Western Springs scored a decisive 4-0 win in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League's relegation battle at McLennan Park on July 21 to leave Papakura City on the brink of dropping out of the top flight just as the club prepares to celebrate its diamond jubilee. The bottom two went at it hammer and tongs in summer-like conditions throughout the first half, with City enjoying the early advantage. Marlies James saw her inswinging fourth minute corner grabbed under the bar by Nadia Olla, who was pleased to see her defenders prevail sixty seconds later. They were hard-pressed in doing so, however, with Britney Cunningham-Lee embarking on one of her trademark swashbuckling runs from inside her own half. Downfield she thundered, hoop-shirted players trailing in her wake before she let fly. This shot was blocked, as was her attempt to plunder the rebound. Springs responded instantly, Rina Hirano outpacing Becky Hawker before cutting inside off the left flank and unleashing a shot across Keely Taylor but past the far post, the ball cannoning back into play off a startled ball-girl, who swiftly heeded the wise words of referee Daniel Neville not to stand too close to the field of play. Having enjoyed a sight of goal, the visitors proceeded to take charge of the contest over the course of the next fifteen minutes, but were unable to test Taylor due to the stoic defensive efforts of James, Libby Williams and Sarah Fromont, this trio doing more than most to keep "The Hoops" at bay. When City needed an outlet, "BCL" was the go-to option, ably supported by Liz Takerei. In the 21st minute, Cunningham-Lee was in full flight once more, surging over half-way before being thwarted by the calm authority that is Liz Anton. Her tackle saw the ball roll into the stride of Jess Peckett, who sent Cunningham-Lee racing to the byline, from where she picked out Takerei with a cross. She didn't connect cleanly with her near post volley, however, much to Olla's relief. Back came Springs, Hirano switching play cleverly to her Japanese partner in crime, Arisa Takeda. The fullback is central to much of Springs' creativity, and her timed, measured cross to the edge of the six-yard box found Hirano racing in to meet the ball, only to direct her header wide of the target - a poor miss, as from where she was, she should have at least forced Taylor into a save. Hirano wasted little time in making amends. In the 27th minute, Sophia Dyer and Sophie Culpan combined on the left to create an opening for the striker, who scythed inside before unleashing a curling twenty-five yarder to which Taylor reacted too late, the ball arcing beyond her dive en route to the netting beside the far post. In a game such as this one, where one point separated the teams going into the contest, that first goal was always going to be pivotal, and the fact Springs scored it meant City were in deep trouble - the live points table now had Springs on ten points, with the South Aucklanders languishing on six. Soon after the goal, Maggie Pederson took a blow to the face which left her prone. She eventually recovered, and received treatment for a bloodied nose on the sideline for the thick end of ten minutes, during which time City failed to exploit their numerical advantage on the pitch. The closest they came to doing so was in the 38th minute, when Cunningham-Lee got the better of Anton - their battle within the war was a belter! - before linking up with Hawker, whose cross picked out Chloe Marthe. Her shot was a tame one, Olla easily dealing with it as Springs appealed for an offside decision against Cunningham-Lee which was flagged but never called by referee Neville, who incurred the wrath of two former Football Ferns in James and Springs' player-coach, Rebecca O'Neill, at various times in this encounter. The latter appealed in vain on a couple of occasions for throw-ins which should have gone Springs' way, but the final touch couldn't possibly have been seen by any of the officials from their respective vantage points. O'Neill wasn't satisfied, however, which was understandable, given the high stakes nature of the match - this was, to all intents and purposes, a play-off for Premier Women's League survival.   City threatened again four minutes before half-time, with Peckett and Takerei - a scrumptious touch - working a one-two before linking with Marthe and Cunningham-Lee, who evaded Anton's challenge but not the perfectly timed tackle of Emma Phelps, lurking in behind. Right on the stroke of half-time, Springs dealt City's hopes of getting back into the match a hammer blow by doubling their advantage. Jade Morrissey secured possession on the right and looked up to find Dyer marauding forward off the left flank. The pint-sized powerhouse has been a revelation for Springs this season, carrying the team on her shoulders before Hirano and Takeda arrived to drag "The Hoops" out of the doldrums.

