Northern Rovers kept their hopes of making the National Women's League Grand Final alive at McFetridge Park on November 5, coming from behind to edge Auckland United 3-2 in another terrific tussle between the winners of the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League and the NZ Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup. The battles between these teams in 2022 have invariably been compelling affairs, and this one was no exception, the tone being set inside the first ninety seconds, during which both goalkeepers were called upon to produce saves. Ellie Blount was called into action first, Sophie Williams' twenty-five yarder stinging her gloves inside the first thirty seconds as United pressed from the off. Rovers went straight down the other end, Rene Wasi storming past three opponents on a sixty yard run before picking out Alexis Cook with her cross. The Young Fern's shot lacked the power to trouble Jesse Barnard unduly. Northern were clearly eager to get an early goal, as they threatened again in the fourth minute. Talisha Green - a terrific display - picked out Kelli Brown, whose lay-off invited Danielle Canham to ease past an opponent before unleashing a curler which Barnard grabbed by the post. United's 'keeper had less joy sixty seconds later, however, as Rovers' quest for an early goal was fulfilled via an unlikely source. Green's surging run brought Canham into play, the midfielder's shot being blocked by Barnard under pressure from Wasi. Emma Leaming loomed large on the scene, but her desperate bid to clear the danger sent the ball rocketing into her own net. Rovers nearly doubled their lead three minutes later. Canham - another fine performance - got the better of Aimee Barnard on the left before whipping a low cross into the goalmouth. Wasi latched onto it, but was superbly thwarted at close quarters by Jesse Barnard. Wasi quickly recovered the loose ball and picked out Canham, whose shot on the turn was blocked to safety. Completely against the run of play, United drew level in the eleventh minute with a cracking goal. Bree Johnson's work on the left presented Manaia Elliott with the chance to thunder the ball home from twenty yards, the Young Ferns captain firing unerringly into the far corner beyond the diving figure of Blount - 1-1. That was the cue for the visitors to enjoy a spell of dominance, during which Ruby Nathan's dipping twenty-five yarder crept inches over the bar with Blount beaten, then Penny Brill secured possession on the right before switching play to Leaming, who was inches away from netting at the right end on the quarter hour with a twenty-five yarder. Back came Rovers, Breeze Durham going close from twenty yards after Cook had pounced on a loose ball and back-heeled it to the midfield warrior. The resulting goal-kick was a poor one, and Wasi should have done better than to direct her shot straight at the goalkeeping Barnard, upon being gifted possession by the custodian. United threatened again, and were awarded a free-kick just outside the penalty area. Jess Philpot delivered a gem of a set-piece which had Blount flailing in vain, only to be saved by her crossbar. An almighty scramble ensued - was there a home team hand in the mix somewhere? United certainly thought so - but Rovers survived this nineteenth minute scare. There was another goalmouth scramble five minutes later, with United this time under the pump. Soon after Green's long-range effort landed on the roof of their net, the visitors conceded a corner, which Maisy Dewell drilled into the danger zone. Green was in the thick of things, and stumbled under pressure but managed to keep her feet. Had she gone down, referee Anna-Marie Keighley would have had an interesting decision to make. She clearly wasn't in the mood for any nonsense, having booked Brown minutes earlier for a reckless challenge, but she certainly made some intriguing calls in this encounter, prompting criticism aplenty from the Northern faithful on numerous occasions. Soon after that incident, Cook got the better of Aimee Barnard - is fullback her best position? The evidence would suggest not - and pinged in a cross which arced beyond Brown but found Wasi, arriving on cue behind her. Her shot was blocked for a corner. Brown's delivery picked out Greer MacIntosh, whose 28th minute header landed on the roof of the net on this occasion. Another headed effort by the Rovers defender, from Brown's 36th minute corner, flew inches past Barnard's left-hand post. Rovers continued to threaten, this time via a Chelsea Elliott free-kick from halfway which wasn't cleared. Green's volley was directed straight at Barnard, who combined with Philpot in the 32nd minute to foil Brown, after Canham had busted through two tackles before inviting Cook to continue the attack. There was no respite for the visitors, Brown storming down the right in the 37th minute before picking out Wasi with a cross. Aimee Barnard blocked her shot, then got in a tangle with Cook, who was claiming a penalty after the ball struck the defender's arm. Was their intent? Referee Keighley said there wasn't - play on. Dewell was next to inspire an attack, spreading play wide to Wasi in the 41st minute. Her cross arced beyond Brown, but wasn't cleared, allowing Cook to

