Free-scoring Eastern Suburbs surged five points clear in the National Women's League on October 28, mauling their fellow previously unbeaten rivals Western Springs 4-2 at Seddon Fields, and doing so quite comfortably, truth be told. "The Lilywhites" flew out of the blocks from the first whistle, and should have at least hit the target just 62 seconds into the contest. Tayla O'Brien swooped on a loose ball and fed Nicole Mettam in space in  the inside left channel, from where she curled a shot past the post. Two minutes later, Brooke Bennett sent the ball downtown, allowing Deven Jackson to outpace Jaedici Uluvili and pull a twenty-yarder past the far post. Then in the fifth minute, Charlotte Wilford-Carroll saw her twenty-yarder tipped over the bar by Angelique Tuisamoa, after Mettam and Rebekah Van Dort had made the initial in-roads down the right. Springs didn't know what had hit them! It took "The Hoops" a full seven minutes just to secure possession and string a few passes together. But Suburbs were clearly intent on winning this game - their intensity was irresistible, their desire infectious. And their hunger for goals was all-encompassing. They carved out another opening in the twelfth minute, Jackson outpacing Tuisamoa to a through ball before, from the by-line, inviting Olivia Page to wriggle through three challenges and draw a save from the goalkeeper, who had beat a hasty retreat back to goal after her encounter with Jackson. "The Hoops" were afforded a sniff of goal in the thirteenth minute when Bennett's clearance cannoned off Sammi Tawharu towards the target. Van Dort was on hand to tidy up, but of all people you would expect to do so without issue, she botched it completely, almost presenting Tawharu with an open goal in the process. Suburbs scrambled the ball to safety, and within two minutes were celebrating the opening goal of the game. The key player in the move was referee Riley Greenbury, who played a superb advantage after Jackson was tripped while on manoeuvres. Wilford-Carroll was the immediate beneficiary of this terrific piece of officiating, and her through ball invited O'Brien to take on and beat Tuisamoa all ends up, the league's leading scorer striking at the near post for her twelfth goal of the campaign. Buoyed by the goal, Suburbs kept on coming. Only Arisa Takeda's timely tackle prevented Jackson from getting a shot in in the seventeenth minute, while seconds later, Page careered clear on the right before pulling the ball back to Mettam, whose shot struck Lily Jervis square on the derriere as Springs' skipper took one for the team to prevent the visitors from doubling their lead. Soon after, Jervis was closed down by Jackson on the edge of the penalty area, presenting Wilford-Carroll with the opportunity to let fly once more. This time, the ball fizzed narrowly past the far post. Come the 21st minute, O'Brien's delicious dummy allowed Arya Blackler's ball forward to run through for Jackson's benefit as she raced into the inside-left channel. She powered towards the by-line before rattling the outside of the near post from an acute angle. While the visitors were well in command, every so often they'd leave the back door ajar, and another such instance materialised in the 25th minute, via another wayward clearance from Bennett. Emma Pijnenburg - far and away Springs' best-performed player on a night many of her team-mates would prefer to forget - let rip with a twenty-five yarder which the fast-recovering 'keeper did well to tip round the post at full stretch. That warning shot across the bows prompted Suburbs to step up their game again, and on the half-hour they doubled their lead. Jervis' ball forward sought out Rina Hirano, but Bennett was alert to the danger and raced out to clear her lines in convincing fashion. Saki Yoshida received the ball and instantly sent Jackson marauding through the inside left channel again. This time she made no mistake, her confident finish flying into the far corner of the net to leave Springs in trouble - 2-0. "The Hoops"' defence was still contemplating what it could have done differently to prevent that second goal when Suburbs surged forth in search of a third. This time it was O'Brien operating through the inside left channel, before checking and firing an angled shot across the face of goal and narrowly past the far post. Last defender Uluvili then dodged a bullet when escaping the fast-closing figure of Jackson, instantly turning defence into attack with a pass which invited Pijnenburg to let rip once more. Bennett was right behind this effort, then looked on as Suburbs squandered another terrific chance to increase their lead ten minutes before half-time. Anija Irvine was always favourite to get to Jackson's through ball first, but the defender was caught out by O'Brien's determined hard running - the striker's desire to secure possession, despite starting a good six yards behind her opponent, saw O'Brien make the ball hers, then make in-roads along the by-line before picking out Mettam inside the six yard box. With the goal at her mercy, she somehow screwed her shot past the far post - it was harder to miss than to score, but miss Miss Mettam did! That was Suburbs' last threat of the half, but in the shadows of the half-time whistle Springs threatened to halve the deficit, with Pijnenburg the inspiration on both occasions. Winning the ball in the centre circle in the 43rd minute, she sent a super ball through the inside right channel which invited Hirano to hurtle beyond Blackler into the penalty area and let fly. Her effort sizzled narrowly past the far post, while a minute later, Pijnenburg pinged another probing pass forward, this time for Tawharu's benefit through the inside left channel. Van Dort averted the danger, however, ensuring "The Lilywhites" would head to the dressing rooms two goals to the good. There was no ranting and raving from the home team dressing room during the interval. Instead, Springs coach Ryan Faithfull let his displeasure be known in quiet, assertive tones which drew the required response from his charges. The half-time introduction of Lara Colpi - why didn't she start? - also aided their cause, and "The

