Reigning National Women's League champions Canterbury United Pride kept their 2017 play-off hopes alive at the death in an enthralling clash with Auckland Football at English Park on 18 November, edging the visitors 1-0 thanks to a last-gasp winner from Britney-Lee Nicholson. In a match the home team couldn't afford to lose, and the visitors would prefer not to have - a draw wouldn't have done their cause any harm, it was Canterbury who spurned a great chance to open the scoring in the fourth minute, when Mikayla Wieblitz's free-kick from forty yards out found Rebecca Lake in behind the defence with just Nadia Olla to beat. The defender steered her effort past the far post to deny the locals the perfect start to an encounter which Auckland quickly grew into. Four minutes later, Georgia Brown's header forward was latched onto by Jacqui Hand, whose pass invited Tayla O'Brien to let fly at goal. She directed her shot straight at Victoria Esson, whose return from injury betrayed a rustiness in her distribution. This was particularly evident in the tenth minute, when Esson inexplicably gifted possession straight to Hand on the edge of Canterbury's penalty area. The striker was clearly startled by this development, for she struck her shot straight at the goalkeeper, off whom the ball ricocheted to safety - a real Lotto ticket moment if ever there was one! The visitors kept up the pressure, with Nicole Mettam and Brown combining on the right. The latter, making light of her heavily strapped thigh, skipped past Tahlia Herman-Watt with ease before thrashing a twenty-five yarder over the bar. Seconds later, Auckland had strong penalty claims when O'Brien was tackled from behind in the area by the retreating figure of Rebecca Lake. Referee Nadia Browning was in close attendance, and declared that the defender had taken the ball cleanly. Significantly, there were no complaints from those clad in white, blue and red. After this spell of pressure, Canterbury got back into the game, and exploited the temporary absence of Kate Carlton - off the field receiving treatment for a rolled ankle - to good effect in the 24th minute. Annalie Longo, inevitably, was the catalyst in this regard, and she skipped past the covering figure of Mettam before bringing Herman-Watt into play. Her pass invited Cody Taylor to let fly, and the youngster's rising twenty yard drive cleared Olla's crossbar by not a lot. Back came Auckland, the now fit-again Carlton leading the charge. She linked with the rock-solid Megan Robertson, Mettam and O'Brien, who took on an opponent before inviting Mettam to let rip from thirty-five yards, a shot which the alert figure of Esson grabbed under her crossbar. Seconds later, Brown and Carlton worked a one-two down the right, with the former UNC Greensboro student delivering a sumptuous cross to the far post, tailor-made for O'Brien to head home. Sadly for Auckland, the striker just failed to get her head to the sphere - a genuine let-off for Canterbury. Twelve minutes before half-time, Auckland produced a delightful move which began with Olla. Upon receiving her pass, Robertson picked out Carlton ahead of her, the fullback heading the ball wide to Britney Cunningham-Lee, who instantly brought Hand into play. Her pass to O'Brien saw the covering defence thwart her progress, but within seconds Hand was in possession again, and she had spotted Cunningham-Lee's arcing run towards the far post, towards which the Junior Fern duly delivered a measured cross which would have put the youngster in on goal with just Esson to beat, had Emma Clarke and Lake not combined to cut out the threat Hand's cross posed. Wieblitz's angled free-kicks had been a key feature of Canterbury's limited attacks in this half, but until the 35th minute only one delivery had given Auckland cause for concern. This one, however, saw Robertson and Ally Toailoa contesting the same ball, which presented Longo - of all people - with a golden chance to open the scoring. Much to the Football Fern's frustration, she lashed her fifteen yard volley just over - her grimace spoke volumes. Maisy Dewell, who had a terrific game for the visitors, and rightly collected their Player of the Day honours, set off on a driving run down the left seven minutes before half-time and drilled in a cross. Esson didn't deal with it as well as she could, allowing Dewell a second chance. This time, she brought O'Brien into play, and her shot deflected off Annie Gilchrist through to a rather relieved goalkeeper. A flurry of activity dominated the final minutes of the half, three of which were the result of stoppages. A Wieblitz corner picked out the head of Lake, whose header was well saved low to her left by Olla. She instantly released Erinna Wong down the left on a counter-attack which saw Dewell swiftly brought into play. Her low cross found O'Brien arriving at the near post, but Gilchrist was matching her run stride for stride, and duly blocked the striker's shot, at the expense of a corner. Mettam delivered a gem of a ball to the far post from the quadrant, a corner which presented Toailoa with a glorious chance to head home the opening goal. But unchallenged, she directed her effort over the bar - you instantly got the feeling that was going to be one of the pivotal moments in this encounter. From the resulting goal-kick, Auckland pressed again, with O'Brien's delightful touch playing Hand in on the right. Her low cross had Cunningham-Lee's name written all over it until Gilchrist and Lake combined to avert the danger and bring the half to a close. The early stages of the second spell was marred by an injury to Wieblitz, which ended her afternoon's activity prematurely. This saw Macey Fraser introduced to the fray, and while she was getting up to speed, Auckland engineered a slick opening

