Auckland United took the overnight lead in the National Women's League on November 11, deservedly defeating Western Springs 1-0 at Keith Hay Park in a penultimate round encounter between two of the top four contenders in the competition. The scoreline flattered the beaten team, who had goalkeeper Mickey Mitchell to thank for ensuring they avoided a hiding, because the Kate Sheppard Cup holders were very much second best in this clash with the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League champions. There was little to suggest this duel would unfold in the way it did in the opening minutes, which were as tight as one would expect in a clash between two teams who harboured hopes of a National Women's League Grand Final appearance in a fortnight's time. United threatened inside the opening sixty seconds through Alexis Cook, who volleyed Bree Johnson's cross narrowly over the bar, to which "The Hoops" responded in the ninth minute via the league's leading markswoman, Sofia Garcia setting her sights with a twenty-yarder which Aimee Hall grabbed greedily. After this, the home team started going through the gears, with Rene Wasi and Danielle Canham combining in the seventeenth minute to play in Cook, who sidestepped the covering Lily Jervis, only to shoot straight at Mitchell as she guarded the near post. Three minutes later, Jervis directed a clearance straight to Canham, who rounded Kitty Jacob then jinked past Springs' skipper before unleashing a shot which Mitchell smothered, diving to her left. United kept up the pressure, Talisha Green releasing Cook down the right in the 23rd minute. She looked to pick out Canham, who was homing in on the far post, but Mitchell's timely intervention ensured the game remained scoreless, for now. It wasn't the case two minutes later, however. Canham surged out of defence before feeding Cook on the right. She enjoyed the better of a foot race with Celia Mayo prior to directing a ball towards Wasi. It went beyond her, however, with Johnson the ultimate beneficiary. She speared through a gap in the heart of Springs' defence which left her one-on-one with Mitchell, and the striker's unerring finish arrowed past the 'keeper and into the net beyond to give Auckland a deserved lead. "The Hoops" looked to respond initially through route one tactics, Jacob's ball over the defence finding Sammi Tawharu ghosting through the inside left channel. Her touch failed her when she least needed it to, however, allowing Hall to save at her feet on the half-hour. Two minutes later, Tawharu turned provider, threading a ball through for Garcia to take on in her stride and confidently despatch beyond Hall for what would have been the equaliser, had she not strayed offside when making her run. Undeterred, Springs maintained their quest for an equaliser seven minutes before half-time. Jess Innes' corner to the far post was headed back across goal by Garcia to Tawharu, who invited Jervis to let rip from the edge of the penalty area. Canham blocked her shot. Two minutes later, a United counter-attack had Springs on life support, although it was Green who most needed an extra dose of oxygen after a lung-busting run from inside her own penalty area saw her outpace Mayo before reaching the edge of "The Hoops" eighteen-yard box, from where United's skipper looked to pick out Johnson. Jacob outmuscled the striker, however, allowing Mitchell to secure possession for the visitors. After Ela Jerez had sent a twenty-yarder soaring over the bar, Innes repeated the dose on the stroke of half-time after clashing with Canham in midfield, an incident which saw United conclude the half with ten players on the park while their effervescent number eight received treatment for a blood nose. Springs started the second spell brightly, but it was United who enjoyed the first opportunity of the half, with Suya Haering surging over halfway before unleashing Johnson to the by-line and racing forward in support. The goalscorer duly sought a contribution from the attack-minded fullback, whose attempted overhead kick wasn't far off the mark. Buoyed by that close call, United came again, Wasi leading the charge with the aid of Canham's intelligent off-the-ball running, which drew the attention of two defenders near the edge of the penalty area. The speedster's rising twenty-yarder was superbly tipped over the bar by Mitchell. Haering's resulting 53rd minute corner was cleared to Green, who touched it back into the stride of Yume Harashima. The midfield technician unleashed a sumptuous chip which crashed against the inside of the far post and bounced across the face of goal before being scrambled to safety by a rattled Springs rearguard. They were under the cosh again two minutes later, this time courtesy Wasi's pace. Jacob and Jervis were always favourites as a long ball from United landed behind them, but Wasi hit the turbo button and made like a fox in a henhouse, outpacing the