Hoops" fired the first shot in anger in the second spell, Sofia Garcia - she was anonymous during the opening half - drawing a smothered save from Bennett after Pijnenburg and Tawharu had combined to engineer the opening. Suburbs' response? 3-0. Bennett picked out Jackson with her 48th minute clearance. She slipped a pass inside to Wilford-Carroll, who weaved past two opponents before battering a twenty-five yarder which sailed over Tuisamoa's head and under the crossbar, a blow from which the home team were destined not to recover. They tried to do so, Hirano's penetrating run being closed down by the defence before Pijnenburg held off Jackson then cleverly outfoxed Blackler prior to letting fly. Bennett was right behind this effort, then tipped Hirano's rising drive round the post in the 53rd minute after Colpi won the ball in midfield. Still Springs pressed, Tawharu evading a challenge on the edge of the area before inviting Colpi to let fly. Her acute-angled attempt was blocked by the defence, while Tawharu's bid to batter home the rebound foundered on the legs of Bennett. Suburbs responded via the efforts of Mettam, O'Brien and Jackson before the hour mark, all three efforts being capably dealt with by Tuisamoa, who looked on in the 65th minute as Pijnenburg sent Hirano scurrying through the inside right channel, only to drill a cross over the head of the incoming figure of Garcia when Hirano could have gone for goal herself. By her standards, Jess Innes was well off her game in this match - she wasn't alone in this regard from Springs' perspective - and her night was summed up in the 67th minute when she was caught in possession by Yoshida. The midfielder picked out Mettam, who raced forward before letting fly, only for the airborne Jervis to once again take another one for the team by blocking the ball to safety. It wasn't for long, though, as O'Brien was soon on manoeuvres, working a one-two with Mettam before picking out Aimee Atkins in acres of space on the left-hand side of Western Springs' penalty area. The substitute made a beeline for the by-line before drilling a low cross into the goalmouth. And who was on hand to turn it home from point-blank range? O'Brien - her thirteenth goal of the campaign, scored while a plethora of opponents were asking each other, "Who was tracking her run?" Ultimately, it was Suburbs' movement on and off the ball which unhinged Springs in this match. "The Lilywhites"' dynamism simply wasn't matched by "The Hoops", who paid the price for failing to fulfil their defensive duties. Pijnenburg, Jervis and Colpi were the only players in green and white who were on their game in this match - little wonder "The Lilywhites" held sway. The visitors were denied a fifth goal by the offside flag soon after - Jackson the guilty party, to which Springs responded via Pijnenburg and Colpi, who carved open Suburbs' left flank before picking out the incoming figure of Garcia with a cross … in a match which saw her starved of service, Garcia skied the one chance she was afforded from six yards. Not her night at all! Colpi was making a strong impression, however, and in the 74th minute, was played in on the right again by Pijnenburg. This time, the Young Fern let fly with a drive which Bennett parried. Van Dort raced back to clean up, but succeeded only in presenting the substitute with a second chance, one Colpi gobbled up gleefully. She was presented with a similar opportunity three minutes later, this time by Tawharu, whose through ball saw Colpi pursued in vain by two opponents. This time, Springs' scorer sent her shot swerving past the near post. Suburbs responded to conceding by seeking a fifth goal. Jackson stung the gloves of Tuisamoa in the 78th minute, while O'Brien's mazy run past four opponents six minutes later resulted in a shot which sizzled over the crossbar, the same target Zoe Benson cleared from fifteen yards in the 86th minute after Kenya Brooke's long throw-in had invited O'Brien to take on two opponents before setting up the substitute. Back came Springs with the goal of the game sixty seconds later. Bennett's clearance to halfway was won in the air by Jervis, with Pijnenburg the beneficiary. She threaded a pass through to Takeda, who cut inside before beating Bennett all ends up with an absolute peach of a curler from fifteen yards - 4-2. Suburbs had no desire to be caught out again, and straight from the kick-off made their intentions clear. Jade Parris' cross for Jackson forced debutant Annabelle Webster to clear over her own crossbar, while from Atkins' resulting corner, Parris' glancing header fizzed across the face of goal. Back came Springs, Pijnenburg sending Takeda down the right, from where she picked out Colpi with a cross. Bennett parried her attempt, then gathered the loose ball to snuff out Springs' last hope of further reducing the deficit. As it was, the scoreline flattered the hosts, who were well beaten by an Eastern Suburbs side which, having won all eight National Women's League games they've played so far, is now just three wins away from confirming a Grand Final berth, something they will surely do given four of their last six games are on home turf. Despite defeat, Western Springs remain well placed to face their conquerors in his match in the Grand Final. But with four of their last six games on the road, they'll need to recapture winning ways sooner rather than later - the teams immediately behind them on the table know that "The Hoops" have previous where spectacular collapses are concerned, and very recent previous at that. The 2021 Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title was Springs to lose, after surging eight points clear by the end of May. Incredibly, they stumbled badly, picking up just six points from their last six games to finish four points behind Suburbs in second place. Surely lightning won't strike twice? Springs:     Tuisamoa; Takeda, Jervis, Uluvili, Irvine (Colpi, 46); Pijnenburg, Taitimu (Mayo, 75), Innes; Hirano, Tawharu (Lythe, 90), Garcia (Webster, 84) Suburbs:     Bennett; Van Dort, Head, Blackler (Brooke, 79); Page (Benson, 70), Yoshida, Wilford-Carroll (Parris, 79), Wong (Atkins, 64); O'Brien, Jackson, Mettam Referee:     Riley Greenbury