Reigning ASB National Women's League champions Mainland Pride produced a storming come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Northern Football at Seddon Fields on November 16 to emphatically end the play-off hopes of last season's beaten finalists. It was never a scoreline you'd have picked on the evidence of the first forty-five minutes, as Northern produced their best display of the campaign to more than match Mainland's threat, even though twas the visitors who engineered more openings. It was the home team which threatened first, however, the eye-catchingly performed Saskia Vosper forcing Victoria Esson to race out swiftly and save at her feet in the sixth minute. Esson sparked a Mainland riposte which featured Mikayla Wieblitz's pass down the line for Monique Barker, who made a beeline for the by-line before edging inside and driving a low cross into the goalmouth. The ball ricocheted off Lauren Dabner straight into the hands of Corina Brown, who denied the same player in more traditional fashion ten minutes later, turning Dabner's drive round the post after Barker had intercepted a pass and sent the midfielder racing through the inside-left channel. Northern responded to this with a counter-attack of their own, Malia Steinmetz linking with Vosper, who brought the overlapping Tayla O'Brien into play. Her low cross was turned over her own crossbar by Mainland defender Johanna Hamblett. Liz Milne's resulting corner was cleared by Mainland to Dabner, who evaded three challenges on the counter-attack before inviting Aimee Phillips to send a rising twenty yarder narrowly over the bar. Mainland's master markswoman thrashed a drive into the side-netting ten minutes later, Barker having pounced on a loose ball to prise open Northern's defence. The resulting goal-kick from Brown was flicked on by Katie Jackson to send Katie Rood dashing through. The heavy strapping on her left knee didn't deter Northern's foremost attacker, whose run came to a halt after checking inside. The ball remained alive, however, with Steinmetz unleashing a twenty yarder past the post as the half-hour mark was reached. Three minutes later, Mainland spurned a golden chance to take the lead on the counter-attack. Emma Proctor sent Barker buccaneering down the right at pace. Her cross wasn't cleared, the ball falling invitingly into the stride of Ashleigh Ward, who had stormed forward to support this raid. With the goal at her mercy, the former Junior Fern sent the ball careering past the post at a tremendous rate of knots, with scoring appearing to be the easier option. Ward remained prone momentarily, no doubt wishing the ground would open up and swallow her - it was easily the chance of the match thus far. Another one materialised for Mainland four minutes later, its source an unlikely one. Tessa Berger, Northern's captain, was guilty of a few stray passes in this match, and this one was greedily pounced on by Barker. She got the better of Kate Seatter before laying the ball off to Phillips, dashing up in support. She charged into the penalty area before letting fly, the ball a blur as it zoomed inches past Brown's right hand post. Mainland were getting a head of steam up now, and two minutes before half-time they threatened once more. Phillips rampaged down the left this time, initally outpacing Berger, who recovered well, but not well enough to prevent the striker from picking out Wieblitz with a cross. The less said about her finish on this occasion, the better! It contrasted starkly with the last act of the half, one which gave Northern the lead at the interval. Only one word is necessary to describe it - "Roodie". Persistence is one of this terrier-like striker's greatest strengths, and it was stamped all over this attack, with Rood holding up play superbly despite being surrounded by four opponents. Vosper led the charge of supporting team-mates, and it was to her Rood played the ball before moving into the penalty area in anticipation of a return cross. It duly materialised, and Rebecca Gillett was mercilessly punished for failing to clear the danger by Rood, who outwitted the defender before nutmegging Esson from an acute angle inside the six-yard box - a classic striker's goal. Even though she's been playing, Northern have missed Rood's cutting edge in recent weeks. Without it, they're a shadow of the team they're capable of being. The root of Northern's lowly league position lies in their over-reliance on their star striker. In the absence of her goal-power, too few of her team-mates have risen to the challenge and provided an alternative attacking outlet - although it doesn't aid matters when one of those capable of doing so, O'Brien, is burdened with defensive midfield duties rather than the attack-minded ones to which she is far better suited. Having taken the lead, however, and knowing that the fate of their season rested on this game,

