Home wins were the order of the day in the penultimate round of round-robin action in the National Women's League this season, with Western Springs capturing the headlines as they clinched their place in the Grand Final on December 18. "The Hoops" secured their spot in style at Seddon Fields, savaging Central Football 9-0 to become the fourth team from Auckland to put nine goals past the team which will finish bottom of the table once again. Jess Innes got the ball rolling in the fourteenth minute, while Rina Hirano chimed in eight minutes later, as Springs stepped up the pressure. That they only scored once more before the interval - a Sammi Tawharu tap-in in the shadows of the half-time whistle, was largely due to the goalkeeping exploits of Sophie Campbell, who produced a string of quality saves to keep the home team at bay. Sofia Garcia alone was denied five times by the 'keeper, who continued to frustrate the forward in the second spell until Springs' leading markswoman finally got on the scoresheet halfway through the half. That made it 5-0, Hirano having thrashed home her second goal of the game eight minutes into the second spell. She also hit the post, while Innes rattled the crossbar, these close calls taking place either side of Garcia's goal. Lily Jervis' superb diving header from an Arisa Takeda corner took the honours for the day's best goal, although Emma Pijnenburg and substitute Rhee Morrison - with her first touch - ran their skipper close when scoring inside the final ten minutes of play. Innes then wrapped things up when scoring direct from a corner on a day Springs paid tribute to Hirano, Takeda and Pijnenburg, who will be departing the club for pastures new at season's end, Feyenoord in the case of the last-mentioned. Good enough for the Dutch giants, but not for the Junior Ferns … hmmm! Springs' Grand Final opponents, Eastern Suburbs, suffered their second defeat in three weeks when Southern United came from behind to beat "The Lilywhites" 2-1 at Logan Park, where the visitors, having used all their substitutes, had to play out the last twenty minutes with ten players on the park, having used all their substitutes when a third regular started suffered an injury - not what you need when you've a Grand Final to play in a fortnight! Olivia Page - hamstring, Tayla O'Brien - ankle, and her replacement, Ella Findlay, who was carried from the field with a lower leg injury following a challenge in the penalty area which went unpunished, are the players whose fitness will be concerning coach Stephen Hoyle in the coming fortnight. Aimee Atkins gave the visitors the lead with a fine solo goal on the hour, but Emily Morison squared things up halfway through the second half. The ten women almost held out until the end, but Chelsea Whittaker belted home a beauty two minutes into stoppage time to clinch victory for last year's South Central Series champions. Suburbs weren't the only team to finish with ten on the weekend, but in Capital Football's case, it was the sending-off of goalkeeper Molly Simons which ultimately cost them three points as Auckland United came from behind to win 3-2 at Keith Hay Park. United got off to a flying start when Manaia Elliott rammed home the opening goal four minutes into the contest, but the visitors turned that around via Rebecca Otte, who scored on the counter-attack,

and Renee Bacon - a wind-assisted cross-shot on the half-hour which completely deceived Aimee Feinberg-Danieli. Bacon hit the crossbar soon afterwards, but United regrouped and should have drawn level before half-time - Ruby Nathan fired her 43rd minute penalty past the post. They were back on level terms by the hour mark, however, Bree Johnson drilling home her eleventh goal of the campaign. Five minutes afterwards, Simons took out Elliott with a rash challenge outside the area which prompted referee Anna-Marie Keighley to brandish the red card. United were unable to capitalise immediately, but did so in the 71st minute, Elliott beating replacement 'keeper Katia Brown all ends up with a wind-assisted free-kick to score what proved to be the winner. It was a wild affair at McFetridge Park, where a seven-goal second half ensued as Northern Rovers secured third place for themselves with a 6-3 rout of Canterbury United Pride. Suya Haering nutmegged Una Foyle to open the scoring in the tenth minute, and the visitors were left facing the proverbial mountain to climb when Alexis Cook doubled Rovers' lead via a close-range volley six minutes later. Northern kept Canterbury at arm's length for the remainder of the half, but after the interval, all hell broke loose. Haering had the misfortune to divert Charlotte Roche's drive into her own net in the 48th minute for an "oggie", but straight from the kick-off, Cook restored Rovers' two-goal advantage, with more than a helping hand from Foyle, who made a dog's breakfast of dealing with a Kelli Brown drive. United wasted little time in responding, Lauren Dabner rattling home a twenty-yarder to make it three goals in as many minutes just five minutes after half-time - 3-2 now the score. Make that four in seven, as Rene Wasi steered the ball home from close range following a corner. Charlotte Roche headed Canterbury back to within one goal of Rovers on the hour, but the home team responded within four minutes, Brown, having missed, by her standards, a sitter seconds earlier, curling home a shot from the edge of the area, a goal supplemented by Talisha Green sending Foyle the wrong way from the penalty spot seventeen minutes from time to wrap up the scoring. The final round-robin fixtures take place this weekend, with Suburbs and Springs squaring off at William Green Domain on Friday evening prior to their Grand Final encounter nine days later. Northern welcome Southern to McFetridge Park on Saturday, the same day on which Canterbury will put the Peter Osten Memorial Trophy on the line as Capital pay a visit to English Park. And on Sunday, Central wrap up their campaign against an Auckland team which will likely be under-strength, with most of their squad involved in the National U-17 Tournament being hosted by Western Springs from December 8. Details: Auckland United 3 (M. Elliott (4, 71), B. Johnson (57)), Capital Football 2 (R. Otte (19), R. Bacon (30))  HT 1-2 Northern Rovers 6 (S. Haering (10), A. Cook (16, 49), R. Wasi (52), K. Brown (64), T. Green (73 pen)), Canterbury United Pride 3 ("oggie" (48), L. Dabner (50), C. Roche (60))  HT 2-0 Southern United 2 (E. Morison (67), C. Whittaker (90)), Eastern Suburbs 1 (A. Atkins (61))  HT 0-0 Western Springs 9 (J. Innes (14, 88), R. Hirano (22, 53), S. Tawharu (43), S. Garcia (67), L. Jervis (73), E. Pijnenburg (81), R. Morrison (83)), Central Football 0  HT 3-0