Capital Football all but scuttled Canterbury United Pride's hopes of hosting the National Women's League Grand Final in a fortnight's time on December 1, coming from behind to down last season's runners-up 4-3 in a thriller at Petone Memorial Park. The game was just fifteen seconds old when Una Foyle was called upon to produce its first save, diving at the feet of Anna McPhie to prevent her from capitalising on Michaela Robertson's right flank raid and resulting cross. United responded five minutes later, Kate Taylor sending Mel Cameron down the right, from where she picked out Hannah Wong with a cross. The striker's touch deserted her at the vital moment - a genuine let-off for the home team. How they made Canterbury pay for that miss three minutes later! Foyle's poor goal kick was pounced on by McPhie, who set off on a mazy run infield before inviting Kennedy Bryant to let fly on the run from twenty yards. The ball flew into the top left-hand corner of Foyle's goal, with the 'keeper beaten all ends up - it was a belter from Capital's captain! United sought a swift riposte, Cody Taylor sweeping past two before drilling a shot at Natasha Ingram straight from the kick-off. Four minutes later, Capital's custodian saved on her line from Wong, after the home team had failed to clear a Cody Taylor corner. That came seconds after McPhie had gone desperately close to doubling Capital's lead when meeting Molly Woodhead's corner with a near post header. "I thought it was in", declared one of the Cantabrians. It certainly was in in the seventeenth minute - in the roof of Capital's net! Latching onto the ball in the centre circle, Whitney Hepburn swept forward before letting rip from fully forty yards. The ball was still rising when it hit the net - 1-1, and how! Capital were still reeling from that blow when they should have fallen behind two minutes later. Rebecca Lake sent one downfield for Arna Roberts to latch onto, and she got in behind the defence before opting to shoot early. But she shanked it past the post, much to Ingram's relief. There was no respite for Capital's rearguard, however, with Wong playing Mel Cameron in behind them two minutes later. She had one defender to beat, but Woodhead did a super job of forcing the striker to err. Unperturbed, Canterbury pressed again, this time earning a corner. Chloe Jones delivery arced to the far post, where Lake soared above all-comers to unleash a bullet header which crashed against the base of the post, with Ingram doing well to initiate the resulting scrambled clearance. Capital's response was to charge back downfield and retake the lead. Emma Main's late run from deep saw her join a concerted attack at precisely the right moment, and through a cavernous gap she surged before slamming the ball into the far corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area. United didn't take this blow lying down. They were swiftly back in the ascendancy, with Lake landing a shot from a short free-kick routine on the roof of Foyle's before Roberts had a goal ruled out by the offside trap eleven minutes before half-time. Cody Taylor surged through the same offside trap two minutes later, and timed her run to latch onto Wong's measured pass to perfection. Ingram stood not a prayer - 2-2. The visitors had two chances right on half-time to take the lead, but Roberts spurned both openings, shooting straight at Ingram on each occasion, the second following a cross by the overlapping Kate Taylor. Capital were on the front foot from the outset in the second spell, with Foyle grabbing a Bryant shot under the bar following Robertson's incisive run inside in the 48th minute. Amidst the many opportunities, there was a lot - and I mean a lot! - of unnecessary physical stuff taking place which referee Andrew Turner considered to be perfectly acceptable, despite the fact he was the only person in the vicinity of Petone Memorial Park holding this view.

An example? In the 55th minute, Lake literally shoved Robertson off the ball before feeding Wong, who sent the goalscoring Taylor through once more. Ingram saved bravely at her feet at the same time as Robertson was just getting back on hers - it was no gentle nudge she copped, of that be in no doubt. There were numerous other incidents which took place directly as a result of the ineffective officiating. Had Anna-Marie Keighley, Nadia Browning or Morgan Archer been in the middle, there would have been none of this silly stuff on show, because the players know where they stand from the first whistle. Mr Turner, however ... it's the first time in a long time in over three decades of covering women's football that I've had reason to say that a male referee was out of his depth at this level of the game, but this one was. And the players of both teams took full advantage of his ineptitude. After McPhie sent a volley flying over the bar, and Main fired a twenty-five yard free-kick narrowly over the far angle, the referee reached his nadir in the 63rd minute when pointing to the penalty spot. Seconds after Ingram had hurtled out of her penalty area to clear off the toes of the charging figure of Monique Barker, Canterbury's freshly introduced substitute was instrumental in setting up Cody Taylor, who tangled with Woodhead in the area. The whistle blew, and all present saw the direction Mr Turner was pointing - penalty. Next thing, he's talking to the striker, and a defensive free-kick has been awarded. Go figure, but if the players still held any respect for the official, it evaporated right there. Seventeen minutes from time, Canterbury took the lead for the first time in the match. Foyle's goal kick was headed on by Cameron to Tahlia Herman-Watt, whose through ball sent both Barker and Taylor racing through. The latter rounded the advancing figure of Ingram and rolled the ball home into an empty net. The visitors looked to consolidate their advantage four minutes later. Herman-Watt got the better of Bryant and sent Barker racing down the right, from where she looked to pick out Cody Taylor. Ingram saved bravely at the feet of the hat-trick hunter. Back came Capital, Main heading a counter-attack which also featured Tory Schiltgen and culminated in a Robertson shot being blocked. And in the 81st minute, they drew level, Robertson's weaving run into the area climaxing with a wriggle around one more defender before slipping the ball across to Meisha Boone, who squeezed it between Foyle and Lake to tie things up once more. Grandstand finish time, but Capital had an ace up their sleeve. Dani Ohlsson was introduced to the fray with three minutes remaining, and within two minutes had delivered with interest, executing a delightful finish across Foyle after Schiltgen had played in Robertson down the right - 4-3 to the home team. And nearly another goal for the natives seconds later. McPhie and Ohlsson combined to present Charlotte Wilford-Carroll with a one-on-one opportunity. She certainly beat Foyle with her shot, but not the far post, off which the ball rebounded past the incoming figure of McPhie. Canterbury were reeling, and only desperate saves by Foyle prevented Main and Ohlsson from extending Capital's winning margin deep in stoppage time. But the home team had done enough to bring a five-match losing streak against the Mainlanders to an end, just when Canterbury needed the three points most. They now face what will be a winner-take-all encounter with reigning champions Auckland next Saturday to determine which federation joins Northern in the Grand Final on December 16, a fixture which now looks destined to take place in the city which is NZ's home of football, and not Christchurch, where it has looked certain to be played for so long this season. Capital:     Ingram; Main, Woodhead, Strom (Ohlsson, 87), Alder; Schiltgen, Bryant, Wilford-Carroll; Robertson, Boone, McPhie Canterbury:     Foyle; K. Taylor (booked, 72), Gilchrist, Jones, Lake; Wong (Barker, 56), Hepburn, Herman-Watt; Roberts (Donald, 74), C. Taylor, Cameron Referee:     Andrew Turner