Reigning National Women’s League champions Eastern Suburbs are the only team boasting a perfect record after three rounds of action in this season’s competition, maintaining that 100% return by overpowering Wellington Phoenix 3-0 at Fraser Park on the first Saturday in October. “The Lilywhites” got off to the perfect start, Nicole Mettam rattling home a twenty-yarder which left Charlotte Eagle clutching thin air. And after Emily Humphrey had squandered a great chance to equalise, two goals in four minutes from Charlotte Lancaster settled the contest, “Bomber”’s unerring twenty yard finish finding the far corner before her lofted strike found Eagle wanting – not a moment the young goalkeeper will look back on fondly. Western Springs, last season’s runners-up, shared the lead with their Auckland rivals going into this round, but they came a cropper at Logan Park, where Southern United came from behind to prevail 3-2 in a thriller which saw all the scoring materialise before the half-time whistle. Jess Innes’ eleventh minute corner was scrambled home on the far post by Lily Taitimu to put “The Hoops” in front, but four goals in five minutes just before the half-hour mark turned the game upside-down and inside-out – it was a remarkable spell of football, and some of the goals scored were absolute belters! Margi Dias levelled matters in the 31st minute, volleying home via the post after being picked out by Toni Power’s cross. Three minutes later, United took the lead through Kendrah Smith, whose thirty yard free-kick found the net via the underside of the bar to leave Angelique Tuisamoa flailing in vain. 2-1 became 3-1 sixty seconds later, Dias unleashing a scorching twenty yard volley from an Amy Hislop lay-off which had Tuisamoa beaten all ends up long before it crashed into the back of the net. Springs’ response was instant, Lara Colpi halving the deficit in fine style with a dipping twenty yarder which sailed over Amelia Simmers and found the far corner of the net – 3-2, and so nearly 4-2 five minutes before half-time when Hislop breached the offside trap and rounded the covering figure of Lily Jervis, only to slam a shot into the side-netting with Tuisamoa to beat. The half-time whistle came as welcome relief, particularly for those trying to do justice to the quality of the goals scored in that five-minute salvo, but the second half saw no more goals forthcoming. There was drama, however, with Tiana Hill sent off sixteen minutes from time for a reckless studs-up tackle which will likely sideline her for two games at least. Auckland United joined this pair in a three-way tie for third after overcoming Waterside Karori at Martin Luckie Park, where a third minute howler by “Magpies” goalkeeper Ariana Gray handed them the keys to a 3-1 win. Quite what happened after she gathered Maisy Dewell’s corner at her near post only she can explain, the ball somehow squirming over the line behind her to gift United the lead. That advantage was doubled in the nineteenth minute when Chelsea Elliott bundled home Yuke Harashima’s corner to the far post, while the Japanese midfielder wrapped up the points with an exquisite finish from the edge of the penalty area to cap off a move featuring Dewell and Talisha Green. Margot Ramsay pulled one back from distance for the home team halfway through the second spell, but in the clash of the Central and Northern Premier Women’s League champions, it was the team from the best league in the land which prevailed on this occasion.

Succeeding “The Hoops” in second place are Wellington United, who came from 2-0 down just after half-time at Michaels Avenue to see off Ellerslie 5-2, leaving the beaten side propping up the standings without a point to their name. Britney Cunningham-Lee headed “The Ponies” in front in fine fashion on the quarter-hour, to which Natalie Olson responded with a crossbar-rattler ten minutes later. Wellington, who were guilty of profligate finishing throughout proceedings, as well as testing the patience of referee Beth Rattray with their spoiling style of play, found themselves two goals down just after half-time when retreating defender Caelin Patterson couldn’t get out of the way of Anita Trudgen’s cross. The defender made amends with a timely tackle in the 63rd minute, which not only prevented Ellerslie from extending their advantage, but instead saw it halved, Pepi Olliver-Bell taking advantage on the counter-attack before Ellie Kubayama slammed home the equaliser four minutes later. “The Diamonds” scored three goals with ninety minutes showing on the clock. Substitute Sophie Dijkstra was responsible for two of them, lashing home after Ellerslie failed to clear a counter-attack, then potting a penalty to put the result beyond doubt before Olliver-Bell wrapped up the scoring with the last kick of the game as United caught their hosts on the counter-attack yet again. The other teams which started the round keeping Ellerslie company at the bottom of the table were Central Football and Canterbury United Pride, who both ended the day a point better off after sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw at Massey University. The visitors opened the scoring in the nineteenth minute, Britney-Lee Nicholson inviting Charlotte Mortlock to pick out a near post finish in some style. But straight from the kick-off, Una Foyle made a pig’s ear of dealing with Ruby-Aroha Gurnick’s long-range strike, and the incoming Maddison Hughes said “Thankyou very much!” Canterbury’s goalkeeper was found wanting again seven minutes before half-time, Mikaela Bouwmeester exploiting Foyle’s aerial shortcomings at her near post. It was Nicholson who came to the rescue for the former champions, however, her late leveller earning Canterbury a share of the spoils and denying Central a rare victory which they would have been thinking was theirs before they were stung by “Queen B”’s ruthless eighteen-yarder. Fourth round action this weekend sees “The Lilywhites” taking on “The Magpies” at Madills Farm on Sunday, the same day on which Auckland entertains Central at Keith Hay Park. Twenty-four hours earlier, “The Hoops” host Wellington Phoenix at Seddon Fields, while “The Diamonds” and Southern meet at Wakefield Park on Saturday morning, and Canterbury and Ellerslie draw swords later that afternoon. Details: Central Football 2 (M. Hughes (20), M. Bouwmeester (38)), Canterbury United Pride 2 (C. Mortlock (19), B. Nicholson (90))  HT 2-1 Ellerslie 2 (B. Cunningham-Lee (15), “oggie” (47)), Wellington United 5 (P. Olliver-Bell (63, 90), E. Kabayama (67), S. Dijkstra (90 pen, 90))  HT 1-0 Southern United 3 (M. Dias (32, 36), K. Smith (35)), Western Springs 2 (L. Taitimu (12), L. Colpi (37))  HT 3-2 Waterside Karori 1 (M. Ramsay (68)), Auckland United 3 (“oggie” (3), C. Elliott (19), Y. Nakashima (22))  HT 0-3 Wellington Phoenix 0, Eastern Suburbs 3 (N. Mettam (3), C. Lancaster (27, 31))  HT 0-3