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Rd 4
3-0 Scorelines Dominate Fourth Round Action
by Jeremy Ruane
3-0 was a common scoreline in fourth round action, with three of the matches seeing the home teams prevail by that outcome.
Chief among them were league leaders Eastern Suburbs, who struck thrice in the last fourteen minutes at Madills Farm to see off Waterside Karori. Zoe Benson bagged a brace in a ten-minute spell for "The Lilywhites", before debutant substitute Emily Lyon snuffed out any hopes "The Magpies" harboured of a late fightback.
Cross-town rivals Auckland United also did it three and easy at Keith Hay Park, where Central Football's stubborn resistance was eventually broken by a brace of Shannon Henson goals - the first from the penalty spot - before the interval, and one from Danielle Canham twenty minutes from time in a match which saw Rene Wasi squander more than enough opportunities to net a hat-trick.
3-0 was also showing on the scoreboard when the final whistle blew at English Park, where Canterbury United Pride condemned Ellerslie to another defeat and recorded their first clean sheet of the season - Madeleine Iro donned the gloves this week, and rewarded coach Alana Gunn's faith in her accordingly.
Chloe Bellamy, Charlotte Roche and Nicola Dominikovich were responsible for the goals which did for "The Ponies", with the Cantabrians able to unleash the firepower of Aimee Phillips, Britney-Lee Nicholson and Jayda Stewart off the bench in the second spell - you can't complain too much when you've bench strength of that calibre to call upon.
An unlikely scorer was the source of Southern United's 1-0 defeat of Wellington United at Wakefield Park, which was a hammer blow to "The Diamonds"' top two hopes. But when you lose to a snorter like that struck by Marissa Porteous eleven minutes before half-time, at least you can take comfort from the fact that it took something extra special to overcome you - and make no mistake, this goal was just that, with bells on!
Great goals were also in evidence at Seddon Fields, where Western Springs twice came from behind to hold Wellington Phoenix to a 2-2 draw, with the visitors again sporting four Liberty A-League squad members in their starting line-up, something which is beginning to rankle a few of their fellow NWL clubs.
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As usual, whenever teams come from the capital come north, the wind tagged along to keep them company, and playing conditions were rather challenging as a result. Sofia Garcia had a goal disallowed for "The Hoops" before Grace Bartlett picked out the top corner on the half-hour, to Wellington's delight.
They looked set fair to enjoy that lead going into the half-time break, but two minutes prior to it, a Charlotte Eagle clearance into the wind was returned with interest by Arisa Takeda - a 35-yard volley which arced over Eagle's despairing dive and crashed into the net to level the scores.
Parity remained for just three minutes in the second spell, at which point Zoe McMeeken stormed through three challenges before thundering a twenty-five yard missile into the far corner of the net to restore the visitors' advantage - pick that one out!
Playing into the wind, Springs came back strongly, and were rewarded sixteen minutes from time when an Ela Jerez drive deflected off a defender then ricocheted into the net off Eagle, despite the 'keeper's best efforts to prevent the equaliser.
Cue a grandstand finish, during which Alyssha Eglinton rattled the crossbar direct from a corner for the visitors. But the deadlock remained, meaning "The Hoops" simply had to win their next match if their hopes of making back-to-back NWL Grand Finals were to be maintained.
Their opponents in this crucial round five encounter? Their conquerors at Mt Smart Stadium last December - Eastern Suburbs, the reigning champions.
Details:
Auckland United 3 (S. Henson (23 pen, 36), D. Canham (69)), Central Football 0 HT 2-0
Canterbury United Pride 3 (C. Bellamy (13), C. Roche (39), N. Dominikovich (69)), Ellerslie 0 HT 2-0
Eastern Suburbs 3 (Z. Benson (77, 86), E. Lyon (88)), Waterside Karori 0 HT 0-0
Wellington United 0, Southern United 1 (M. Porteous (34)) HT 0-1
Western Springs 2 (A. Takeda (43), "oggie" (74)), Wellington Phoenix 2 (G. Bartlett (29), Z. McMeeken (48)) HT 1-1
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