On this occasion, she latched onto the ball and simply stormed between two stripe-shirted rivals before rampaging past two more and unleashing an angled drive which Taylor could only parry … straight into the stride of Hirano. 2-0. Whatever was in Springs' half-time tea should be bottled and preserved, because they absolutely flew out of the blocks at the start of the second half, adding two more goals before seven minutes had elapsed to effectively put Papakura's continued presence in the Premier Women's League on life support - they will need a miracle to stay up after this defeat, of that be in no doubt. A mere 28 seconds after the resumption of play, they found themselves three goals down, Morrissey applying the coup de grace after Takeda had unleashed her through the inside right channel, the speedster rounding Taylor before tucking the ball home. City were still reeling from that mortal blow when the same player pounced again sixty seconds later. This time, Morrissey turned into traffic, but it wasn't long before Springs condemned their hosts to a critical defeat. Marthe hauled down O'Neill in the 52nd minute, prompting a free-kick which Takeda hoisted into the goalmouth. Taylor came for it but didn't gather cleanly, much to the glee of Culpan, who was racing in behind and duly tucked home Springs' fourth goal from an acute angle. Around the hour mark, Takeda and Hirano indulged in a two-player keep-ball session on the right, with City struggling to secure possession as a consequence. Once they did, it wasn't long before Cunningham-Lee was lashing a 64th minute drive past the post, after working an opening with Takerei. Springs should have scored a fifth goal seventeen minutes from time. Takeda and half-time substitute Rosa Muru worked a one-two before linking with Jaedeci Uluvili, who darted past two opponents into the penalty area. Taylor parried her shot, but the ball sat up perfectly for the incoming figure of Culpan to tuck home, only for the midfielder to steer the sphere over the bar from four yards. Two minutes later, Taylor made a sprawling save to deny Hirano her hat-trick following a Takeda free-kick, to which City responded by an opening which relied heavily on good fortune. An Anton clearance ricocheted off Muru straight to Cunningham-Lee, who worked an opening with Takerei before driving an angled shot goalwards. Olla turned this round the post. From the resulting corner, Williams was caught in possession near "The Hoops"' penalty area by Maclani Michael, the Springs substitute powering downfield before sending Hirano through on goal with just Taylor to beat. The 'keeper pulled off a fine save to foil the Japanese striker's bid to bring up her hat-trick. Ten minutes from time, James blocked a Takeda shot following a Michael raid, then picked out Cunningham-Lee with her clearance. Past two opponents the striker swiftly swept, before playing a pass into the stride of Marthe. Her shot was grabbed by Olla, who held onto the ball … doing so for a full nine seconds according to referee Neville, who quite rightly enforced the rarely employed "six second rule", whereby a goalkeeper with ball in hand should get it back into play no more than six seconds after foiling an opponent's attack. This caused confusion aplenty, so infrequently is this ruling applied. Once Springs had lined up all their players some three yards off their line, James hovered over the indirect free-kick, and feinted to take it - cue a brief "Charge of the Light Brigade" from the Springs players, who were promptly sent back from whence they came by referee Neville. Take two, and no feint by James this time - this was the real deal. Williams was the City player who fancied her chances, the fullback looking to chip the ball over the advancing hordes and grab a consolation goal for the home team. But her effort cleared the crossbar. City kept on plugging away for a goal, with the flying figure of Hawker just failing to make contact with a cross from Marthe, before Olla pulled off a super save with her feet to deny Marthe in the final minute as 'Kura raided down the right. The game was up for Papakura, however, Springs' 4-0 triumph all but condemning City to life outside the Premier League in 2020 - the South Aucklanders need to win at least two of their last six matches to have any hope of staying up, and given who they've got left to play, their chances of doing so are remote at best. Papakura:     Taylor; Hawker, Fromont, James, Williams; Blyth, Marthe, Yuksel; Cunningham-Lee, Takerei, Peckett Springs:     Olla; Takeda, Anton, Phelps, Dyer; Pederson (Muru, 46), O'Neill, Uluvili, Culpan (Michael, 75); Hirano, Morrissey (Atherton, 60) Referee:     Daniel Neville