The top-of-the-table clash between Lynn-Avon United and Ellerslie in the Northern Regional Women’s League competition took place at Ken Maunder Park on May 20, and the outcome will doubtless raise a few eyebrows among New Zealand’s women’s soccer fraternity. The greater hunger and desire of the youthful Ellerslie combination was simply too much for the aging SWANZ Cup holders to cope with, as the visitors handed their hosts a 4-1 hiding - the heaviest defeat Lynn-Avon have suffered since Three Kings United twice battered them, 3-0 and 4-2, in the 1998 season. A brilliant individual goal from Vicki Ormond - she evaded four challenges before coolly clipping the ball past the advancing Yvonne Vale after just forty-seven seconds - set the tone of the match, and left Lynn-Avon with a mountain to climb, the gradient of which continued to increase as the game went by, so dominant were the visitors. Maia Jackman, Priscilla Duncan and Amanda Weber all went close for the rampant Ellerslie side before they extended their advantage in the 22nd minute, Ormond the markswoman after she controlled a Lily Somerfield cross on her chest and clinically volleyed home. Lynn-Avon had barely fired a shot in anger to this point, but Angela Vujnovich gave Stephanie Puckrin something to think about soon after, before the home side missed a golden chance to gain a foothold in the game, Jill Corner firing wide from the penalty spot on the half-hour. The miss was punished in merciless fashion six minutes later, Ellerslie stringing together a superb move which featured first-time passes from Sue Taylor (nee Gregory) to Vicki Rainbow, to Claudia Hicks, to Somerfield, and finally to Canadian import Weber, who powered goalwards before planting the ball past Vale for the visitors’ third goal. Amber Hearn and Vujnovich both tried in vain to inspire their team with shots on goal before the break, while after the interval, Somerfield thwarted Jennifer Carlisle at the death, while Puckrin saved at the feet of Vujnovich, then nonchalantly plucked a driven Amanda Crawford effort from the air as the home side tried to stage a second half fightback. It wasn’t to be, however, for although Hearn grabbed a late consolation goal for Lynn-Avon five minutes from time, it was struck in reply to Ellerslie’s fourth goal a minute earlier. Referee Trevor Bradford afforded the visitors the advantage after Lynn-Avon’s captain, Terry McCahill, had, not for the first time in the match, resorted to foul means rather than fair to curtail the rampaging runs of Jackman. The ball broke for Ormond, who meted punishment in the best manner possible, rounding off her hat-trick with a twenty yard volley which took a deflection on its way past Vale. The result marks a major milestone in the development of this young Ellerslie side, which has largely been together now for three seasons. In effect, they came of age with this performance, and the result, and particularly the manner in which they achieved it, will give them a tremendous belief in their own potential, something which, until they had conquered Lynn-Avon, they hadn‘t really come to terms with, nor truly begun to realise. While their triumph was very much a team effort, special mention should be made of a handful of Ellerslie’s individual performers. Rainbow, their captain, was outstanding in midfield, while Dana Humby and player-coach Taylor were towers of strength in defence, as the pace and power of Jackman, allied to the strength of Weber, the selfless running of Somerfield and the will o’ the wisp talents of Ormond, led Lynn-Avon a merry dance. By contrast, only Carlisle and Vujnovich, of the home side’s players, consistently did themselves justice on this occasion, leaving one to wonder if the eight-year run at or near the very top of the women’s game in New Zealand of this Lynn-Avon team is beginning to come to an end.