In the end, it boiled down to one word. Belief. Eastern Suburbs squandered a two-goal half-time lead in being held to a 2-2 draw by Forrest Hill-Milford United at Becroft Park on August 18, handing the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League title to Three Kings United, the first back-to-back champions for six seasons. The title favourites - Suburbs only had to win this match to overhaul Three Kings and claim the silverware - couldn't have got off to a better start, with captain Rebekah Van Dort heading home a steepling Tayla O'Brien corner to the near post just five minutes into the contest. Buoyed by the early goal they needed to settle their nerves, "The Lilywhites" tore into "The Swans" with a vengeance. Kate Carlton read and intercepted an Emily Couchman throw-out intended for Chloe Wilson, and instantly played Aimee Phillips in on the right in the ninth minute. The Golden Boot leader tore past Stacey Martin en route to the penalty area, where from an acute angle she attempted a chip of Couchman which narrowly cleared the crossbar. Four minutes later, a driven O'Brien free-kick was blocked at the near post by Saskia Vosper, the ball rebounding back to Suburbs' set-piece specialist. O'Brien's resulting cross picked out Grace Jale, who directed a volley straight at Couchman. "The Swans" mounted their first attack of the match from the resulting clearance, with Vosper playing in Lily Jervis. Her shot on the turn flew past the far post, prompting a Corina Brown goal kick from which Suburbs doubled their lead. O'Brien played a lovely through ball to Phillips, whose darting run between defenders saw her outpace both Vosper and the outstanding Molly Flynn - the game of her life, this was - before calmly steering the ball beyond the advancing figure of Couchman and into the far corner of the net. 2-0 up after fifteen minutes, and Suburbs wanted more. Couchman saved at the feet of Phillips two minutes later, after O'Brien, Kate Seatter and Jale, with a driving run between two rivals, had combined to create the opening. Five minutes elapsed before the visitors' next opportunity, although it came about via a foul throw - Miss Carlton, your throw-in technique certainly needs some significant work on it, my dear! Dodgy doesn't even begin to describe it! Jale was the beneficiary of "The Lilywhites"' lucky break, the imposing midfielder picking out Emily Gillion with a searching cross to the far post. The youngster's first touch wasn't what it could have been, the ball eventually being cleared after Flynn and Couchman had got into something of a mix-up following poor communication. Malia Steinmetz was the ultimate recipient of the ball, but Jale was onto her international team-mate in a heartbeat and stripped her of possession before feeding Phillips. She skipped past Martin as she raced into the penalty area, where she was prevented from making further in-roads into "The Swans" rearguard by a stunning recovering tackle by Steinmetz - it was her error, but boy, did she make up for it! That 23rd minute incident was followed three minutes later by one in which Jale was the villain. Her ponderous play was pounced on by Vosper, who instantly thumped the ball forward, knowing Talisha Green would hunt it down and look to prosper from the opportunity. She duly sent a shot thundering across Brown and past the far post, unlike Phillips on the half-hour at the other end of the park, where she grazed the crossbar from the most acute of angles after once more getting the better of Martin, who was being given a torrid time by the Football Fern. Seconds later, Wilson played a pass to Steinmetz, who was once more caught in possession, this time by Phillips. The goal-hungry striker instantly surged forward, only to see Couchman smother her low drive this time round. Soon after this, "The Swans" began to get a foot-hold in the contest, but Van Dort and company ensured Brown had little to do. Couchman, on the other hand, was kept busy by her nemesis in the 34th minute. O'Brien intercepted a Jervis pass and instantly sent Phillips racing in off the right, from where she unleashed a thunderous drive which had 'top far corner' written all over it until Couchman pulled off a "worldie", flying to her right to maintain the 2-0 scoreline in some style. Right on half-time, Erin Roxburgh had the chance to make it three and easy for Eastern Suburbs, but her rising eighteen-yard drive cleared the crossbar after Jale had controlled O'Brien's hanging cross and set up her team-mate for the last chance of the half. Referee Morgan Archer blew the half-time whistle, and the teams went to their respective dressing rooms with Suburbs knowing that the title was in the bag. They simply had to keep doing what they'd done so often, not just in this match, but over the course of the season, for another forty-five minutes, and the reward of the silverware would be theirs. "You never know. It's football". Prescient pre-match words, in hindsight, from Suburbs coach Mauro Donoso, who was bidding to become just the second coach in Lotto Northern Premier Women's League history - after the legendary Roy Cox with Mt. Wellington and Eden - to win the title with two different clubs. "The Swans" emerged from the dressing rooms early, and in a relaxed frame of mind. This was their last forty-five minutes of the season, and it was a case of, "We're 2-0 down, we've nothing to lose, so let's go out there and enjoy ourselves and whatever happens, happens". More of the same was expected from Suburbs, of course, regardless of the change of referee - Wendy McNeely took over the whistle, Morgan Archer deciding that it was in the game's best interests that she switch to the sideline due to floodlight-related eyesight issues she had encountered during the first

