Eastern Suburbs confirmed their spot in mid-December's National Women's League Grand Final in emphatic fashion on November 12, thrashing bottom-placed Central Football 9-1 at Massey University to make it ten wins from as many matches in the competition. Nicole Mettam afforded the visitors the ideal start with a third minute goal, but Grace Smith's leveller nine minutes later, while delighting the locals, was akin to a red rag to a bull as far as "The Lilywhites" were concerned - within nine minutes, they had secured a two-goal advantage, and it kept on growing thereafter. Deven Jackson led the charge with two first half goals, sandwiching an Olivia Page effort in the process. Then the league's leading markswoman got in on the act, Tayla O'Brien bagging a brace either side of the interval before substitutes Juliette Lucas - with two goals - and Charlotte Wilford-Carroll joined in the feast with strikes inside the last twenty minutes. The race for second place is well and truly on, with Northern Rovers laying down the gauntlet to cross-town rivals Western Springs by thrashing Capital Football 4-0 at Petone Memorial Park on Saturday. Two goals in as many minutes halfway through the first half from Rene Wasi and Mackenzie Longmuir set Rovers on the road to victory, with the Papua New Guinea native quashing any prospects of a Capital comeback three minutes after half-time. Substitute Shannon Henson iced the cake with fifteen minutes remaining. Twenty-four hours later, it was "The Hoops"' chance to respond, and they did so, coming from behind to overcome Canterbury United Pride 3-2 at English Park, where the home team needed just three minutes to open the scoring through Charlotte Roche. Their advantage was short-lived, Sofia Garcia replying in rambunctious fashion just three minutes later, setting up a half of chance-laden end-to-end football which saw the deadlock broken by Emma Pijnenburg eleven minutes before half-time, although Una Foyle should have done a great deal better - a very saveable chance. Right on the stroke of half-time, Roche restored parity with her second goal of the game, setting up a second half which mirrored the first - Rebecca Lake denying Rina Hirano at one end, Lara Wall rattling the side-netting at the other, and Angelique Tuisamoa's one-on-one denial of Emma McCann four minutes from time the pick of the plethora of opportunities. That was until stoppage time, when Springs' first half scorers combined to clinch the points, Pijnenburg's pass putting Garcia through with just Foyle to beat, a feat she achieved by rounding the 'keeper and tucking home the winner into an empty net in stoppage time. Sunday also saw the clash of the Uniteds at Keith Hay Park, and it was Southern who gained sweet

revenge for the 7-0 drubbing Auckland inflicted upon them in Dunedin earlier in the campaign by scoring a deserved come-from-behind 4-1 win, led by a Kennedy Bryant hat-trick. Auckland opened the scoring eleven minutes before half-time through Kate Hannay, Southern's 'keeper putting through her own net after she initially blocked Bree Johnson's shot. The striker's second effort hit the post and rebounded into the goalmouth before ricocheting over the line off the shin of the 'keeper as she strove to retrieve the situation. Unperturbed, Southern responded well, Bryant being denied an equaliser by the offside flag before levelling the scores on the stroke of half-time. Auckland should have had the chance to go to the dressing rooms in front again, however, referee Chris Trent denying them a clear penalty after Hannay took out Manaia Elliott in the area following a defensive error. An action-packed second spell saw chances galore, most of them in the visitors' favour. Auckland captain Jess Philpot twice cleared off the line to deny certain goals, while veteran goalkeeper Rivalina Fuimaono, forced into action with both Auckland's regular goalkeepers sidelined, produced a number of solid saves, most notably a double denial to thwart Bryant and Jasmine Prince in the 51st minute. Two goals in as many minutes from Bryant just shy of the hour mark turned the game firmly in Southern's favour, and saw her complete her hat-trick in style - her twenty-five yard rocket which sealed her treble will be well in contention for Goal of the Week honours! Ruby Nathan rattled the bar with her own twenty-five yarder soon afterwards, before Chelsea Whittaker made certain there would be no way back for the home team by completing the scoring halfway through the second spell. If you're in Auckland next weekend, there's no excuse not to see some National Women's League action, as all four teams from the City of Sails are in town. Springs and United kick things off at Seddon Fields on Friday night, while Northern welcomes Central to McFetridge Park on Saturday before Suburbs and Canterbury clash in the game of the round on Sunday at Madills Farm. Southern will look to make home advantage count when Capital visit Logan Park on Saturday. Details: Auckland United 1 ("oggie" (34)), Southern United 4 (K. Bryant (45, 58, 59), C. Whittaker (68))  HT 1-1 Canterbury United Pride 2  (C. Roche (3, 45)), Western Springs 3 (S. Garcia (6, 90), E. Pijnenburg (34))  HT 2-2 Capital Football 0, Northern Rovers 4 (R. Wasi (21, 48), M. Longmuir (22), S. Henson (75))  HT 0-2 Central Football 1 (G. Smith (12)), Eastern Suburbs 9 (N. Mettam (3), D. Jackson (15, 32), O. Page (21), T. O'Brien (40, 62), J. Lucas (73, 90), C. Wilford-Carroll (76))  HT 1-5