It's not often a pre-match downpour plays a part in deciding the outcome of a football match, but the one which swept across Ken Maunder Park half-an-hour before Lynn-Avon United and Three Kings United proceeded to write the latest chapter in New Zealand women's football's greatest inter-club rivalry on June 24 went some way towards doing so. In the not-too-distant days when such NZ women's footballing luminaries as Terry McCahill, Michele Cox, Lyn Pedruco, Maia Jackman, Hayley Moorwood and Priscilla Duncan bestrode this fixture with their irrepressible desire to win and steadfast refusal to accept mediocrity, the prospect of either Lynn-Avon or Three Kings scurrying off to the dressing room seeking shelter from the rain was simply incomprehensible. So the sight of the home team carrying out that very action, as their opponents paid scant regard to the inclement conditions while continuing their warm-up routines, sent out all sorts of messages to those looking on, particularly in terms of attitude. Come the final whistle, those initial impressions had been borne out, with Three Kings recording a 3-2 win over their arch-rivals to finally bring their ASB National Women's Knockout Cup form to this season's Lotto Northern Premier Women's League. The visitors began in breakneck fashion, Mary Fraser's flick, from a Tina Kolose corner, forcing Jess Reddaway into a save just 75 seconds into the contest. But this, and a forty-yarder from Kate Seatter which Corina Brown grabbed greedily at the other end of the park, were the only highlights of a scrappy opening fifteen minutes. At which point Tessa Berger and Michelle Windsor combined to spark a move which Julia Calhoun continued by playing the ball down the left for Jasmine Pereira to pursue. She did so, and whipped in a cross which Fraser met on the stretch at the near post, preventing her from directing her volleyed attempt on target. While Berger had been pivotal in starting that attack, she was also guilty of some awful passes in this match, with three going straight to red shirts in the first half alone. Megan Lee was the prime beneficiary of Berger's blunder in the twentieth minute, but after wrong-footing Georgia Brown she steered her shot far too casually past Brown's left-hand post - a bad miss, considering she only had the 'keeper to beat. Berger made amends for her blemish six minutes later, outfoxing Ellie Jeurissen with a smart turn which allowed her to link with Brown. She surged forward before pinging an early angled ball in behind Lynn-Avon's rearguard and into the stride of Pereira. Reddaway anticipated the danger well, and was able to save at close quarters, but the 'keeper was sold hopelessly short by Sivitha Boyce a minute later, as the statuesque defender attempted a back-pass. Fraser swooped like an eagle upon its unsuspecting prey, and gleefully steered the ball past the stranded goalkeeper and into the net to open the scoring for Three Kings in the 27th minute. The setback stunned Lynn-Avon, but they gradually worked their way back into the contest. Brown plucked a Chloe Wilson cross off the head of Lee in the 36th minute, while three minutes later, the hard-working Rachel Head linked with Seatter, who worked a one-two with Lee before lashing a twenty-yarder past the post. Seatter, however, had been guilty of far too many over-hit passes in the first half, although she wasn't alone in this shortcoming. But it was a contributing factor to the difference between the teams on the day, with Three Kings' play proving to be better suited to the rain-slicked playing surface, which was slippery underfoot. Lee, however, frequently made light of the conditions, and it was from her left flank foray five minutes before half-time that Lynn-Avon next threatened. Berger's sliced clearance landed at the feet of Tayla O'Brien, who opted to pass instead of shoot. Jeurissen lashed the ball over the bar. The ball quickly travelled downfield, and a Reddaway goal-kick was soon the order of the day, with Jeurissen her target. As she waited for the ball to drop out of the sky, Brown darted in front of her to meet it with a full-blooded header which sent Fraser racing through the inside-right channel, from where she rattled the crossbar with a fierce drive. Not to be outdone, Lynn-Avon responded in the 43rd minute by hitting each post of the goal defended by Brown! Wilson and O'Brien linked on the right, with the latter's cross cleared by Windsor to Hannah Carlsen. Her thunderous twenty yard drive careered past the diving figure of Brown, only to smash against her right-hand post. The ball rebounded straight to Lee, who, with the 'keeper beaten and the goal at her

