For the first time in fourteen seasons, a new name will be engraved on the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League championship trophy this summer, after Western Springs clinched the crown by coming from behind to thump Eastern Suburbs 7-1 at Seddon Fields on September 12. Needing a draw to edge ahead of table-toppers Lynn-Avon United going into the match, Springs were rocked on their heels just 190 seconds into play, having come close to opening the scoring inside the first forty-five seconds of action. Abby Erceg sent Leanne Tiffen down the right, and her cross-shot arced over the advancing Ginny Tan but drifted past the far post, something which Marlies Oostdam's unerring twenty-five yard free-kick did not moments later. The midfielder, who next week heads across to Melbourne Victory to play for the club in the inaugural Westfield W-League competition, unleashed an absolute howitzer of a shot which steamed through the defensive wall and past the startled figure of Pam Yates as it arrowed into the far corner of the net to give Suburbs the lead. Stung, Springs looked to respond straight from the kick-off, only for Jamie Hackett's attempted lob to be charged down by the approaching figure of Tan, who was beaten two minutes later by a wicked deflection from a Tiffen cross, the ball arcing over the stranded goalkeeper's head and in by the far post to bring about parity after just seven minutes. After Briony Fisher had gone close with a headed attempt from an Erceg corner, Springs took the lead in the twelfth minute, following a delightful interchange of passes between Rosie White, Liz Milne and Hannah Wall. The lively striker played Hackett in behind the defence, and the striker calmly picked her spot beyond Tan to put the title-chasers on top. Having regained the advantage, Springs looked to build on it swiftly, but met stubborn resistance from a Suburbs team which has endured a disjointed and injury-riddled campaign, one blessed with very little luck. In the nineteenth minute, the home team found a way through, Wall and White combining to release Tiffen down the right. Her driven cross, intended for Hackett, was anticipated well by Tan, who was badly exposed by the ever-alert Wall three minutes later, as the youngster scampered after and reached a Fisher through ball which the goalkeeper was content to let run out of play. Wall's instant pull-back from the by-line deserved better fate than to see Mariah Meagher hoist the ball to safety, the instinctive nature of the striker creating a chance out of nothing to the surprise of her team-mates, who were conspicuous by their absence on this occasion. The same can be said of Springs' defence in the 25th minute, as Rebecca Tegg sent Melanie Gooch scurrying through the offside trap. Milne and Chelsey Wood were soon shadowing the striker, however, with the former's superbly timed tackle stopping the striker in her tracks. That sparked the home team into another flurry of attacks, the first of which saw Hackett go down under the challenge of Allysha Johnson in the penalty area as she lined up a shot in the 26th minute. Referee Hengo Sioneloto had a good look from just outside the box before signalling that a goal kick was suffice, to the groans of Springs' supporters.

From that set-piece, Oostdam and Rebecca O'Neill clashed in central midfield, with Gooch the beneficiary as the ball spun out towards her. She instantly played Flora McLeod in down the right, but Yates was eagerly anticipating the cross when it came. On the half-hour, a bad misjudgement by Jo Rombouts gifted Tiffen possession on the edge of the penalty area, near the by-line. The game's first goalscorer had one thought in mind - pick out Hackett! She did so, inviting the striker to let fly with a fierce volley, only for Tan to produce a fine reflex save. Suburbs' `keeper was given no such chance in the 32nd minute, as Springs extended their lead to 3-1. Tiffen found herself in space on the left, so cut inside and sent the ball sailing over Tan's head high into the net from twenty-five yards. Four minutes later, the game was up for the visitors, although it took the best move of the match to unhinge them. Wood, Milne and Tiffen combined on the left, with the last-mentioned angling a pass through Suburbs' spread-eagled defence for Wall. She still had plenty to do, but did it superbly, classily rounding Tan before tucking the ball into an empty net for Springs' fourth goal of the night. They came close to adding to their tally still further before the interval, with Tiffen rewarding White's clever angled run with a made-to-measure pass in the 38th minute. The striker checked inside and let fly from twenty yards, only for Tan to grab the drive at her near post. The sight of Young Ferns captain Fisher being carried off was a sobering note on