Three Kings United handed Onehunga Sports a 4-0 drubbing in the rain at Keith Hay Park on Mother's Day, giving "The Green Machine" a first-hand lesson in how to play in such conditions. Not via the hit and hope nonsense to which the visitors resorted, thankyou very much - if you want to watch that sort of bog-standard stuff, head along to a local men's match! Try employing it in these conditions, with the backing of a northerly wind blasting down the ground, and you're effectively frittering hard-earned possession away at almost every opportunity. United did everything Sports didn't - they passed the ball around, mostly along the rain-slicked grass and into the stride of players whose anticipation of the pass more often than not gave them a yard's start on their direct opponent, something which was exploited to good effect during proceedings. Maisy Dewell made the first such in-roads in what was an attritional first half, her progress down the right culminating in a deflected seventh minute shot from Rebecca Burrows which Pam Yates smothered to her right. Long-range free-kicks from Hayley Bilk appeared to be Sports' favoured means of attack in the first spell, but neither troubled Rivalina Fuimaono unduly. Mind, the same can be said of Tessa Leong's first attempt to score, in the 27th minute. Having caught Maika Boonekamp in possession on the edge of the centre circle, United's leading markswoman from 2018 stormed downfield to the edge of the penalty area, from where she unleashed a rising drive which ballooned over both Yates and the crossbar. Soon afterwards, Leong was looking to make amends, and led Bilk a merry dance down the left before whipping in a cross to the far post which Dewell volleyed over the bar. Eight minutes before half-time, a Leong corner was cleared back to her, while her subsequent cross was redirected to Alosi Bloomfield, who held the ball up well before inviting Leong to unleash another attempt. This one was a shot, and it wasn't far off target. Three minutes later, Sports finally cottoned on to the way forward, and instead of needlessly frittering away hard-earned possession, strung together a few passes to produce their best attack of the match. Courtney Rowse linked with Kirstyn Oldfield and Annabelle Pakieto, whose through ball invited Stevenson to let fly. Her effort flashed past the post, but worse was to befall the midfielder soon after the interval. Before it, United twice went close to breaking the deadlock. In the 42nd minute, Dewell switched play to Bloomfield, who had Leong looping around her in anticipation of a pass into her stride which duly arrived seconds later. The striker took the ball on before cutting inside and letting fly, an effort Yates grabbed greedily. Two minutes later, a Petra Buyck corner was cleared to Burrows, who evaded two opponents before unleashing a shot which had Bloomfield ducking for cover as it arrowed towards the far corner of the net, a destination it failed to reach thanks to the intervention of Colleen Winstanley. Sports had no such luck 100 seconds into the second half. Leong picked out Burrows in space, and with the wind now behind her, the wily midfielder let rip from thirty yards with a piledriver which crashed against the underside of the bar before bouncing down and up into the roof of the net - 1-0 United. Straight from the kick-off, Stevenson stormed downfield, charging into the penalty area where she

was upended by Shivi Anthony. Referee Wendy McNeely had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from where Stevenson should have made amends. But her shot soared high, wide and far from handsomely over Fuimaono's goal - a glorious chance to equalise ingloriously spurned. Despite the energetic efforts of Nina Feliciano to turn the tide, there was no way back for Sports after that miss, with United continuing to dominate possession, probing passing occasionally unhinging "The Green Machine" and producing openings such as that in the 54th minute. Emma Leaming and Georgia Martin combined with Jessie Mathews, who unleashed Buyck down the left with a sumptuous forty yard pass into the speedster's stride. After getting the better of Bilk, Buyck buzzed a low cross into the goalmouth which got the better of Yates and was nearly turned into her own net by the fast-retreating figure of Oldfield - it was a real let-off for Onehunga. Three minutes later, Buyck featured again, this time working a one-two with Leong, whose return pass was delicious. Into the penalty area Buyck surged before drilling a low drive across the diving figure of Yates and inches past the far post. United finally struck pay dirt half-way through the second spell. Bloomfield and Dewell combined to send Leong dashing through the inside right channel, where she evaded a challenge before unleashing a scorching drive which sailed over the head of Yates and crashed into the top far corner of the net - 2-0, and somehow you felt that was the contest settled. Sure enough, it was, but the scoreboard operator had a bit of work to do yet. Ten minutes from time, a Burrows run resulted in a Buyck shot being blocked for a corner, which Buyck delivered into the danger zone. Lily Taitimu let rip with a drive which was blocked by her own team-mate, Anthony, allowing Sports to scramble the ball to the seeming safety of another corner. Leong, however, had different ideas, and fired in a delivery to the near post which the unfortunate figure of Winstanley, in attempting to head the sphere clear, succeeded only in directing the ball past Yates - 3-0, eight minutes from time. There was no respite for the vanquished visitors, who survived Buyck's attempt to score direct from a corner and the denial of a second Leong goal due to a foul in the build-up. A fourth United goal wasn't to be denied, however, and as the game entered stoppage time, the home team delivered the coup de grace. Martin and Leaming linked up with Leong, who turned and threaded a pass into the stride of Bloomfield. The midfielder engineered some space for herself on the edge of the area from where she steered a shot wide of Yates and in by the base of the far post - 4-0 to Three Kings, and a fitting note on which to end this particular lesson on the finer points of employing a style of play which effectively takes the inclement conditions out of the equation. Yes it was windy, and the accompanying rain, especially in the second spell, made life decidedly uncomfortable for all present. But if you keep the ball at ground level and employ penetrating passes to unhinge the opposition, you'll more often than not win football matches whatever the weather. Three Kings:     Fuimaono; Anthony (Tinsley, 90), Pritchard, Martin, Leaming; Burrows, Mathews (Taitimu, 79), Bloomfield; Dewell (Russ, 83), Leong, Buyck Onehunga:     Yates; Bilk (booked, 43), M. Boonekamp, Winstanley, Oldfield; Rowse, Bradley, Stevenson (S. Boonekamp, 60); Snell (Feliciano, 46), Pakieto (Bennett, 71), Gow Referee:     Wendy McNeely