down the left featuring Wong, Hand - a deft flick - and O'Brien, whose thrusting run to the by-line culminated in a driven low cross which Esson cut out well. In the 62nd minute Longo and Emma Clarke - she was largely anonymous in the first half, but had a much improved second spell - combined on the right, with the fullback delivering a gem of  a cross to the far post for Mel Cameron to exploit. Her shot was blocked, allowing Olla to mop up the danger. Auckland's response saw Dewell, Mettam and Cunningham-Lee combining just outside the home team's penalty area in the 67th minute. There was more than a hint of arm usage in the last-mentioned's role in proceedings, something Canterbury's players swiftly raised their alarm about, but referee Browning allowed play to continue, the result being a steepling lob by Hand which Esson grabbed greedily on her line. Two minutes later, Clarke and Longo were on manoeuvres again, the latter easing past a couple of opponents before working a one-two with Fraser. Longo then threaded a pass through, intended for Cameron, but Toailoa read it well, only to clear it straight to Herman-Watt, whose twenty yard snapshot sizzled a yard over the bar. Canterbury were definitely starting to move through the gears now. For over an hour, they had been far from their usual selves, but with the passing of time in the match came the increasing realisation that if they didn't pull finger sooner rather than later, they'd be conceding their title with barely a whimper - a draw wasn't really an option they could afford. So they stepped up to the plate, and put Auckland under increasing pressure. Fraser went close with a twenty-five yard chip fifteen minutes from time, to which the visitors responded via a counter-attack which lured Esson out of goal, only for Cunningham-Lee to win the race for the ball and play it inside for Kathryn Gow. The covering figure of Lake averted the danger, and put Canterbury hot on attack, at the sharp end of which they should have been awarded a penalty - and a stonewall one at that. How Robertson got away with whipping the legs of Cameron out from under her in the area only referee Browning will know, as to everyone's amazement, she didn't even appear to react to what looked to be as clear-cut a penalty as you're ever likely to see. Auckland's lynchpin defender was last seen accompanying Esson to the nearest Lotto shop! With luck like they both enjoyed in this match, they're bound to get something out of this evening's draw! Eight minutes from time, a jinking Longo run across the box culminated in Herman-Watt unleashing a thunderous drive from the edge of the area which beat Olla all ends up only to crash off the underside of the bar and back into play. It was a real let-off for Auckland, as was what happened sixty seconds later following Olla's goal-kick. It was far from her best, and presented Cameron with the ball. Robertson raced back in cover, by which time, substitute Nicholson had been presented with the chance to let fly, only to shoot straight at the grateful figure of Olla, who grabbed another shot from the same player sixty seconds later as Fraser and Cameron combined to good effect. For all the pressure Canterbury were applying in the latter stages of this contest, it looked for all money that it was going to end as it began, with no goals on the board. But with a minute of running time remaining, the deadlock was broken in thrilling fashion by a goal of great quality. Fraser was the instigator of this 89th minute move, but it was the driving run and driven cross of Herman-Watt which was central to the goal, which was executed in brilliant fashion by Nicholson. Displaying all the qualities of a veteran finisher, the youngster flew in to meet the ball, her striking leg poised to extend and, at the precise moment, guide the sphere beyond the flailing fingertips of Olla into the top right-hand corner of her net. Her execution was exemplary - a goal well worthy of settling as good a game as this one, which would have been better still had six Football Ferns contenders been available to play. Stunned by this setback so late in the contest, Auckland stormed back straight from the kick-off, and were awarded a free-kick some twenty-five yards out. Mettam lined up the set-piece, and unleashed a beauty, the ball arcing over the wall then dipping perfectly, only to cannon back into play off the crossbar. Canterbury were relieved to survive that scare, and came close to sealing the deal deep in stoppage time when Olla found herself miles out of position as the ball arrived at the feet of Nicholson, who instantly lobbed the ball goalwards from thirty yards. The back-pedalling 'keeper pulled off a stupendous save to thwart the substitute on this occasion, but Nicholson had already inflicted sufficient damage to earn the title-holders a massive victory in their quest to secure back-to-back titles for the second time in the last five seasons. The Cantabrians can assure themselves a play-off spot in the final day of round-robin action by winning at Central Football, while Auckland, too, can progress to the play-offs with victory in their local derby with Northern Football, a match which will see the introduction of a new trophy, The Jeremy Ruane Shield, which will be at stake in all future "Battle of the Bridge" encounters between these teams in the National Women's League. Canterbury:     Esson; Clarke, Lake, Gilchrist (Nicholson, 73), Jones; Wieblitz (Fraser, 54), Hepburn, Longo, Herman-Watt; Taylor (Rennie, 62), Cameron Auckland:     Olla; Carlton, Robertson, Toailoa, Wong; Brown (booked, 50) (Rawnsley, 86), Mettam, Dewell (Ramsay, 90); Cunningham-Lee, O'Brien (Gow, 66), Hand Referee:     Nadia Browning