Northern began the second half in stirring fashion, eagerly seeking a second goal against their conquerors in last season's Grand Final. Rood's pace caused Mainland further problems in the 47th minute. They partially cleared the danger, but only to Jackson, who lobbed the ball back into the danger zone. Rood loomed large once more, but Gillett this time cleared the danger. Four minutes later, half-time substitute Stacey Hallford picked out Rood with a pass which invited the speedster to play in Vosper. Esson read the situation well and saved at the youngster's feet. The 'keeper cleared the ball downfield, and Liz Milne cleared it straight to Proctor, who ran on before feeding Wieblitz. Her drive fizzed narrowly past the uprights, a range-finder which was to pay dividends in the not-too-distant future. But not before Northern went desperately close to doubling their advantage in the 57th minute. Nicole Stratford picked out Rood, who greatly benefited from having the mobile figure of Vosper alongside her in attack in this match. Only a fine covering tackle from Hamblett prevented the youngster from testing Esson's reflexes. Mainland were missing the guile of Football Fern Annalie Longo, and were in need of a wee something extra to compensate for her absence. Phillips provided it in the 62nd minute, and in doing so, turned the game on its head. Chasing seemingly lost causes is often a fruitless task, as is serving as the first line of defence - the opposition all too often clear their lines just as you're approaching. On this occasion, however, Phillips' perseverance paid massive dividends. Brown was always going to be favourite to reach the ball as it rolled through to her, but Phillips was bearing down on the 'keeper at a great rate of knots, and arrived just as Brown executed her clearing kick on the edge of the penalty area. The ball cannoned off the striker and ricocheted straight into the corner of the empty net beyond her - 1-1, a goal no-one saw coming, and Phillips never saw hit the net, the scorer left temporarily prone in the penalty area with the close-range blow having knocked the wind out of her. She wasn't alone in this respect. The goal took all the wind out of Northern's sail, and they never recovered. And as they reeled from this blow, they were dealt two more inside the next eight minutes which left the locals on their knees, their lingering play-off prospects shattered. When Wieblitz pounced on O'Brien's stray pass in the 67th minute, her options were limited. Few anticipated the thirty yard screamer which followed, the ball soaring over the head of Brown before crashing into the net off the underside of the crossbar - 2-1, the game having turned completely upside-down in the space of five minutes. Worse was to follow for Northern three minutes later. Wieblitz's wonder strike was the cue for her to be replaced by Belinda Van Noorden, who was to have a hand in a move which also featured Ward and culminated in Barker turning Seatter before deftly lifting the ball over the advancing figure of Brown and into the net behind her - 3-1, game as good as over, contest-wise. Northern needed a quick goal in response if they harboured hopes of redressing the balance. Rood raced down the left in the 72nd minute before picking out Casey Ridsdale with a cross. The substitute's shot was blocked to safety by Esson as the 'keeper raced across her goal to cover the danger. After Van Noorden had skied a great chance afforded her by Barker's flick-on of a Chloe Jones free-kick, Rood was twice denied at close quarters by Esson, the 'keeper blocking at the striker's feet near the edge of the penalty area before recovering to save Rood's subsequent shot. Cue another clearance downfield, and another stray Northern pass, Berger audibly groaning with despair as she gifted possession to Barker. She raced towards goal, only to be thwarted on the edge of the penalty area by Brown, who quickly got to her feet only to bring down Phillips as she latched onto the rebound. Referee Mel Knight - a very impressive performance, particularly in terms of player communication - had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, from where Phillips rammed home her second goal of the game, Mainland's fourth. Northern kept going to the finish, Rood being denied by both Ward and Esson in the dying minutes to ensure the visitors deservedly clinched a top-two finish with a round to spare. They'll take some stopping, that's for sure. Northern:     Brown; Stratford (Ridsdale, 63), Seatter (Coleman, 90), Berger, Milne; Steinmetz (Hoy, 79), O'Brien, Jackson, Hawkins (Hallford, 46); Rood, Vosper (Short, 90) Mainland:     Esson; Hamblett (Lake, 60 (Shea, 81)), Gillett, Jones; Wieblitz (Van Noorden, 68), Proctor, Hepburn, Dabner, Ward; Phillips (Roberts, 89), Barker Referee:     Mel Knight