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Rd 6
Honours Even In Top-Of-Table Tussle
by Jeremy Ruane
Auckland United and Southern United fought out a 1-1 draw at a windswept Keith Hay Park in the National Women’s League’s feature sixth round encounter on the last weekend in October, a result which allowed reigning champions Eastern Suburbs to return to the top of the standings.
Bianca Park gave the southerners a twelfth minute lead on their lone trip to the City of Sails, an advantage they retained until half-time thanks in large part to a superb double-save by Amelia Simmers, whose denial frustrated both Suya Haering and Danielle Canham.
‘Twas Canham who finally restored parity sixteen minutes from time, turning home a Talisha Green cross to reward Auckland for their persistent pressure, but they had to withstand a furious finale from Southern in which home team goalkeeper Aimee Hall produced a string of fine saves to ensure that the final outcome would see both teams stay very much in the Grand Final mix.
‘Tis “The Lilywhites” who lead the charge again, however, but they didn’t have it all their own way at Madills Farm, where Mikaela Bouwmeester’s goal five minutes before half-time had Central Football on level terms with the league’s co-leaders.
A former Central player bit the hand that once fed her in emphatic fashion in the second spell, Charlotte Lancaster scoring a second half quad-trick against her old team to supplement the goals Hayley Miller netted in each half for Suburbs, the first of them coming halfway through the first spell to set the home team on their way to a 6-1 win.
Suburbs are two points clear of Auckland, Southern and Western Springs, who dealt a near-fatal blow to Wellington United’s Grand Final hopes by downing “The Diamonds” 2-1 at Newtown Park, where all the scoring took place before the interval.
Lily Taitimu’s tenth minute opener for “The Hoops” was matched five minutes later by a Pepi Olliver-Bell strike for the home team, who had no answer to Lara Colpi’s match-winning goal six minutes before half-time as the visitors repeated the scoreline by which they prevailed over Wellington to win the Kate Sheppard Cup Final seven weeks ago.
At Martin Luckie Park twenty-four hours earlier, luck continued to avoid Ellerslie like the proverbial plague as they slumped to their sixth successive NWL defeat, this time 3-0 at the hands of Waterside Karori.
A torrid first spell eventually saw the deadlock broken by Kaley Ward on the stroke of half-time, and she doubled “The Magpies” advantage halfway through the second half before Renee Bacon wrapped up the points fifteen minutes from time.
At English Park on Saturday, two goals in the first eleven minutes of play set Canterbury United Pride up for a convincing 3-1 win over a Wellington Phoenix side which played just one of their Liberty A-League squad members, Zoe McMeeken scoring their goal six minutes from time.
It was of consolation value only to the travelling
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team, however, given Whitney Hepburn and Charlotte Mortlock had put “The Pride” in charge early doors, with Aimee Phillips confirming a home win early in the second spell.
Guy Fawkes weekend should see plenty of fireworks on display in the National Women’s League, with leaders Eastern Suburbs taking on Wellington United at Petone Memorial Park, while across town at Fraser Park, Auckland United will be looking to overcome Wellington Phoenix.
Southern welcome Waterside to Logan Park on Saturday, while the two games in Auckland see Ellerslie and Central locking horns at Michaels Avenue – a likely wooden spoon decider if ever there was one – while twenty-four hours later, “The Hoops” host Canterbury at Seddon Fields.
Details:
Auckland United 1 (D. Canham (74)), Southern United 1 (B. Park (12)) HT 0-1
Canterbury United Pride 3 (W. Hepburn (8), C. Mortlock (11), A. Phillips (54)), Wellington Phoenix 1 (Z. McMeeken (84)) HT 2-0
Eastern Suburbs 6 (H. Miller (21, 48), C. Lancaster (46, 54, 66, 79)), Central Football 1 (M. Bouwmeester (40)) HT 1-1
Waterside Karori 3 (K. Ward (44, 67), R. Bacon (75)), Ellerslie 0 HT 1-0
Wellington United 1 (P. Olliver-Bell (15)), Western Springs 2 (L. Taitimu (10), L. Colpi (39)) HT 1-2
In National Women’s Youth League action, Canterbury United Pride carried on their winning ways, Katie Pugh scoring twice in a 3-0 dismissal of Wellington Phoenix at English Park – the home team’s sixth win from as many matches this season.
Central Football joined Fencibles United in a share of second place, Sasha Rasmussen’s stoppage time goal clinching a 1-0 win for the visitors at William Green Domain, a result which all but confirms Canterbury as champions once again.
Auckland United were the big movers this week, two wins in four days propelling them into fourth place on the table. The first was a midweek goal-fest at Gower Park, where the visitors came from 3-0 down to trump Melville United 7-4, thanks in large part to Piper O’Neill’s four-goal haul on a night Emmelin Bowala matched the feat of Melville’s Hayley Williams in scoring twice.
Auckland followed that up by downing Southern United 3-1 at Keith Hay Park, where goals in a ten-minute burst from Penny Brill, Bowala and Poppy O’Brien propelled the home team to victory.
Melville, meanwhile, scored four goals for the second successive game, prevailing 4-3 at Capital Football, with Laura Bennett bagging a brace for the travelling team as they leapfrogged their opponents on the table.
Top plays bottom next week as Canterbury take on “The Hoops” at Seddon Fields, while Auckland travels to Wellington Phoenix on a day Capital travels to Southern and Melville and Central meet on neutral turf, Centre Park in Mangere.
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