Auckland bounced back to winning ways in devastating fashion in the Lion Foundation National Women's League at Bill McKinlay Park on November 12, as Soccersouth copped a big-time backlash from the “A Team” following their defeat at Capital Soccer a week ago. With seven goals materialising in the last twenty minutes, the Aucklanders mauled their southern counterparts 12-0, setting a new record for the biggest victory in the four-year history of the National Women's League in the process as they went about returning to winning ways with a vengeance. Having scored their first-ever win over South Island rivals Mainland Soccer a week ago - sweet revenge over opponents who had inflicted upon the southerners the previous record league victory of 10-0 at Timaru in 2003, Soccersouth came north aiming to give outgoing captain and defensive colossus Tess Murphy a send-off befitting of the outstanding service she has given the southernmost federation during her four-year teacher training course. Unfortunately for the visitors, Auckland's reversal a week ago meant they were like the proverbial bear with a sore head, and woe betide their next opponents when they're in that sort of mood. Soccersouth found themselves in the firing line, hence Murphy's farewell appearance will be etched in the National Women's League records for a wee while longer than she would like it to be! It could have been a great deal worse for the southerners, however, as Auckland missed at least twice as many chances as they scored. They ripped into their opponents as if there was no tomorrow, with Melanie Gooch firing across the face of goal just sixty-nine seconds into the match, after Marlies Oostdam had stripped Una Madden of possession. Within ninety seconds, Oostdam herself went close, volleying wide after Kristy Hill had won an aerial duel. Their stall set out, the “A Team” probed for more openings, but Murphy and side-kick Nancy Campbell stood firm over the course of the next five minutes, while Jen Kendall looked to make good use of what ball came the visitors' way early in the match, without enjoying much support from her team-mates. Inevitably, Auckland found another way towards goal, and in the eighth minute, Oostdam, Hill and Grace Vincent combined to release Maia Jackman at pace down the right. She evaded Mariah Meagher's challenge before firing in a cross which Soccersouth goalkeeper Rebekah Brook gathered at the feet of both Gooch and Margot Bowker. The latter loomed on the left flank seconds later, and linked with Gooch, only for Murphy to intervene. Oostdam picked up the pieces and whipped in a delightfully weighted cross which Jackman somehow contrived to head wide, when scoring appeared easier. The fourteenth minute saw the southerners raiding, and they came desperately close to opening the scoring. Kendall's corner was cleared back to her, and she fired over a deep cross beyond the far post. Jamie Hackett was lurking with intent, and lashed a fierce volley goalwards, Stephanie Puckrin's reflex actions seeing her stick out a leg to divert the ball against the post, off which the ball ricocheted for another corner. Jackman headed this clear, and Hill forced Murphy all the way back towards her own goal. Gooch swooped on the outnumbered defender and raced goalwards before setting up a shooting chance for Vincent, one the midfielder sent narrowly over the bar from twenty-five yards. The “A Team” were getting closer, and after Oostdam had fired wide following the combination play of Sarah Gibbs and Gooch on the left, they finally broke the deadlock in the nineteenth minute. Given the number of set-piece opportunities they have spurned this season, it was somewhat ironic that this was to be a day when a raft of goals came from corners. This one was a gem, however, Oostdam picking out Terry McCahill with her delivery, the captain promptly sending a towering fifteen-yard header crashing into the net to open the scoring. With Murphy and company defending stoutly, and Kendall and Kushla Glover trojan-like in midfield, the visitors gave as good as they got over the course of the next few minutes, but gradually Auckland's pressure began to tell. In the 27th minute, Oostdam and Bowker linked with a one-two on the left flank, with the former slipping a great ball through to allow Gooch to hit the turbo button. The striker streaked through to win the ball ahead of Brook and Murphy, and swiftly crossed into the goalmouth, where Jackman and Madden arrived instantaneously. Much to the Auckland player's bemusement, referee Matthew Cooke signalled she had fouled Madden in the process of attempting to turn the ball home - you could count on one hand the number of free-kicks awarded for foul play in this match, its free-flowing nature punctuated only by a certain “A Team” player's penchant for frequently falling foul of the offside