which to end the first half, if not a serious one, as it turned out. Apparently her foot injury has been something of an “arch-enemy” to her throughout the campaign, and this latest flare-up in the last game of the season was perhaps a timely reminder to get it resolved over the course of the next six weeks. Springs dominated the second half, passing the ball around with gay abandon as Suburbs chased shadows, more often than not. Indeed, the visitors took fully eleven minutes to cross the half-way line in the second spell - that's a measure of how effective Springs contained them on the rare occasions they weren't in possession during the opening quarter-hour. For all their possession, however, Springs had nothing to show for it in terms of shots on target. The first saves Tan had to make in the match came after the hour mark, with Tiffen and Hackett both thwarted by the custodian after Hannah Valentine and White had, respectively, engineered the opening with succinct passes. Milne then denied Gooch in the act of shooting after Yumi Nguyen's hard work down the right had finally borne fruit, while soon after, Rombouts and Meagher combined to send Oostdam surging through the inside left channel. The midfielder - with Nguyen and the tireless Rebecca Brown, the pick of Suburbs' selection on the night - volleyed goalwards early but inaccurately. To quell any hopes Suburbs harboured of mounting a comeback, Springs went nap in the 68th minute. White's superb reverse pass to the right flank invited Milne to cross on the run, and she did so with a first-time delivery which picked out the unmarked Hassett. From the edge of the penalty areas, she picked her spot - 5-1. A string of set-piece deliveries from Milne kept Tan

on her toes over the course of the next ten minutes, with the `keeper forced to deny the charging Claudia Crasborn and a twenty-five yarder from Nadia Pearl in this time. Suburbs were persistent, however, and in Tegg boast a player capable of changing a game within minutes. Twelve minutes from time, she certainly came perilously close to altering the scoreline, unleashing a dipping twenty-five yarder which Yates tipped onto the bar. Kath Doubleday's resulting corner was cleared to Brown, who looked to pick out Tegg's angled run with her darting cross. Yates anticipated the threat well, however, and was on hand to thwart Tegg again in the 81st minute, denying the striker the chance to shoot near the edge of the penalty area. Tegg squared the ball to Gooch, setting up her strike partner for a shot on goal which came to grief as Milne stepped in to block the goalbound effort then clear off the line to safety. Two goals in as many minutes in the shadows of the full-time whistle helped Springs emphasise their dominance on the scoreboard. And after her injury setbacks, it was White who brought down the curtain on the newly crowned champions' campaign with two strikes of contrasting quality. The first, in the 87th minute, was a thumping twenty-yarder which careered low past Tan into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. And after the goalkeeper had smothered a similar effort from the same player after Yates had hurtled out of goal to deny Tegg by clearing the ball downfield in the same motion, White's second, Springs' seventh, materialised a minute from time. Wood engineered it, a beautifully weighted pass from half-way picking out her young team-mate, whose first attempt was denied by Tan. White was onto the rebound in an instant, however, and wasted little time in tucking the ball home into an empty net to round off Springs' 7-1 triumph, and start off their championship-winning celebrations in earnest. “It's an awesome feeling”, said a very proud coach, Paul Temple, afterwards, as he gleefully clutched the championship trophy and the Central Leader Team of the Year prize, an honour Springs share with their season-long rivals, Lynn-Avon. “The new players have added a lot this year, certainly, while the experience of Rebecca O'Neill and Priscilla Duncan have been key factors as well. “Then you see the likes of Chelsey Wood and Hannah Valentine, who've been part of things here from day one, and Rosie White, who has just come back from a long-term injury - this is their first league championship, so it's particularly special for them. “Overall, I can't praise the players enough for their professionalism and dedication over the course of the season. And the support from Paul Rutland and Western Springs, too - this is a great reward for the club”. Springs:     Yates; Fisher (Valentine, 43), Erceg, Wood, Milne; Tiffen, O'Neill, Vincent (Pearl, 58), Wall (Crasborn, 52); Hackett, White Suburbs:     Tan; Brown, Meagher, Rombouts, Johnson (Fuller, 73); McLeod (Hardy, 73), Fraser (Doubleday, 46), Oostdam, Nguyen; Gooch, Tegg Referee:     Hengo Sioneloto