An inspirational individual display from Amanda Crawford saw Auckland’s “A Team” home to another victory at the National Women’s Soccer Tournament on August 1, the effervescent SWANZ international scoring four goals in her side’s 6-0 defeat of Waikato-Bay of Plenty at Keith Hay Park. The host federation began slugglishly, so much so that Wai-BOP had the game’s first chance in the second minute. But player-coach Lesley Letcher was unable to make the most of Lily Somerfield’s early error, firing wide of Yvonne Vale’s far post. Two goals in four minutes before the quarter hour mark had passed soon put things to rights for the “A Team”, however. Crawford’s through ball released Melanie Gooch, who speared through the visitors’ rearguard before lashing her shot across Kristin Moore and in off the far post to open the scoring in the tenth minute. Four minutes later, Crawford got in on the act. Released by Rebecca Parkinson, she paid scant regard to the opposition’s attempts at playing the offside trap, and set sail for goal, Moore her lone obstacle. A shimmy, a shake, and Moore, too, was in her wake, Crawford rounding the ‘keeper before calmly slotting the ball into the empty net - 2-0. The remainder of the first half was an exercise in frustration, as the quality of some of the “A Team”’s play, particularly their passing game, was not what it could have been, and that’s being polite. All too often, the more difficult option was taken, when the easier approach offered far greater scope for the progression of an attack. It speaks volumes for the remaining thirty minutes of the half that the reigning champions mustered just three noteworthy goalscoring opportunities, two of which were struck straight at Moore by Gooch. The third, a Helen Exler header, flew just wide of the mark moments before the interval. The second spell began in much the same manner, until Crawford decided that enough was enough, and single-handedly went about raising the level of the “A Team”’s performance in the best manner possible - stashing a couple of goals. In the 58th and 63rd minutes, she struck a couple of belters, similar in both conception and execution. Parkinson released her down the right on the first occasion, Crawford barnstorming forward before unleashing an unstoppable twenty yard angled drive across Moore and in by the far post - snorter! Somerfield supplied the pass which sent Crawford zipping away down the left five minutes later, the striker cutting inside this time before letting fly with an angled drive which raged into the far corner of the net to complete her hat-trick - the first of the tournament - in no little style. This was the cue for the “A Team” to pull their socks up and produce some football befitting of their nickname. Within seconds, Sue Taylor had picked out Somerfield with the best pass of the match, an inch-perfect crossfield ball right to the midfielder’s boot. From there, Somerfield cut inside and shot for goal, only for Moore to tip the shot for a corner, which Rebecca Sowden delivered onto Crawford’s head. The sphere sizzled over the bar. Jo Chambers gave Vale cause for concern on a couple of occasions soon after, but the last twenty minutes of the game was largely one-way traffic. Vicki Rainbow sent a shot careering over the crossbar in the 73rd minute, before putting Crawford through one-on-one with Moore. Those who put their house on the hat-trick heroine scoring are now out and about looking for shelter - by Crawford’s standards, it was a shocking finish, although Somerfield went close to rescuing the

situation for her team-mate, turning the wayward strike into a pass from which she tried to score from a tight angle. The sidenetting intervened. Crawford made amends twelve minutes from time, thumping the leather off the ball from under the shadows of the crossbar to score her fourth goal of the game, the “A Team”’s fifth, after Gooch had scampered down the left, powered her way past Donna White and fired goalwards, only for Moore to parry her attempt to score. Five minutes later, Gooch found herself unwillingly playing the role of the meat in a Wai-BOP sandwich! Unfortunately for the beaten team, their own penalty area is not the best place to conduct such business!! Fortunately for the beaten team, Crawford sent her spot-kick sailing over the bar towards the driving range of the adjoining golf course - four (fore?) goals was to be her lot on this occasion. The “A Team” weren’t finished yet, though. Realising the need to improve their goal difference, should their bid to win a fifth consecutive National Championship come down to such means, they continued to press for a sixth goal, and duly recorded it five minutes from time. Crawford, Somerfield and Gooch teamed up before the second-mentioned received the ball and, from the edge of the penalty area, cheekily chipped in via the far post. Within a minute, Crawford, having feinted her way past Wai-BOP’s best performer, Kelly Aitken, surged forward before unleashing a fierce drive which struck the far angle of post and crossbar. But 6-0 was to be the “A Team”’s lot, a result which confirms their top-of-the-table ranking after the fourth day’s play, on goal difference from their opponents in Saturday’s final round of action, Wellington. “A Team”:              Vale; Humby, Exler (Taylor, 46), McCahill, Hicks; Parkinson, Sowden (Rainbow, 68), Hill, Somerfield; Crawford, Gooch Waikato - BOP:     Moore; Aitken, Carter, White, Rodgers; Webb, Holmes, Maurice, Ward (Cooper, 78); Letcher (Chambers, 63), Newton (Stirling, 58) Referee:                  Sam Narayan