trap. (“Not again, Goochie …!!”) The chief culprit was the beneficiary of a delightful interchange featuring Hill, Bowker, Melissa Ray and Oostdam in the 28th minute, and Brook didn't know an awful lot about Gooch's shot. Somehow she blocked it, however, and recovered quickly to save the rebound off Campbell. On the half-hour, Auckland doubled their advantage, and again, a set-piece was the source. Dana Humby's wicked corner to the near post wasn't cleared, and both Bowker and McCahill had a go at turning the ball home. The latter's effort ricocheted across the goal area, struck a southerner's leg then cannoned into the net off the leg of Ray - 2-0, and try stopping the defender from claiming it! The “A Team” started to work through the gears now that they had a solid lead on which to launch their quest to win with a flourish. Vincent sent Jackman scurrying down the right five minutes later, but Brook reached her cross before Gooch did. The striker was in again seconds afterwards, evading three challenges before Brook blocked her shot with her legs. Ray and Vincent then teamed up to send Jackman hurtling down the right. She hit a full-blooded volley which was careering towards the top far corner of the net until Brook produced a superb save to turn it to safety, and left the midfielder wondering what she had to do to score her first goal since August 2004! Just before half-time, Brook again denied Jackman, the number seven this time having been picked out by Oostdam before scooting round Madden and cutting inside to hit a cross-shot towards goal. The `keeper tipped the shot round the post for a corner, which Oostdam took. Again, McCahill was her target, and as before, the captain sent another fifteen-yard header flying into the net - 3-0. There was still time for Jackman to be thwarted once more by Brook before the break, Bowker having headed a Humby free-kick down into her team-mate's stride in what was the number nine's last act of the match. Straight from the kick-off, her replacement, the Golden Boot-chasing Rebecca Tegg, was unleashed by Vincent, and the striker fired in a low cross for Gooch. Campbell thwarted her on this occasion, while Oostdam's subsequent piledriver was splendidly saved by Brook. She couldn't hang on to the shot, however, much to the delight of the player following in. Jackman pounced from close range, and, in a rare display

Rebecca Tegg and Nancy Campbell Jen Kendall and Melanie Gooch Tess Murphy Michele Keinzley and Nancy Campbell Maia Jackman Leanne Tiffen Una Madden tackled by Marlies Oostdam Tess Murphy and Margot Bowker Melissa Ray heads home the final goal

of emotion, punched the air with joy upon ending her personal goalscoring drought. Three minutes later, Tegg intercepted a pass intended for Campbell on half-way, and via Gooch, the ball was sent down the right for Jackman to pursue. Latching onto it, she rounded Meagher and swept in a low cross for Gooch. “That's mine!”, said Murphy, and the danger was averted. After the ball had cannoned wide off Hill following a Humby corner, an Oostdam delivery found Jackman's head. Brook, despite suffering from stomach cramps, pulled off a great save, with the rebound landing at the feet of Ray. Defenders normally don't dribble in the penalty area, but when you're a defender in the opposition's eighteen yard box, unwritten rules matter not one whit! Melissa Maradona's progress was quickly curtailed, however, much to the relief of all present! A stray Humby pass intended for Gibbs in the 56th minute was pounced on by Campbell, who swiftly released substitute striker Kelly Brazier through Auckland's depleted defensive ranks. Ray was hurtling back towards goal as the striker lobbed the advancing Puckrin, and was shaping to hook clear when the ball struck the post - the second time in the match Auckland's goal frame had been hit. Puckrin gratefully gathered the rebound and promptly threw the ball out to Humby, who launched the ball forward. Gooch steamed through in pursuit, and after gathering it in, cut inside and let fly. Brook saved again, but Tegg was following up … 5-0, just fifteen seconds after it could so easily have been 4-1. That goal was akin to a dagger through the southerners' hearts, but while they were mortally wounded, their spirit was still strong, and they kept pressing for some reward from the match. In the 62nd minute, Brazier, Hackett and Jo Rombouts linked to good effect, only for the move to founder on McCahill's intervention, the “A Team”'s captain promptly launching a counter-attack. Away raced Tegg, who quickly closed down Brook to the extent that the goalkeeper's attempted clearance cannoned off the striker. Tegg, despite being off-balance, was first to the rebound, and her goalscoring instincts saw her let fly towards the gaping target. She fired wide on this occasion. Both Hill and Gibbs lost