Ellerslie continue to prop up the National Women's League table after going down 1-0 to Auckland United in an at times physical battle at Michaels Avenue on October 19, a result which consolidates the victor's place among the competition's leading teams. In terms of chances created, the scoreline rather flattered the team seeking its first win of the campaign - United really should have won by a greater margin. But "The Ponies"' stubborn resistance and willingness to scrap for everything meant they were in the contest right to the end. Danielle Canham and Cat Pretty exchanged shots on goal inside the first eight minutes of play, with neither effort unduly troubling the respective goalkeepers, Ellerslie's Petra Wedlake and United's Aimee Hall. Come the tenth minute, however, "The Ponies" were only denied the opening goal by Jess Philpot, whose headed clearance off the line prevented Leigh Aitken's acute-angled cross-shot from entering the net after she had got in behind Yume Harashima, who was attempting to shepherd the ball over the line for a goal kick. Philpot's clearance prompted a swift counter-attack from the women in white - Auckland were sporting their change strip for an encounter which took place under Ellerslie's "matchsticks", which were definitely short of a fair few bulbs, as parts of the pitch weren't as illuminated as is preferable. (Lord alone knows what the TV cameramen made of it!) Rene Wasi led the charge, racing past players at a furious rate before threading the ball through for Bree Johnson to capitalise upon. Wedlake dashed out to avert the danger, but Johnson went down under her challenge, prompting penalty cries from Auckland's players. Referee Chris Trent wasn't having a bar of it - play on! So they did, with Shannon Henson beating the offside trap soon afterwards to latch onto Talisha Green's ball over the top. The striker's attempted lob of Wedlake drifted past the far post, but the warning signs were there for Ellerslie - would they heed them? The home team turned to Britney Cunningham-Lee to get them back on the front foot, and her charging runs were a feature of their forward forays. One, in the nineteenth minute, prompted a blunder by Greer MacIntosh with the striker breathing down her neck. Hall's imminent presence forced Cunningham-Lee to play the ball back to Pretty, who fired over an untended net with Philpot racing back in a desperate attempt to provide cover. United's captain tangled with Cunningham-Lee three minutes later. When Philpot goes down and stays down, you know it's serious - she's one of those rare players who willingly puts team before self, and unhesitatingly plays through the pain barrier for the cause. Her season-long knee strapping is evidence of this, and you can now add torn ligaments in her foot to her list of war wounds - alas, Philpot's season is over! Chelsea Elliott is a more than useful replacement to call upon in such circumstances, her presence further galvanising an Auckland defence which allowed the visitors to concentrate more on the attacking aspects of their play, for which they soon gained reward. United earned a 25th minute free-kick which Haering curled into the danger zone. Ellerslie failed to adequately clear their lines, allowing Johnson the chance to let fly, only for Wedlake to divert her attempt over the crossbar. Another Haering corner was the result, and this one was cleared to Green, whose long-range drive was grabbed by the goalkeeper. When Auckland next attacked, on the half-hour, the deadlock was broken. Maisy Dewell, who certainly wasn't found wanting when it came to contributing to the physical facets of this encounter, showed the much-preferred silky-skilled aspect of her game on this occasion, reading the game brilliantly to intercept an Ellerslie pass then deliver an inch-perfect ball into the stride of Johnson, who was charging through the inside left channel.

The speedster swiftly slammed an angled shot across the diving figure of Wedlake into the far corner of the net - 1-0 Auckland, and nothing the goalkeeper could have done about it. This goal was down to Dewell's anticipation, awareness and artistry, all executed outstandingly well. Within sixty seconds, Harashima's angled thirty yard pass sent Wasi charging down the right, where she did a number on Anita Trudgen - the defender took her time before gingerly getting back to her feet - before rewarding Green's supporting run down the right. Her cross was cleared to Henson, who mis-timed her volley over the bar. Back came "The Ponies", Pretty and Kat Gow combining to prise open Auckland's defence, only for Abby Wright to fire wildly over the bar. The visitors responded to this threat by carving out three more of their own before the half-time whistle, the first of them seeing Wasi's acute-angled volley sizzle over the bar after she was picked out by Elliott's free-kick to the far post. Wedlake then dealt with a twenty-five yarder from Harashima before dashing out to save at the feet of Canham, whose darting angled run through the inside right channel was rewarded by Wasi's measured pass into the midfielder's stride. The visitors enjoyed the better of the early exchanges after half-time, Harashima's 52nd minute corner prompting a scramble which forced Tayla Hawes into a goal-line clearance, but only as far as Johnson. Wedlake foiled her attempt, while Kimberley Oosterbeek's intervention soon after ended a Dewell-led raid which featured a one-two with Canham. A stray Harashima pass in the 56th minute was pounced on by Cilla Fa'afua on halfway, and she immediately sent Cunningham-Lee careering towards Auckland's goal. Hall raced out to clear the danger, one of the few occasions in the match which saw her talents called upon, despite Ellerslie having a greater share of possession in the second spell. For the most part, it was Auckland in the ascendancy in pursuit of a second goal. Oosterbeek did brilliantly to prevent the outstandingly performed Henson from turning home Wasi's super first-time angled pass in behind the defence in the 58th minute, while from Haering's resulting corner, Wedlake didn't know much about Elliott's thumping header, but somehow kept it out. After Fa'afua had stung the gloves of Hall at her near post, MacIntosh directed a header from a Harashima corner straight at Wedlake in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, the 'keeper foiled Johnson's bid to double her tally for the match after Henson had won an aerial battle with Hollie Leona, who took quite a battering in this match - she'll certainly have a few bruises for Labour weekend! In the final five minutes, Wedlake produced a fabulous save to prevent Penny Brill from doubling Auckland's advantage, after Pia Vlok had combined with Johnson and Henson to engineer the opening. Then in stoppage time, Brill pounced on a stray pass from Oosterbeek and unleashed a drive which reared up in front of the diving figure of Wedlake, who did superbly well to adjust and divert the effort to safety. The sound of the final whistle sent Auckland to a share of the league lead thanks to this 1-0 win, which, but for Wedlake's exploits, would have been greater. Ellerslie's quest for their first points in the league continues, but they'll need to offer more of a threat in the attacking third if they are to realise this objective. Ellerslie:     Wedlake; Wright, Oosterbeek, Hawes, Trudgen; Aitken (Barclay, 90), Pretty, Leona (Braga, 90); Gow (Godha, 77), Cunningham-Lee, Fa'afua (Beale, 84) Auckland:     Hall; Green (McConnell, 68), MacIntosh, Philpot (Elliott, 23), Haering (Sheldon, 74); Dewell (Vlok, 74), Harashima, Canham (Brill, 68); Wasi, Henson (booked, 90), Johnson Referee:     Chris Trent