Western Springs gained sweet revenge for their National Women's Knockout Cup quarter-final defeat by Glenfield Rovers at a chilly Seddon Fields on 19 August, thumping the cup holders 4-1 in Rovers' final Lotto Northern Premier Women's League game of the season. The early exchanges were fairly even, with "The Hoops" first to threaten in the eleventh minute. Evie Millynn released Annie Byrne down the right, and her pass inside invited Lily Rose Dyer to shoot. Pam Yates smothered the effort with the fast-closing figure of Rebecca O'Neill perfectly placed to punish her former team-mate had Yates erred in any way. When Dyer next fired a shot in anger, two minutes later, she opened the scoring. The goal was fortuitous in its creation, Emily Oosterhof's clearance ricocheting off the face of Annie Byrne straight to O'Neill, whose deft through ball invited Dyer to lift the sphere over the advancing figure of Yates to delight the locals in the thirteenth minute. Rovers sought a swift riposte, with Jess Innes' long-range free-kick flying narrowly past the far post three minutes later, with captain Liz Milne just a stride away from getting on the end of it. A thirty-yarder from Oosterhof sailed over the bar in the 23rd minute, by which time there was plenty of evidence that Glenfield were not at the races where this match was concerned, with far too many players guilty of executing stray passes, particularly in their defensive third. Another example of this materialised in the 25th minute, and it cost the visitors dearly. Millynn was gifted possession in the middle of the park, and slipped a slide-rule pass through the inside left channel to reward O'Neill's angled run in behind the defence. Sonja Bain clipped the heels of Springs' skipper, and referee Torres Chang had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, from where O'Neill sent Yates the wrong way for her 23rd goal of the season, to keep her well in contention for the Golden Boot. Straight from the kick-off, Glenfield conceded possession cheaply again, and while Byrne's poor touch enabled Yates to save at her feet on this occasion, within sixty seconds the Rovers' 'keeper was fishing the ball out of her net for the third time in the match. Yet again, Rovers were guilty of frittering away possession far too easily, and yet again they were punished. Byrne headed the ball down for O'Neill, whose ball across forced Dyer wide of the target, but she was still able to drill a low drive under the diving figure of Yates - 3-0. Springs should have built on that advantage over the next few minutes, with Rovers all at sea - far too many players in yellow and black chose this match to have what can only be described as a right royal stinker, and that's being polite! On the half-hour, Emily Cooper released Dyer down the left, from where she picked out O'Neill inside her. The striker held the ball up well before inviting Millynn to let fly, only for Yates to tip the midfielder's rising drive over the bar. The resulting corner from Cooper was headed narrowly past the far post by Monique Fischer, who squandered an even better chance sixty seconds later. O'Neill played her in one-on-one, but while she beat the advancing figure of Yates with her shot, her attempt lacked accuracy, and 3-0 it remained. Seconds after rattling the side-netting with O'Neill unmarked in the middle, Byrne stung the gloves of Yates with a fierce drive five minutes before half-time. The 'keeper's clearance picked out Stacey Hallford, and at long last Katie Rood was given the chance to utilise her pace, courtesy her team-mate's angled through ball. The co-leader in the Golden Boot race duly latched onto the sphere and charged into the penalty area, but her attempt to tuck home what would have been her 100th goal in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League for Glenfield was thwarted by the fast-approaching figure of Ashleigh Emery, who deputised well twixt the sticks for her namesake, Ashleigh McNaughton. Just before half-time, Springs went close yet again. The overlapping Elaine Murray worked a one-two with Dyer before delivering a cross which O'Neill controlled neatly before swivelling to unleash a twelve yard shot on the turn narrowly over the bar. O'Neill should have picked up a booking in the

second spell for persistent infringement - there were at least four occasions when she overstepped the mark, including an early challenge on Rood which was rugged to say the least! Yet though she tends to tread a fine line where gaining a competitive edge is concerned, she excels when the chance is afforded her, and inside the first five minutes of the second spell she produced two fine pieces of play showcasing why she is such a strong contender for the Lotto NPWL Player of the Year award this year. O'Neill's through ball for Dyer ni the 49th minute was exquisitely weighted, and invited the hat-trick-hunting striker to take on and beat two defenders before being foiled by Yates in the area. Seconds later, after yet more careless play from Glenfield, Fischer and Murray linked on the left to benefit their captain, O'Neill firing in a cross-shot which cannoned off the crossbar to safety. In the 52nd minute, yet more suicidal play from the visitors came to pass. Yates lobbed a clearance straight to Millynn, who steered a pass towards O'Neill. The retreating figure of Innes stepped in to avert the danger, but at the expense of a corner. It merely delayed the inevitable. For when Murray's corner curled into the box, Liz Anton came flying in to meet the ball, and her towering ten yard header fair slammed into the back of Glenfield's net - 4-0, and without a shadow of a doubt one of the best headed goals scored anywhere this season. Unstoppable! Unlike Glenfield's demise, thankfully. After Anton's hammer blow, the visitors finally got to grips with their situation and set about restoring a bit of pride to their play within the remaining thirty minutes or so. They were swiftly rewarded for doing so, and it was their captain leading the charge - quite literally. Milne broke up a Springs attack, surged out of defence, then swerved between two challenges, at which point she was virtually at the half-way line. From here on, there was no stopping her, the former Football Fern busting two further challenges before, upon reaching the edge of Springs' area, unleashing a drive which pawed away. But Dayna Stevens, following in like all good strikers should, was perfectly placed to latch onto the ball and bundle it home from close range - 4-1, in the 62nd minute. Buoyed by the goal, Glenfield began to offer more of a threat. Innes pounced on a loose ball six minutes later, and threaded it through to Rood, who took on Anton before engineering the space from which to shoot. Emery turned her effort to safety. But Springs weren't content with their haul for the night, Dyer in particular - she wanted a hat-trick, having struck two goals last Friday night as well. She drilled one across the face of goal seventeen minutes from time, seconds after Sam Muirhead had miscued an attempt following Murray's creativity down the left. Eight minutes later, the speedy fullback once more rampaged down the left before sending a cross-shot careering across the face of goal, with substitute Melanie Gooch lurking with intent should a rebound have come to pass. Six minutes from time, Geena Gross - far from her best display, a statement which applies to many of her team-mates - presented Molly McWhirter with the ball, and the substitute looked to take full advantage, darting across goal before fizzing in a low cross which Yates spilled. Fortunately for the 'keeper, no-one in a hooped shirt was following in, but those sporting striped attire were a distinct second-best in this match, and will be hoping that's not the case when they next play, in Saturday's National Women's Knockout Cup semi-final. Rovers denied Springs the chance to play in that match, so "The Hoops"' convincing 4-1 victory in this game went some way to making amends from the victors' perspective, as well as guaranteeing them a top-three finish. They'll aim to clinch second spot when they play Eastern Suburbs at Bill McKinlay Park next Friday night. Springs:     Emery; Kingi, Anton, Cooper, Murray; Millynn, Manak (booked, 75) (McWhirter, 76), Fischer (Muirhead, 63); Byrne (Gooch, 63), O'Neill, Dyer Glenfield:     Yates; Gross, Hateley, Milne, Oosterhof (Hedges-Flicking, 86); Bain, Innes, Turnbull (Evans, 71); Hallford (Bultitude, 79), Stevens, Rood Referee:     Torres Chang