The Ford National Women's League Grand Final is on the radar of four teams after seventh round action on the second weekend of November saw league leaders Auckland United record yet another victory as they edge closer to what would be an incredible achievement. Kaley Ward's goal halfway through the first half at Fred Taylor Park earned Ben Bate's charges a 1-0 win over West Coast Rangers, and left United on the cusp of a second successive Grand Final appearance as their quest to record an unbeaten 41-game season continues unabated. The table-toppers are just three games away from realising that ambition, with one point necessary to guarantee that third game, the Grand Final. The other contenders for the season-ending showpiece fixture very likely won't be known until the final ball has been kicked in round-robin action, although Waterside Karori are in the box seat at this stage. "The Magpies" also boast an unbeaten record in this season's National Women's League, maintaining it at Martin Luckie Park when held to a 1-1 draw by arch-rivals Wellington United, who drew level halfway through the first half courtesy a Sarah Alder penalty after Emma Starr had opened the scoring on the quarter hour in a match which saw three of her Karori team-mates booked for various misdemeanours. Eastern Suburbs are coming with a wet sail at present, storming into third place with a come-from-behind 3-1 win over Canterbury United Pride at English Park, where Nicola Dominikovich opened the scoring for the home team inside the first fifteen minutes. Last season's Golden Boot winner, Sofia Garcia, rediscovered her goalscoring touch to level the scores on the half-hour mark, before Britney Cunningham-Lee decided the destiny of the points with two second half goals which allowed "The Lilywhites" to close to within two points of "The Magpies" on the standings - not bad going for a team which picked up just one point from their first three matches. One point was all Southern United and Wellington Phoenix collected from their clash at Logan Park, which saw the spoils shared thanks to a 1-1 draw. Both goals were scored before the interval, Georgia Keen giving United a dream start in the fourth minute, before Liv Ingham levelled matters five minutes before half-time. That result allowed Western Springs to draw level with Southern on eight points, a result of their 6-0 thumping of Central Football at Seddon Fields, where Aimee Phillips topped and tailed the scoring with her 42nd and 43rd goals in the competition, while also hitting the crossbar with a header and being denied another goal by the offside flag. Springs scored four in sixteen first half minutes to break Central's resistance, Tiana Hill doubling their lead before a Rina Hirano header was diverted into her own net by Isabelle Dunning. Liz Savage then produced a finish to match her surname - Sophie Campbell barely moved as this fifteen-yard screamer slammed into the top corner

of the net three minutes before the break. Five minutes after it, Ava Lewis bettered it, beating two before battering a twenty-five yarder into the top far corner - if this isn't the Goal of the Week, it'll have to be something special which beats it! Penultimate round action this weekend sees Auckland and Southern squaring off at Keith Hay Park on Saturday, while at the same time Waterside and West Coast meet at Martin Luckie Park - a must-win game for Rangers, whose Grand Final hopes are hanging by a thread after this week's defeat. Canterbury head to Central's Massey University home on Saturday, while Sunday's fare sees Suburbs and "The Diamonds" duelling at Madills Farm on a day Wellington Phoenix welcome "The Hoops" to Fraser Park. That venue will see a trophy presentation taking place this weekend, as Wellington Phoenix have won the National Women's Youth League with a round to spare after coming from behind to down Southern United 3-1 at Logan Park, a brace of Isabella Temple goals proving decisive for the new champions. Nearest rivals Fencibles United were edged out in a Gower Park thriller by Melville United, who got up to win 4-3 thanks in large part to a brace of Laura Bennett goals, the first of which came inside the opening sixty seconds. The visitors came back from 3-1 down to draw level, but Lola Williams scored what proved to be the winner in the 64th minute. Eastern Suburbs concluded their campaign on a winning note, coming from behind to down Canterbury United Pride 2-1 at English Park thanks to late strikes from Millie Boyle and - deep in stoppage time - Madeleine Dwyer, their goals propelling the victors into second place on the standings as the outgoing champions fell to their fourth defeat of the season. The final game of the round saw Western Springs edge Central Football 4-3 at Seddon Fields, where the visitors came roaring back from 4-1 down to set up a grandstand finish. But it was the own goal they conceded just after half-time which proved decisive. The last round of Youth League action sees the newly crowned champions welcoming "The Hoops" to Fraser Park on Sunday morning, with the other matches taking place on Saturday. Fencibles and Southern meet at Riverhills Park, while Capital Football entertain Melville at Petone Memorial Park on a day Central and Canterbury clash at Massey University. Details: Canterbury United Pride 1 (N. Dominikovich (13)), Eastern Suburbs 3 (S. Garcia (31), B. Cunningham-Lee (47, 66))  HT 1-1 Southern United 1 (G. Keen (4)), Wellington Phoenix 1 (O. Ingham (40))  HT 1-1 Wellington United 1 (S. Alder (21 pen)), Waterside Karori 1 (E. Starr (14))  HT 1-1 West Coast Rangers 0, Auckland United 1 (K. Ward (22))  HT 0-1 Western Springs 6 (A. Phillips (26, 90), T. Hill (34), "oggie" (40), L. Savage (42), A. Lewis (50)), Central Football 0  HT 4-0