Auckland United and Waterside Karori enjoyed contrasting fortunes in the final round of Ford National Women's League action before they meet at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday, 1 December, in this year's Grand Final. Reigning champions Auckland eased past Wellington Phoenix 3-0 at Keith Hay Park, although they should have won by a far greater margin, a combination of profligate finishing and the visitors' stubborn resistance forcing the home team to wait until the 62nd minute before making the breakthrough. Charlotte Roche was credited with the goal, the striker netting via the post after Kaley Ward's corner had seen a shot blocked and Penny Brill also go close to breaking the deadlock. Soon after, Chelsea Elliott had a header blocked on the line, while Pia Vlok hit the post in the last minute, but in between times, two goals in as many minutes sealed Wellington's fate. Both came from Vlok corners, Roche heading home the first of them to clinch the National Women's League Golden Boot with her eighth of the competition. Rene Wasi clinched the points soon after, finding the net at the third attempt as United made it an incredible forty - count them! - games without defeat in 2024. They'll look to extend their unbeaten record to 49 games in the Grand Final, in which they'll face opponents who lost their final round-robin match. "The Magpies" succumbed 2-0 at Logan Park to a Shontelle Smith-inspired Southern United, the midfield maestro netting both goals inside the opening half-hour to hand the visitors their first defeat of this NWL campaign. Eastern Suburbs held onto third place, clinching it on goal difference despite going down 2-1 to West Coast Rangers in a lively affair at Fred Taylor Park, where "The Lilywhites" hit the woodwork twice, had another effort cleared off the line and a goalbound rocket brilliantly blocked by Marissa Porteous, who was determined not to suffer defeat on her birthday. Emily Lyon's goals for Rangers ensured that her captain's birthday celebrations wouldn't be soured, following up a penalty halfway through the first half with a fabulous strike ten minutes before half-time, to which Britney Cunningham-Lee responded just before the interval. Rangers' win saw them draw level on points with their vanquished opponents, and with fellow Auckland side Western Springs, who overpowered Canterbury United Pride 3-0 at English Park, scoring goals early in each half to make themselves part of the conversation where the battle for third place was concerned. Kitty Jacob put "The Hoops" on the road to victory just four minutes into the contest, but the Cantabrians more than held their own after that. Two goals in the first seven minutes of the second spell - a Denva Perrott "oggie" was swiftly followed up by a Liz Savage strike - put paid to any hopes the home team harboured of concluding their campaign on a winning note, however, and in the end, Canterbury had to settle for seventh place, a point off third spot. Wellington United also finished a point behind third-placed Eastern Suburbs, but ahead of Canterbury after thrashing Central Football 6-0 at Martin Luckie Park. Hannah Pilley led the way with a brace of goals, while Misha Koyari, Natalie Olson, Jemma Robertson and Carolyn O'Reilly all chimed in to leave the beaten side boasting the unwanted record of fifty goals against in their nine-game campaign. Central's National Women's Youth League side also lost their final game of the campaign, a brace of Lucy Dermody goals inspiring Southern United's 3-1 win at Logan Park in a rescheduled fixture to complete that competition. With next week's Grand Final to be covered via a match report, this is the final round review of 2024, so it's opportune to update readers on a few other items of note, starting with mention of what is a very well-deserved break for players, club officials and the refereeing fraternity from around the nation. Some teams started pre-season training in January this year, and this weekend has marked the end of their campaigns. In the case of Eastern Suburbs, West Coast Rangers and Western Springs, they've played 32, 33 and 35 games respectively in 2024, while Waterside Karori play their 31st and Auckland United their 41st game of the year in the

Grand Final - unprecedented numbers for the women's game. Lest we forget, these are amateur players, too - they've got to earn a living away from the football pitch. Their dedication, desire and commitment to fulfil their footballing ambitions and be the best they can be on the park can neither be faulted nor questioned. There are a couple of players who deserve a special mention in this regard, as in recent weeks both have passed the 260 mark for the number of games they've played in senior level club football, and they're still going strong. Take a bow, Erinna Wong (Eastern Suburbs) and Chelsea Elliott (Auckland United). As for this writer, next Sunday's Ford National Women's League Grand Final marks the end of my 38th year of involvement in NZ women's football. And I'm already looking forward to years 39, 40 and beyond! To all the players, thankyou for your efforts and, above all, your inspiration. It's that, above all else, which makes my contribution to the women's game such a pleasure, and something I greatly enjoy doing - it's never a chore as far as I'm concerned, and nor should it be. One of the things I'm quietly working away on is a written history of NZ women's football, which I had hoped to knock out in time for next August, when we celebrate fifty years of the Football Ferns' first matches - the 1975 Asian Cup-winning campaign. Sadly, my mother's death around this time last year has made the past twelve months rather challenging personally - you'll have noticed the dearth of match reports this year, a direct result of the changes I've had to make to manage things on the home front now I'm flying solo! However, this book will see the light of day, very likely around the time I clock up forty years in the women's game in 2027. It's a publication which I'm determined will be a fitting tribute to all players past and present, among them two Football Ferns who've gone before us this year - Brooke Stilgoe (nee Rangi - died August 20) and Elaine Collins (nee Lee - the first substitute employed by the NZ women's team in 1975. She died very recently, on November 14). Three other announcements to look out for in the coming weeks include some Football Ferns fixtures for the international window in late February, and coaching appointments for the national team and the Auckland FC women's squad. 2025 will also see the OFC Women's Champions League taking place in Tahiti in May, with the winners to qualify for the inaugural FIFA Women's Club World Cup Finals, currently scheduled for January-February 2026. This will be a four-yearly tournament, and, let's be honest, one I'd love to see taking place on these shores somewhere along the way. July sees the Football Ferns in action at the OFC Women's Nations Cup in Fiji, while Samoa plays host to the OFC U-16 Women's Championship a month later. The OFC U-19 Women's Championship is scheduled for September-October next year in Tahiti, with the Young Ferns locked in for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals in Morocco in October-November. Lastly, the Football Ferns face further regional action in the last international window of the year, with the first two matchdays in the OFC Women's World Cup qualifying tournament taking place in the Cook Islands exactly a year from now - the last week of November 2025. Meantime, spotcha at the Grand Final, and whether you're there or not, enjoy that well-earned break, and have a cracker Christmas! Details: Auckland United 3 (C. Roche (62, 79), R. Wasi (81)), Wellington Phoenix 0  HT 0-0 Canterbury United Pride 0, Western Springs 3 (K. Jacob (4), "oggie" (49), L. Savage (52))  HT 0-1 Southern United 2 (S. Smith (9, 28)), Waterside Karori 0  HT 2-0 Wellington United 6 (M. Koyari (15), H. Pilley (41, 44), N. Olson (42), J. Robertson (67), C. O'Reilly (82)), Central Football 0  HT 4-0 West Coast Rangers 2 (E. Lyon (22 pen, 35)), Eastern Suburbs 1 (B. Cunningham-Lee (45))  HT 2-1