Three Kings United strengthened their grip on top spot in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League at Seddon Fields on 29 April, edging nearest rivals Western Springs 2-1 to give themselves a six-point advantage over all-comers at the end of April. There was little to choose between the teams in the first forty-five minutes, which was a genuine arm wrestle for supremacy between two sides who are both closing in on a decade since last brandishing aloft the championship trophy at the end of the season. "The Hoops" enjoyed the first chance, Sophie Stewart-Hobbs heading off the line just two minutes into the match to deny Megan Robertson, who met Elaine Murray's corner with a fierce header which would have found the net had the fullback not been covering the far post. Springs maintained good early pressure on United, not allowing the league leaders much time on the ball. As a result, passes frequently went astray - from both teams, as no sooner did "The Hoops" gain possession then they were turning it over within a handful of touches of the ball. All in all, a rather scrappy phase of play which, thankfully, didn't last. Liz Anton gave the home team a scare in the fifteenth minute, under-hitting a back-pass when under pressure from Martine Puketapu, who raced on in pursuit of the ball. Ashleigh McNaughton was alert to the danger, however, and just managed to clear her lines before the striker could swoop. It was the only occasion United threatened in the first half-hour of play, due in part to the sterling defensive efforts of Harriet Steele and Jess Verdon on the flanks, the fullbacks utilising their guile and experience well to largely contain the pace-laden threat posed by the ever-lively Paige Satchell and the off-form Hannah Blake, who had a torrid evening under the Seddon Fields floodlights. With Anton - another nervous moment notwithstanding in the 39th minute - and Robertson combining to minimise Puketapu's attacking menace, it meant Springs were the side more likely to break the deadlock before the interval, and they certainly had the chances to do so. In the 28th minute, Nadia Pearl was caught in possession by the combined efforts of Rebecca O'Neill and Murray, who sent a twenty-yarder crashing into the wire fencing to the right of Rebecca Rolls' goal. Four minutes later, Dayna Manak won the ball in midfield and fed Evie Millynn, who released Murray at pace down the right. Her cross to the near post found O'Neill arriving on cue, but her flick was blocked by the covering figure of Jess Philpot, with Rolls picking up the pieces to avert what danger remained. Despite Verdon's efforts, Satchell's pace remained a danger to Springs, and when she combined it with some great footwork in a tight area in the 41st minute, it enabled her to beat both the fullback and Robertson, forcing a corner. Claudia Crasborn delivered this into the danger zone, forcing McNaughton to punch clear as far as Jessie Mathews. United's captain's shot was blocked by Emily Cooper, who was left looking on soon after as Stewart-Hobbs surged down the right at pace before delivering a cross from just inside the penalty area which parted Blake's hair as she attempted to head the ball goalwards. There were no personnel changes at the interval - Springs had been forced into an early alteration when Milly McWhirter went down with an ankle injury just eleven minutes into the contest - but there was a change to the scoreline within two minutes of the resumption of play, as United hit the front from a free-kick. Under pressure from Puketapu, Anton handled the ball in the 'D', presenting the visitors with a chance which Mathews supervised, standing over the sphere as Pearl licked her lips in anticipation while McNaughton organised her defensive wall. It was powerless to prevent what happened next, with Mathews rolling the ball back to allow the former Junior Fern to unleash a twenty-yarder which careered past the diving 'keeper before crashing high into the net - 1-0 United, a goal the game needed. Springs certainly didn't take Pearl's piledriver lying down. They were all over United like a rash in the next few minutes, Murray outpacing the retreating figure of Caitlin Pritchard as she raced down the right to deliver a cross for Millyn's benefit.

Stewart-Hobbs intervened on this occasion, while Rolls was forced to smother a twenty-yarder from McWhirter's replacement, Monique Fischer, soon afterwards, after O'Neill's fine target-woman work upon receipt of Verdon's throw-in. Eight minutes after going behind, Springs deservedly found themselves back on terms with a finely conceived and executed goal. The move began with Robertson, and very swiftly flowed via the feet of Verdon, O'Neill, Fischer and Millynn to Murray, whose pass rewarded Cooper's intelligent arcing run into yards of space on the right. Philpot hurtled across to cover the danger, but the age-grade international was too wily for her younger rival, deftly side-stepping her before rifling a fifteen-yarder beyond the diving figure of Rolls into the far corner of the net - 1-1, game on! Twice inside the next ten minutes, Rolls smothered shots from Murray, both of which were created by Cooper as she exploited Mathews' struggles with a hip injury. United's captain was soon withdrawn from the fray, but not before her deft lob over the defence, following Anton's attempt to head clear, had invited Puketapu to pounce. Before she could, however, she was pounced on herself by McNaughton, whose anticipation of the danger was matched by the deft flick she executed to both take the ball away from the striker and direct it into an area in which she could gather it cleanly - a smart piece of goalkeeping. Mathews' replacement was Isabella Richards, whose mobility from midfield - Pearl and the outstanding Alosi Bloomfield continued to stoke the boilers - offered Springs a new threat to contain, one they failed to get to grips with. Once she was up to speed, Richards proved to be Three Kings' match-winner, but her game-clinching goal thirteen minutes from time came about following a blunder by a hitherto unlikely source. Robertson had been rock-solid up to this point in the match, but a stray pass out of defence was pounced on by Satchell, who looked up to see Richards gliding through from midfield. A pass into her stride allowed the substitute to drive the ball over McNaughton and just under the bar from just outside the penalty area - 2-1 Three Kings, a blow from which Springs weren't to recover. Indeed, United could have had more goals before the finale. Five minutes after the goal, another Anton error invited Blake to steer the sphere into the stride of Richards. From twenty-five yards, she sent the ball sizzling a yard at most over the bar. Four minutes later, Satchell surged down the right once more, checking her run as Verdon challenged her. She picked out Puketapu inside her, and a deft lay-off invited Richards to let rip from twenty-five yards again, a grasscutter this time, one which McNaughton smothered solidly on a surface which will never need its grass cut! Springs pressed for a late equaliser, forcing a corner in the 89th minute. Cooper's delivery was headed away from goal, and away raced Satchell at express pace, dashing from inside her own penalty down the left and into Springs' eighteen-yard box in fifteen seconds at most - likely less! Had she found the net, the Goal of the Season award could quite easily have been presented after the final whistle! Instead, the fleet-footed flyer fired her effort straight at McNaughton, who looked to ignite another "Hoops" raid immediately. One of note wasn't forthcoming, however, and when referee Wendy McNeely brought to a close a very well-contested affair between two of the league's leading teams, it was table-toppers Three Kings who were celebrating their fifth victory from as many matches, and a sizable points advantage which some are already suggesting leaves them poised to end an eight-year title drought. It should be remembered that United started last season like a house on fire also, with six wins from their first seven games. But from their next five matches, just two points were amassed … coach Alan Hindson will be hoping that lightning doesn't strike twice one year on! Springs:     McNaughton; Steele, Anton, Robertson, Verdon; Cooper, Manak (Dyer, 79), McWhirter (Fischer, 11); Murray, O'Neill, Millynn Three Kings:     Rolls; Stewart-Hobbs, Pritchard, Philpot, Crasborn; Mathews (Richards, 67), Pearl, Bloomfield; Satchell, Puketapu, Blake Referee:     Wendy McNeely