Jessie Mathews and Hannah Carlsen Jasmine Pereira Kate Seatter Dana Humby Tessa Berger Michelle Windsor

mercy, promptly struck the opposite upright. Three Kings survived this raid and maintained their advantage beyond the half-time break, Brown denying Daisy Cleverley in spectacular fashion as her twenty yard drive arrowed towards the top near corner of the net. Back came the visitors, Calhoun combining with Pereira, who worked a one-two with Kirsty Hayr before whipping in a cross which only just cleared Martine Puketapu's head. Jessie Mathews picked up the pieces and set up Puketapu for another attempt, one with which Reddaway dealt comfortably. She was afforded no chance in the 56th minute, as Three Kings doubled their advantage courtesy a super move down the left. Mathews, Fraser and Hayr combined to relay the ball to Pereira, who had a super game. She skipped past Wilson then swept past Dana Humby before delivering a driven cross into the heart of Lynn-Avon's goalmouth, where Puketapu was arriving on cue to deftly volley the ball home - 2-0. There appeared to be no way back for Lynn-Avon at this point, but their source of doing so was getting up to speed. And after Seatter had swept past three opponents before seeing a shot deflect narrowly wide, substitute Daphne Latzelsberger announced her presence in the best manner possible. Lee's corner was cleared back to her by Puketapu, allowing the speedster to whip in a wicked cross to the near post. Berger and Brown converged on it, as did the newcomer, and the chaos Latzelsberger created saw her glancing header bisect the defender and goalkeeper and ricochet into the net off the unfortunate figure of Windsor, covering behind them. 2-1 after 61 minutes, a strike which prompted Three Kings to turn to their talented talisman. Morany Chek's impact upon entering the fray was instant. Calhoun worked a 68th minute one-two with Hayr before linking with Pereira, who played the ball to the newcomer. Chek turned away from goal, then played a beautifully weighted pass in behind Lynn-Avon's defence for Puketapu, dashing in on their blindside, to meet on the volley. Had she struck the target, it would have been one heck of a goal, but she just had to stretch a little too much in order to make contact with the ball, and that allowed Reddaway to dive to her left and save solidly. Back came Lynn-Avon, a Humby free-kick allowing Latzelsberger to get in a header which Brown saved. The 'keeper's clearance was by no means her best, however, and Lee was the recipient of the sphere seconds later. Berger blocked her shot, but was powerless to prevent Lee latching onto the rebound and whipping in a wicked low cross to the near post. Latzelsberger arrived on cue, and with her back to goal, deftly steered a precise first-time flicked effort past Brown to make it 2-2 in the 69th minute. Precisely thirty seconds later, Three Kings were back in front. Straight from the kick-off, Chek played the ball wide to Pereira before storming downfield. Meanwhile, Wilson was again finding her opponent too hot to handle, Pereira dashing past her before playing the ball in behind Humby for the fast-arriving Chek to control in her stride before calmly steering it past Reddaway - a sensational response! Cue a genuine arm wrestle, with Wilson going close for the home team before Humby thwarted Chek by stepping in with a perfectly timed interception to avert the danger posed by the combination play of Puketapu and Brown down the left. Another Three Kings raid followed, nine minutes from time, with Hayr and Pereira combining before Chek took charge of proceedings and promptly rattled Reddaway's left-hand post - the 'keeper would have struggled to keep it out, had it been on target. In the time remaining, Lynn-Avon twice came close to levelling the scores again. Only Berger's vital tackle prevented Latzelsberger getting on the end of a Humby free-kick. Two minutes from time, Head's hard work allowed Humby to play in Carlsen, whose forceful run culminated in a low twenty yard drive which Brown saved soundly to confirm Three Kings as 3-2 winners at Ken Maunder Park, where they haven't lost a league game since 2008. Lynn-Avon:     Reddaway; Boyce (Latzelsberger, 51), Humby, Head; Wilson (Morris, 80), Cleverley (booked, 22), Seatter, Carlsen, Jeurissen (Murrihy, 59); O'Brien, Lee Three Kings:     C. Brown; G. Brown, Berger, Windsor, Calhoun; Mathews, Kolose (Molloy, 83), Hayr (Hoeksema, 83); Puketapu, Fraser (Chek, 66), Pereira Referee:     Rajesh Kumar