Mainland Pride recorded back-to-back titles in the ASB National Women's League on December 7, comfortably fending off the NZ U-18 Development Squad 3-1 in the Grand Final, to the delight of a boisterous crowd at ASB Park. The Mainlanders were all over their rivals like a rash from the first whistle, with Annalie Longo's jinking run through four challenges just seventy seconds into the contest setting the scene. While Aimee Phillips and Monique Barker over-ran her cross on this occasion, the menace posed by the genial Football Ferns midfielder was there for all to see, and Longo's threat was something which the U-18s struggled to contain all game long. Her next forward foray earned a seventh minute corner, which Ashleigh Ward delivered into the goalmouth. The ball was headed out towards Chloe Jones, whose low drive was cleared off the line by Daisy Cleverley. The early goal which Mainland sought, and which seemed almost inevitable given Longo's initial promptings, materialised in the ninth minute. Phillips latched onto a loose ball and instantly linked with Lauren Dabner, who worked an opening with Barker before evading the challenge of Liz Anton - she had a terrific game despite being on the losing side - and thrashing the ball beyond Emily Derlin, the U-18s goalkeeper, into the far corner of the net. It was a blow from which the young representative side never really recovered, and Mainland kept the pressure on. The U-18s gradually got a foothold in the match, however, but rarely got to sight the goal defended by Mainland captain, Victoria Esson, who was afforded an armchair ride twixt the sticks by the efforts of those in front of her. Mainland went close to doubling their advantage in the 25th minute. Whitney Hepburn picked out Phillips with a pass which allowed the striker to hold off the challenge of Anton and let rip - the ball flew narrowly wide. Five minutes later, Meikayla Moore picked out Barker with a long ball forward, and the striker instantly linked with Longo. Emma Proctor was promptly brought into play, and she evaded a challenge before being thwarted by Claudia Bunge's despairing lunge, the defender's effort taking the pace off a shot which tamely rolled through to Derlin. Nine minutes before half-time, Mainland doubled their advantage. Proctor, Phillips and Dabner combined to send Barker bursting through the inside-right channel. Into the penalty area she powered before pounding a shot through the legs of Derlin, who was covering the near post, the ball arrowing into the net next to the far upright. With Longo directing operations, there looked to be no way back for the U-18s, who could well have been three-down before half-time. Johanna Hamblett and Phillips combined on the right, with

Barker and Dabner swiftly brought into play thereafter. The latter played the ball into Phillips' stride, and she unleashed a fierce drive which careered over the near post. The U-18s changed goalkeepers at half-time, Kelsey Dzaferic taking over twixt the sticks for  the second spell. Her first task was to look on with relief as Dabner sent the ball flashing past the post in the 52nd minute, on receipt of a well-flighted free-kick from Moore. Four minutes later, another vital tackle by Bunge denied Dabner, after the midfielder's initial burst was supplemented by a gorgeously weighted through ball from Longo, a pass which deserved the reward of the ball hitting the back of the net. Dzaferic was in action again seconds later, for all the wrong reasons. She directed a clearance straight to Phillips, and with the untended goal yawning invitingly, last season's Golden Boot co-winner curled a twenty-five yarder goalwards. The crowd's roar turned to a collective groan as the prevailing wind directed the ball against the near post, much to the frustration of Phillips, who was doing everything possible to mark her final game on home turf with a farewell goal before moving north to further her game. When a goal came, two minutes later, it did so very much against the run of play - from nowhere, the U-18s were back in the contest. Issy Coombes' corner was cleared to Cleverley, who unleashed a twenty-yarder which took a wicked deflection off a defender and sent the ball arcing over Esson's head - 2-1. Mainland's response was instant, and decisive, despite the fact it began with an U-18s attack. Jasmine Pereira played the ball across to Tayla Christensen, who slalomed through three challenges before being stopped abruptly by Jones' blockbuster tackle. That sparked a lightning-quick counter-attack down the right, substitute Mikayla Wieblitz releasing Phillips through the middle. She played the ball wide to Barker, who buccaneered on before battering a shot past Dzaferic to restore the title-holders' two-goal margin. There was no way back for the U-18s after this, and while they strove to reduce the deficit, Mainland kept their rivals at a comfortable arm's length through to the final whistle, when they enjoyed that title-winning feeling again. Mainland:     Esson; Moore, Proctor (Wieblitz, 60), Jones (Shea, 86), Ward; Hamblett, Hepburn, Longo, Dabner; Phillips (Van Noorden, 74), Barker (Gillett, 84) NZ U-18s:     Derlin (Dzaferic, 46); Oosterhof, Bunge, Anton, Christensen (Stewart-Hobbs, 86); Richards (Mettam, 74), Coombes (booked, 23), Cleverley; Pereira (Hand, 68), Puketapu, Satchell (Parris, 74) Referee:     Anne-Marie Keighley