Eastern Suburbs and Western Springs have surged clear of their National Women's League rivals are both teams recorded their fourth successive victories in the competition in contrasting fashion on 8 October. "The Lilywhites" twice came from behind to overpower Northern Rovers 5-2 at McFetridge Park, initially overcoming the setback of a fifth minute "oggie" by Ella Findlay within a minute courtesy Deven Jackson. Michaela Foster restored Rovers' lead from the penalty spot on the half-hour, but the league's leading markswoman, Tayla O'Brien, had Suburbs back on level terms again five minutes before the interval, following a corner. A lively opening to the second spell saw both teams go close to scoring a third goal before Saki Yoshida did so for Suburbs twenty minutes from time. O'Brien was denied a second goal by the offside flag soon afterwards, prompting Rovers to lay caution to the wind as they chased parity. They paid the price, however, two stoppage time goals from Jackson completing her hat-trick and securing a significant win for Suburbs, who failed to beat Rovers in their three Lotto Northern Premier Women's League matches this season, as well as falling to their northern rivals in the Kate Sheppard Cup quarter-finals. Across town at Seddon Fields, Western Springs were little troubled in easing past a toothless Capital Football 3-0, the visitors failing to fire a shot in anger during the course of the contest, in which they were kept by the exploits of goalkeeper Molly Simons. Not even she could deny Rina Hirano in the 33rd minute, however, Springs' playmaker slaloming her way through three challenges to score a splendid solo effort, a feat matched three minutes into the second spell by Jess Innes, with a little help from Capital's defence. Any hopes the visitors harboured of upsetting the apple cart were dashed six minutes later as Hirano capped off a five-player move with a close-range tap-in to wrap up the scoring Southern United recorded their second successive victory, easing past Central Football 3-0 at Logan Park, but only after Central's defensive colossus Kate Bennett had to withdraw from the fray early in the second spell. The natives fully capitalised in her absence, three goals in nine minutes around the halfway point in the second spell emanating from Kennedy Bryant, Margi Dias and Abby Rankin, on a day United's Jasmine Prince also bid an early departure from the match, in her case through injury. The lone game on Sunday saw Canterbury United

Pride overcome Auckland United 3-2 in a ding-dong go at Keith Hay Park, with the visitors surging to a two-goal lead on the quarter hour with goals in as many minutes from Kate Guildford and Chloe Bellamy. Frankie Morrow had already been denied a goal by the offside flag for the visitors before their quickfire double, while Bree Johnson also spurned a gilt-edged chance to put the home team in the tenth minute. She made amends with an eighteenth minute strike before levelling the scores on the half-hour, prior to which both teams had lost players to injury - Jenna Dodd (United) and Kate Loye (Pride). And before half-time, Bellamy squandered a glorious chance to restore the visitors' advantage, Jesse Barnard blocking her shot on the line when scoring seemed easier. Ten minutes into the second half, Johnson had a golden opportunity to complete her hat-trick from the penalty spot, but missed the target completely. Canterbury substitute Britney-Lee Nicholson responded with a crossbar rattler before fellow replacement Petra Buyck, who began her career at Keith Hay Park, came back to haunt her old club by scoring the winner fifteen minutes from time. Next weekend's round sees Canterbury and Northern clashing at English Park on Saturday, a day on which Auckland will head to Petone Memorial Park to take on Capital. Sunday's fare sees Central entertaining Springs at Massey University, while Suburbs and Southern square off at Madills Farm. In National Women's Youth League action, Laura Newman's stoppage time strike clinched a 1-0 win for Canterbury at Auckland, leaving the victors five points clear of the chasing pack with three games to play. Elsewhere, Zoe Brazier's second goal of the season secured Suburbs a 3-1 win at Northern, for whom Emily Lyon was on target for the fourth time this season. Lola Wood's goal for Springs was suffice to clinch victory over Capital, while second half goals from Bridie McFadzean and Lilly Dowsing saw Central score their first win of the campaign, 2-0 at Southern, who are alone at the bottom of the table and have yet to score so far this season. Details: Auckland United 2 (B. Johnson (18, 29)), Canterbury United Pride 3 (K. Guildford (15), C. Bellamy (16), P. Buyck (76))  HT 2-2 Northern Rovers 2 ("oggie" (5), M. Foster (30 pen)), Eastern Suburbs 5 (D. Jackson (6, 90, 90), T. O'Brien (40), S. Yoshida (69))  HT 2-2 Southern United 3 (K. Bryant (63), M. Dias (67), A. Rankin (72)), Central Football 0  HT 0-0 Western Springs 3 (R. Hirano (33, 54), J. Innes (48)), Capital Football 0  HT 1-0