Eastern Suburbs and Western Springs continue to make every post a winning one after five rounds of National Women's League action, although both Auckland sides won in contrasting fashion on October 16. "The Lilywhites" squeaked past Southern United 1-0 at a windswept Madills Farm, which made the playing of quality football decidedly challenging for both teams. United largely stifled their free-scoring opponents, save for an eleventh minute opening which Juliette Lucas finished in murderous fashion from ten yards. Meanwhile, at Massey University, Western Springs scored four second half goals to run out 5-1 winners over Central Football, after the teams had been level at the interval. Emma Pijnenburg put "The Hoops" in front in the seventh minute, and they should have built on that advantage before Maddison Hughes levelled matters for the home team just before the half-hour mark - Central's first goal of the season. That goal have the natives a serious boost, and Charlotte Lancaster twice threatened to give them the lead early in the second half. But two goals in as many minutes from Rina Hirano and Jess Innes just after the hour mark were mortal blows to Central's growing confidence, and the same players both struck again before the game's conclusion. Northern Rovers cemented their third placing in the league with a rousing 4-1 win at English Park over a Canterbury United Pride team which was prevented from opening the scoring in the seventeenth minute by Ellen Blount, who saved Britney-Lee Nicholson's penalty. Rovers went straight down the other end and opened the scoring via Rene Wasi's unerring drive, an advantage they retained until two minutes into the second spell, when Frankie Morrow, capitalising on Canterbury's strong start to the half, unleashed a shot which ricocheted into the net off Kate McConnell. The visitors swiftly set about scoring at the right end, and two goals in five minutes from Kelli Brown and Talisha Green, just after the hour mark, left Northern firmly in charge of the contest, one they went on to win by a three-goal margin thanks to Maisy Dewell turning home a Michaela Foster corner nine minutes from time, a win which leaves them four points clear of their vanquished opponents, whose grip on the title is looking increasingly tenuous. In Wellington, Capital Football and Auckland United had a right old ding-dong go at Petone Memorial Park, eventually leaving the pitch having shared eight goals, three of them coming in the dying stages of this 4-4 thriller. Pepi Olliver-Bell gave the hosts the perfect start after three minutes, but within twenty minutes, United had turned that around through Alosi Bloomfield and Isabella Richards. They retained

that advantage until the stroke of half-time, when Sydnie Williams restored parity. A cracking strike from Emmelin Bowala twenty minutes from time restored Auckland's lead, only for Dani Ohlsson to draw Capital level in style with four minutes left, rounding Jesse Barnard before finishing from an acute angle. That made it 3-3, but within three minutes, Bloomfield had restored United's lead, the third time in the game they had gained the upper hand on the scoreboard. They couldn't retain it, however, Olliver-Bell's stoppage time effort - her second goal of the game - earning Capital a share of the spoils in dramatic fashion. Next weekend sees two rounds taking place on Labour Weekend, with all eight teams playing the reverse fixtures on the Monday of those they'll play on Friday night in Auckland or Saturday elsewhere. "The Hoops" and Northern lock horns at Seddon Fields on Friday, a night on which "The Lilywhites" and Auckland draw swords at William Green Domain. Saturday's fare sees South Island pride on the line at English Park as Canterbury and Southern lock horns, while at Massey University, Central and Capital will be getting it on in the battle of the bottom two. In National Women's Youth League action, Canterbury are all but champions after two goals from Charlotte Roche accounted for Northern 2-0, while Capital lost 2-1 twice this week, at Central on Wednesday and at home to Auckland on the Sabbath, Pia Vlok scoring the winner from the penalty spot for the latter after Lilly Dowsing capped off  Central's come-from-behind win in midweek, results which killed off Capital's title quest. Dowsing was among the goals again as Central capped off their week by coming from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Western Springs, the only team which can mathematically prevent Canterbury from taking out the title. Meanwhile, Eastern Suburbs moved into second place as Gerri Gibson's stoppage time strike clinched a 2-1 victory over Southern United, who have yet to score a point this season, and only scored their first goal of the season in this match, Zara Pratley earning the visitors' cheers. Details: Canterbury United Pride 1 ("oggie" (47)), Northern Rovers 4 (R. Wasi (19), K. Brown (60), T. Green (65), M. Dewell (81))  HT 0-1 Capital Football  4 (P. Olliver-Bell (3, 90), S. Williams (45), D. Ohlsson (86)), Auckland United 4 (A. Bloomfield (14, 89), I. Richards (23), E. Bowala (70))  HT 2-2 Central Football 1 (M. Hughes (27)), Western Springs 5 (E. Pijnenburg (7), R. Hirano (62, 77), J. Innes (63, 88))  HT 1-1 Eastern Suburbs 1 (J. Lucas (11)), Southern United 0  HT 1-0