their footing in the 66th minute, slips which allowed Hackett to slip the ball through for Brazier to exploit the spaces which had suddenly appeared in Auckland's rearguard. Her chip drifted wide of Puckrin's goal … cue the Alamo! For the southerners, the last twenty-one minutes was akin to a nightmare, as Auckland went from simply winning the game comfortably to handing out a fearful battering. Seven times they struck in this timeframe, a withering burst of firepower which had the visitors longing for the final whistle well before its sound finally put them out of their misery. Vincent sent Gooch careering through in a one-on-one situation with Brook, only to lift the ball over the bar. She wasn't so profligate sixty seconds later, however, this time rounding Campbell and sweeping past Murphy before despatching the sixth goal of the game past Brook with some aplomb. 6-0 after seventy minutes became 7-0 two minutes later. Hill and Oostdam combined to put tremendous pressure on Glover, and the midfielder simply had no answer to their pincer effect. Gooch was gifted possession, and again produced an accomplished finish with just Brook to beat. In between Tegg and substitute Michele Keinzley thundering twenty-five yard efforts around the target, the latter marked her introduction to the match with the eighth goal of the game, twelve minutes from time. Gibbs' buccaneering run down the left saw her scythe into the penalty area and fire a cross-shot across the face of goal, before berating her team-mates for their lack of support. Suitably chastised, they responded within seconds, Vincent pouncing on the resulting goal-kick to turn and play Tegg in. Her pass was fired first-time by Keinzley across the luckless Brook into the far corner of the net. 8-0 became 9-0 four minutes later, and again Keinzley was instrumental in the goal. After getting the better of Campbell on the right, she played the ball inside for Gooch before surging forward in support. The striker fired goalwards, but Meagher blocked the shot, only for the rebound to fall to Keinzley. Cutting inside, she fired in a curling cross with which the leaping figure of Tegg failed to make contact. No matter, for the curl on the ball took it into the net anyway - cue a sheepish grin on the scorer's face as she accepted her colleagues' kudos. Straight from the kick-off, Soccersouth forced a corner, which Kendall delivered. Humby rose to head clear, Keinzley played the ball on, and away surged Tegg. With an artful lob the means to beat Brook, the striker opted for brute force from long range. The ball hit the hoardings with a resounding thud. The ball hit the net with a mere swish seconds later, as double-figures were registered. Murphy headed a Humby cross out to Hill, who threaded a pass through for Tegg. By slipping the ball past Brook, she took the lead in the race for the Golden Boot award, one which will sit nicely alongside that which she won as top goalscorer at the World University Games in September. Two minutes from time, the southerners' despair was clearly evident, as the marking at a corner was non-existent. Humby clipped the ball into the goalmouth, and Ray was already celebrating before she headed home from four yards - there was no-one in a blue shirt within four yards of her as she did so! Humby released Keinzley down the right seconds later, and the substitute, after getting the better of Campbell, lured Brook out of goal only to fire across the face of the target. This effort deserved better fate, but there was one player in particular on the park whose performance was fully deserving of a goal, and in stoppage time, she registered it. Auckland's record victory over the southerners is a 16-0 rout at the 2000 National Tournament, and one of the scorers in that match was on hand to net just her third goal in blue-and-white five years on. Hill, whose only other goal for the “A Team” was the very first goal in the history of the National Women's League, took great delight in tucking the ball home from a tight angle, having muscled her way through the defence, working one-twos with Keinzley and Tegg en route. It brought about the final scoreline, a 12-0 rout which Soccersouth won't forget in a hurry, and which confirmed a home semi-final against Central Soccer in a week's time for the “A Team”, who went about reaffirming the standards on which they pride themselves by setting a new mark for the biggest victory in National Women's League history, which, but for profligate finishing, could have ended considerably higher. Auckland:     Puckrin; Humby, Ray, McCahill, Gibbs; Jackman (Keinzley, 72), Hill, Vincent, Oostdam (Fraser, 79); Gooch, Bowker (Tegg, 46) Soccersouth:     Brook; Madden, Murphy, Campbell, Meagher (Mearns, 84); Tiffen, Kendall, Glover, Rombouts (Houge, 70); Hackett, Proffitt (Brazier, 42) Referee:     Matthew Cooke