pair of them to get to the ball and fire a shot which struck Jervis square on her derriere. Latching onto the rebound, Wasi slipped the ball inside to Johnson, who drilled a shot through a defender's legs and just past the far post, seconds before scooting down the left onto a Wasi pass. Johnson promptly fired in a cross to the far post which Harashima was anticipating, only to direct her acrobatic volley over the bar. The hour mark had not yet been reached when Maisy Dewell was fouled in midfield, but referee Sarah Jones - for someone who's striving to become a FIFA referee after opting to step down from her FIFA referee's assistant role, she's got plenty of room for improvement - allowed play to continue as Haering instantly lobbed the loose ball downfield. When the sphere landed, Canham was careering through at a great rate of knots, and found herself with just Mitchell to beat. She opted to round the 'keeper, but Springs' custodian was well up to the task and saved superbly at the midfielder's feet. On the hour, Dewell released Wasi down the right and raced forward in anticipation of a cross which arced behind her and into the stride of Canham, who once more found herself with just Mitchell standing between her and a second Auckland goal. Once again, the purple-clad goalkeeper emerged triumphant, leaving the midfielder to ruminate on the effects of a poor touch at the worst possible moment. Springs opted for some defensive changes, but it made no difference from Auckland's perspective - they simply kept on attacking. Wasi picked out Canham, whose round-the-corner pass played Johnson in on goal. Mitchell prevailed once more - her one-on-one training efforts were certainly being vindicated in this encounter. Nineteen minutes from time, United spurned a glorious chance to double their lead. Pia Vlok had entered the fray for the home team, and her defence-splitting pass sent Canham careering through the inside left channel once more - how Springs missed the presence of Lily Taitimu, who would have tracked and potentially thwarted so many of these runs by United's players. Into the penalty area Canham strode as she contemplated shooting or crossing. The latter was the option taken, Wasi the target arriving on the far post. But from four yards, she sent the ball skywards - another gilt-edged opportunity squandered by the home team, and you began to wonder if they were going to be punished for their profligacy, because the law of averages being what it is … After Haering had thrashed a twenty-yarder past the post following a fine break down the right by Cook, "The Hoops"' chance to square the ledger materialised thirteen minutes from time. Jerez gave United's rearguard a torrid workout before presenting Innes with a chance to drag the visitors back into the contest, but Hall, who was largely untroubled throughout the second spell, plunged to her left to maintain a clean sheet. Back came United, substitute Shannon Henson taking full advantage of a misjudgement by fellow replacement Charli Dunn to get in a shot before Jervis could deny her. The ball flew past both Mitchell and the far post - United's one-goal advantage remained. The offside flag was Auckland's friend on a couple of occasions in this half - the timing of Garcia's runs were a source of frustration to the markswoman and her team-mates - but it was the home team whose attacking edge was evident twice more in stoppage time, as they looked to seal the deal with a late clincher. On both occasions, however, they found Mitchell in unbeatable form. The save she produced to prevent Chelsea Elliott heading home a Haering corner from six yards had to be seen to be believed - it was purely instinctive, a reflex denial by an unsighted goalkeeper which left the United player gaping in disbelief! Springs surged downfield on the counter-attack, but Vlok broke this up and instantly sparked a United response, in tandem with Wasi. The midfielder's cross found fellow substitute Kate McConnell in what, for her, is nosebleed territory - the opposition's penalty area! Her natural instincts took over, only for McConnell to be foiled by Mitchell's save at her feet - how many such denials did she produce in this match to keep Springs in the contest? Alas for "The Hoops", Mitchell's efforts went unrewarded at the other end of the park, which meant their hopes of successive National Women's League Grand Final appearances were scuppered thanks to this 1-0 defeat by an Auckland United side whose prospects of gracing GoMedia Mt Smart Stadium in a fortnight's time are still very much alive courtesy this vital victory, one which should have seen them triumph by a far greater margin. Auckland:     Hall; Green, MacIntosh, Elliott, Haering; Dewell (Vlok, 62), Harashima, Canham (Brill, 90); Cook (Henson, 78), Wasi, Johnson (McConnell, 90) Springs:     Mitchell; Takeda, Jacob (Dunn, 62), Jervis, Mayo (Lee, 62); Colpi, Hill, Innes; Jerez, Tawharu, Garcia Referee:     Sarah Jones