Soccer2 kicked off the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League in winning style at McLennan Park, Papakura, on October 12, but it would be fair to say their 3-0 victory over Capital Soccer was decidedly flattering.      The Wellington region’s representatives deserved far better than to head for home on the wrong end of this scoreline, as they made a significant contribution to a hard-fought encounter, watched by 150 people.      It was their Auckland-based counterparts who had the first chance to break the deadlock, however, Melanie Gooch going down under the challenge of Wellington goalkeeper Pam Yates in the seventh minute, after the striker had pounced on Alexandra Hansen’s under-hit back-pass. Referee Jan-Hendrik Hintz was in two minds about giving a penalty, but ultimately gave Yates the benefit of the doubt.      The resulting goal-kick saw the visitors mount their first attack of note, with Angela Goodridge ignoring the challenges of Melissa Ray and Terry McCahill to unleash a twenty-yard drive which shaved the woodwork on its way past Yvonne Vale’s left-hand upright.      The Aucklanders then found themselves somewhat under the cosh, as a Nicky Smith corner wasn’t cleared, prompting Nicola Morrison to gain possession on the right and drill in a low cross with which Goodridge just failed to connect. The hosts scrambled clear on this occasion.      Back came the Soccer2 combination, Hayley Moorwood testing Yates with a twenty-yard grasscutter in the sixteenth minute, after the Wellingtonians had failed to clear an Amanda Crawford corner.      Six minutes later, and the home team had the best chance of the match so far. Effective approach play down the right, featuring Dana Heiford, Maia Jackman and Crawford, culminated in Gooch whipping in a deep cross which Yates completely misjudged. Up leapt Pip Meo, who sent her header careering goalwards, only for Hansen to produce a splendid goal-line clearance to maintain parity on the scoreboard.      The deadlock was broken eleven minutes before half-time, after a period of play in which Wellington had enjoyed plenty of possession, but found penetrating the Terry McCahill-marshalled Auckland rearguard a different prospect entirely. Smith resorted to her box of tricks on numerous occasions, but every roll of the dice came up with the "Back to Square One" message very much in evidence.      But the Aucklanders weathered the storm, and via the pace of Gooch, forced a series of corners in the 34th minute. The first was cleared, prompting a second, which Crawford delivered deep to the far post. Kristy Hill came charging through the crowd, and the ball cannoned off her ribcage and into the bottom right-hand corner of Yates’ net - 1-0 to the locals, with Hill unable to contain her delight.      Within minutes, Gooch had the chance to double her team’s advantage, Jackman dispossessing Rebecca O’Neill in central midfield and sending the speedster clear of the defence, although it was touch and go as to whether she was onside when the ball was played.      The officials thought so, and Gooch hesitated not, bearing down on goal at a great rate of knots. Two defenders later, she was left with just Yates to beat, but shot straight at the goalkeeper - a glorious chance lost.      A terror for rallying the troops at any time for any reason, Smith coaxed and cajoled her largely less experienced colleagues towards greater efforts, and proceeded to lead by example as the visitors sought to draw level two minutes before the break.      Getting the better of Ray on Wellington’s left, she slipped the ball inside for Goodridge, who shot early as Yvonne Vale advanced to reduce the angle. The goalkeeper parried superbly, and swiftly recovered to prevent the youthful Goodridge from capitalising on the rebound.      The visitors came out of the starting blocks like demons in the second spell, the kick-off of which was delayed due to the referee having mislaid a contact lens. (Blindness, of course, is one of the pre-requisites for the position!!)      Smith created the first opening for Goodridge just two minutes into the half, but the striker took too many touches, allowing Heiford to clear the danger. O’Neill and the lively Andrea Scott then linked on the right, the latter firing over a cross which picked out Goodridge unmarked in the penalty area.      Vale quickly hurtled off her line, but the striker despatched the ball past her, only to look on in horror as the sphere cannoned

off the inside of Vale’s right-hand post and back into the grateful arms of the prone goalkeeper.      Smith then delivered a free-kick to the far post which O’Neill headed wide of the target in the 52nd minute, as the Aucklanders struggled to counter their rivals’ strong start to the half. Crawford and Lily Somerfield combined to release Gooch, as the home team enjoyed a brief respite, but the striker, again in a one-on-one situation, presented Yates with the easiest of saves.      The goalkeeper quickly thumped the ball downfield, and Smith took control. The SWANZ international prised open the home team’s rearguard by playing a superb double one-two with Goodridge, the last pass from Smith presenting the striker with a glorious opportunity to level the scores. But before Goodridge could pull the trigger, Hill produced a superb goal-saving tackle to ensure the scoreline remained 1-0 to the Aucklanders.      The combative defender injured herself in the process of keeping her team in front - the rock-hard McLennan Park pitch left Hill sporting a thigh scrape a good three square inches in size - and departed the field to be replaced by Dana Humby.      The visitors continued to probe, but it was Yates who was next in action, denying Moorwood - she had a whale of a game - after the midfielder scampered through onto an opening created by the combined efforts of Somerfield and Crawford in the 62nd minute.      Unperturbed, Wellington pounded away, with player-coach Wendi Henderson not far away from catching out Vale with an ambitious forty-yard lob, after the SWANZ international had shown some delightful skill in midfield to outwit two opponents.      Unbelievably, it was the visitors’ last worthwhile goalscoring opportunity, for as the match moved into the last fifteen minutes, the Aucklanders began to impose themselves on proceedings, fitness beginning to play a part in the match.      Sure enough, it paid dividends on the scoreboard, the home team grabbing two goals in the final four minutes to emerge triumphant, and leave their opponents decidedly disappointed.      The second goal of the game came in the 89th minute. McCahill intercepted a Smith pass and, with the assistance of Humby, sent Gooch scampering through the offside trap - Hansen was a split-second too slow in stepping up.     Away went the striker, and this time she heeded the calls to take her time before slipping the ball past the advancing Yates and into the gaping net - 2-0 to the Aucklanders, and a few Wellington chins on chests as a result.      Gooch and Yates collided as the ball headed towards the target, with the goalkeeper left somewhat the worse for wear as a result. Not that it had any bearing on the final goal, which came in stoppage time, and was the best of the game.      Jackman had had a battle royal with the most impressive Monika Gut throughout the duration of this encounter, and the Wellington representative should be proud of her outstanding display.      But with time up on the clock, the recent Chinese Women’s Super League professional got the better of her opponent to latch onto a Somerfield pass and send a cross screaming across the face of goal.      The ball flew just too far ahead of the incoming Crawford, and the chance appeared lost. But following up on the far post was Rachel Doody, who crowned her senior debut with a composed finish, coolly placing her angled shot inside Yates’ near post to wrap up a 3-0 victory for the Soccer2 National Women’s League team.      "I would have been quite happy with a 1-0 loss", said Capital’s player-coach, Wendi Henderson, afterwards, "but we’re very disappointed to have lost 3-0. It was a great start for the NWSL to have a game like that".      Soccer2’s coach, Sue Taylor, was well pleased with her side’s efforts. "It was a real battle which both teams contested exceptionally well. I was really pleased with our fitness levels - they surprised me - and the efforts of our young players, in particular Hayley Moorwood, who was outstanding". Soccer2:    Vale; Hill (Humby, 56), McCahill, Ray; Jackman, Somerfield, Heiford (Rainbow, 58), Moorwood, Meo (Doody, 71); Crawford, Gooch Capital:    Yates; Hansen, Sargent, Morrison; Scott, O’Neill, Henderson, Paterson, Gut; Smith (Vasey, 90), Goodridge Referee:    Jan-Hendrik Hintz