pounce. Brill - an excellent prospect, this youngster - was on hand to tidy things up from United's perspective. The next attack found the home team on the back foot, and Blount guilty of a poor goal-kick. Elliott latched onto it and instantly fed Nathan, who skipped past an opponent before battering a twenty-yarder on the angle. It crashed off the far angle of post and bar with Blount a helpless spectator. Rovers cleared their lines, instantly launching a counter-attack, Wasi's speed - a constant threat to United's defence - a significant factor in the home team's attacking endeavours in this contest. On this occasion she was thwarted by Jesse Barnard's anticipation and resulting clearance of the danger. On the stroke of half-time, Rovers were hit by a bolt from the blue, although this one was ruby in colour. Nathan latched onto a loose ball near halfway, cut inside and, from twenty-five yards, unleashed a left foot screamer which sailed over the diving figure of Blount and fair slammed into the top corner of the net to give United a 2-1 half-time lead. Conceding a goal on the stroke of half-time, having enjoyed the better of the exchanges after leading early, was a real hammer blow to the Northern team, and was evident by the reaction of the players after seeing the ball crash into the net. But the interval gave them a chance to regroup and refocus, and come the second half they tore into their work with a vengeance. Brown's 47th minute corner wasn't cleared initially, but was eventually after Wasi had found herself in the thick of the action. The resulting Brown corner was cleared to Canham, who chipped the ball back into the danger zone, prompting Barnard to punch it to safety off Wasi's head. Brown's next involvement in proceedings saw her attracting the wrath of the referee once more, having gone in late on Barnard as the 'keeper cleared her lines. The talented but temperamental striker could have had no complaints had referee Keighley sent her off for committing her second bookable offence, but she escaped with a final warning. How United must still be wishing the official had wielded the red card, for within seconds of her let-off, Brown levelled the scores in the 52nd minute, and she barely knew a thing about it! Green was causing mayhem on the right when she fired over a searching cross. Jesse Barnard anticipated its flight, and lined herself up to gather it in at the far post. But the 'keeper looked on aghast as Brown, who was running towards the 'keeper, was struck by the dropping ball, which ricocheted off the striker into the opposite corner of the net - 2-2! Brown celebrated sheepishly as Auckland players stood dumbfounded - how can you legislate for goals like that? It marked the end of the game for Johnson and Philpot, both of whom were nursing injuries, and saw a spell in which the contest became something of an arm wrestle, in the case of Dewell and Aimee Barnard, almost literally! Both were booked and rebuked in the 66th minute. Two minutes later, Brown broke the deadlock in brilliant fashion. Latching onto a loose ball, she did Jenna Dodd like a kipper before scurrying through the inside right channel to rifle an unerring angled twenty yard drive across Barnard and in by the far post - a terrific strike to put Northern back in front. And there they stayed, although it wasn't for the want of trying by United, Nathan in particular. She wasn't far away from twenty-five yards in the 73rd minute, while Blount was right behind her effort two minutes later after Nathan got the better of Chelsea Elliott. In between times, Canham picked out Leanna Ryan in between defenders. Jesse Barnard raced out to clear, but only as far as Green, some thirty yards out from goal in the middle of the park. With the 'keeper stranded, the lob was on, but Rovers' skipper went for a grasscutter finish, one which Barnard saw late, but not late enough to prevent her from diverting it to safety with her leg. After Brown went close with a potshot upon receipt of a poor clearance by Sophie Bradley, Brill teamed up with Katherine Fulton to give Maya Vince the chance to equalise. Green wasn't having a bar of it, stepping in in timely fashion to snuff out that particular threat. And after Barnard had hurtled out of her penalty area to clear her lines convincingly ahead of a marauding Brown, Green set off on a buccaneering run down the right before firing over a deep cross which found fellow fullback Suya Haering flying in to meet the ball. Sadly for the Young Ferns starlet, she couldn't apply the finishing touch. It mattered not from Northern's perspective, having done enough to prevail 3-2 and keep alive their hopes of making the Grand Final, hopes which, for Auckland, were all but dashed by this defeat. Northern:     Blount; McConnell (Haering, 46), Elliott, MacIntosh, Green; Dewell (booked, 66) (Ryan, 70), Durham, Canham; Wasi, Brown (booked, 21) (Henson, 90), Cook Auckland:     J. Barnard; A. Barnard (booked, 66) (McMurray, 84), Philpot (Dodd, 54), Bradley, Leaming; Bloomfield (Fulton, 77), Williams (Bowala, 77), Brill; Elliott, Nathan, Johnson (Vince, 54) Referee:     Anna-Marie Keighley