half. It was FHM who began the half brightly, however, although Suburbs were first to threaten, Steinmetz once more thwarting Phillips with a timely tackle five minutes after play had resumed. Four minutes later, we had a game on our hands, as "The Swans" halved the deficit in devastating fashion. Green and Steinmetz engineered an opening some twenty-five yards out from goal, in tandem with Hannah Reddy, whose pass invited Green to let fly … Nothing but net, the ball soaring beyond the diving figure of Brown to the undisguised delight of the home team, and the horror of the Suburbs players. Cue shades of Tweety Bird - "Was that a puddy tat I saw"? Not if Phillips could help it. In the 58th minute, she robbed Martin just outside the area, only for the defender to come back and foul the striker in the area in her eagerness to regain the ball. Referee McNeely played the advantage, as the ball broke for Suburbs' benefit, but nothing came of it, much to Phillips' disgust, although this was likely directed more at the official's decision than anything her team-mates produced. Five minutes later, the terrier-like Phillips was at it again, robbing Steinmetz this time. The striker swiftly worked an opening with Jale, who beat two players en route to the by-line, from where she delivered a low cross into the stride of O'Brien. Vosper blocked her effort, and soon after, Tweety Bird appeared again. "I did! I did saw a puddy tat!" And it was running amok in the pigeon loft in the 65th minute, the moment Forrest Hill-Milford, for so long second-best in this contest, levelled the scores at 2-2. Renee Mitau-Wasi, despite her tender years, had been a growing influence since half-time, and ignited the move with a pass on the run to Steinmetz. She brought Wilson into play, with the captain's first-time pass being controlled well by Reddy before she turned and slipped the ball into the stride of Milly McWhirter. She hadn't scored in the league this season, and chose this moment to right that particular wrong, much to the chagrin of Suburbs, time seeming to stand still as the midfielder despatched an angled drive across the partially unsighted figure of Brown and into the net by the far post … How would Suburbs react to this potentially devastating blow? The next twenty-five minutes would reveal all, but they made their intentions clear three minutes after the equaliser. The self-belief coursing through the veins of Wilson and her team-mates was now palpable - at this stage they fancied themselves to get a third! But an O'Brien-led counter-attack presented Phillips with the chance to restore the visitors' lead. Past Wilson she galloped at a great rate of knots, and into the penalty area she powered before meeting her match in Couchman, who saved bravely at the feet of the flying front-runner. As the minutes ticked by, it was becoming increasingly evident how great a factor belief was becoming in this match. United now had it in spades, while Suburbs' players now were tentative, trying to force things, their title nerves exposed … did they have it in them to overcome those fears and grab a late winner? Ten minutes from time, "The Swans" went looking for a third goal. Mitau-Wasi played the ball wide to Vosper, who ran in-field before being thwarted by Jale. The ball broke to Wilson, who slipped the ball inside to Steinmetz, who, from thirty-five yards, sent a fierce drive flying a yard over the bar. Suburbs retorted, Jale stinging Couchman's gloves from twenty-five yards. She launched the ball downfield, prompting Mitau-Wasi to launch a slick counter-attack which also featured Vosper, substitute Casey Klyn, goalscorer Green and Steinmetz, before Reddy was presented with the chance on the edge of the area. Brown grabbed her effort greedily and instantly launched the ball downfield, mindful that time was fast becoming Suburbs' enemy. A string of O'Brien corners soon followed, along with an avalanche of efforts from outside the penalty area. Phillips directed a rising eighteen yarder narrowly over the bar before Liz Ellis and Seatter, both from thirty yards, stung the gloves of Couchman, who smothered a twenty-five yarder from Carlton seconds after Vosper had headed an inswinging O'Brien corner off the line. It was desperation time in "The Swans"' defensive line, with Flynn working overtime in an effort to keep Suburbs at bay. But with the game now in stoppage time, and with "The Lilywhites" pouring forward in search of a winner, the back door was open … Twice Green charged through it, outpacing Erinna Wong initially before thrashing a shot narrowly over the bar. On the second occasion, she thumped the ball goalwards from twenty-five yards, only to see it clear the bar once more. It was getting too much for some Suburbs fans, whose expectations upon arrival had been ones of celebration and silverware. Surely the players would have been anticipating such joyous scenes as recently as half-time too. But when the final whistle sounded, the despair of "The Lilywhites" contrasted starkly with the sheer joy of "The Swans", whose belief in the second half had earned a share of the spoils from this intense encounter, the outcome of which delighted Three Kings United most of all, as it meant they, not Eastern Suburbs, were champions again. FHMU:     Couchman; Vosper (booked, 45), Flynn, Martin (Leather, 62), Wilson (McKimm, 90); McWhirter, Steinmetz, Reddy; Green, Mitau-Wasi, Jervis (Klyn, 66) Suburbs:     Brown; Carlton, Ellis, Van Dort, Wong (booked, 38); Gillion (Pilley, 75), Seatter, Jale; Phillips, O'Brien, Roxburgh Referee:     Morgan Archer (Wendy McNeely, 46)