she did with aplomb, her shot too fast for the diving figure of Abaza to deny. A series of substitutions, and the booking of one of them, disrupted the flow of the game inside the final fifteen minutes. Erin Heine's late challenge fully merited the yellow card administered by referee Jonathan Bell, who was otherwise afforded an armchair ride by the players as they simply got on with the task at hand. The final ten minutes saw several enterprising Rovers raids unveiled, with Loye shooting tamely after Wong and Patterson had carved Halswell open once more. Chance was next to press for goal, stripping Moir of possession before seeing Patterson's shot from her low cross being blocked to safety by Abaza. Halswell's 'keeper produced a superb one-handed save to thwart Loye's thirty yard screamer in the 84th minute, but the visitors had just seconds to wait before they could celebrate their final goal of the day. Loye was the architect of the opening, her pass picking out Patterson, whose initial attempt to shoot was blocked. She swiftly pulled the trigger once more, as the ball fell kindly for her, and Abaza was left completely wrong-footed by the effort, which arrowed into the net to wrap up an emphatic 8-0 victory for Claudelands. The victors' overall performance is best described as good in patches - they have played more consistently than this over ninety minutes. However, it was enough to see off the challenge of Halswell, who were plucky contenders but ultimately outclassed. Halswell:     Abaza; Harkerss (Rennie, 79), Moir, Whittle, Smith; McAdam (Heine, 68 (booked, 77)), Binning, Pilgrim, R. Brodie (Lawry, 54); Chapman, G. Brodie Claudelands:     Carter; Stratford (Robinson, 74), Carlton, Shadbolt, Jens; Patterson, Parkinson (Chance, 68), Loye, Nixon (O'Connell, 74), McLaughlin; Wong Referee:     Jonathan Bell