Eastern Suburbs maintained their one-point lead in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League on May 26, but they were made to work hard for their 3-0 win over a Three Kings United team which twice hit the crossbar at Madills Farm. In a match laden with individual cameos which would have had Auckland's National Women's League coach with positive ideas aplenty to ponder, the home team were first to threaten in a tight and keenly contested affair, Jade Parris' corner seeing Tayla O'Brien's header flash past the right-hand angle of Rivalina Fuimaono's goal. United retorted five minutes later, Tessa Leong's free-kick picking out Jessie Mathews beyond all-comers on the far post. She stabbed the ball just past the upright, but within seconds, the visitors were back in possession, and this time they went closer still. Rebecca Burrows roamed forward from half-way before threading a pass through the inside right channel to reward Leong's angled run. Her shot was blocked by Rebekah Van Dort, but the resulting clearance saw the ball land at the feet of Burrows, who unleashed a dipping twenty-five yarder which beat the flying figure of Corina Brown but hit the crossbar. After a further spell of arm-wrestling - there really was little to choose between these teams, "The Lilywhites" opened the scoring in the eighteenth minute. Parris whipped in a pinpoint corner right onto the head of Megan Robertson, who sent the ball bulleting into the back of the net from eight yards. United wasted little time in pressing for an equaliser, but found Suburbs' defensive ranks in imperious form, Kate Carlton, in particular, catching the eye with her containment of Maisy Dewell down the visitors' left flank. The goal gave the home team a bit of leeway, but they weren't able to make much headway down their right flank, where Emma Leaming was carrying out a superb marking job on the ever-dangerous Hannah Pilley. Normally the Suburbs flyer rules the roost down the right - not today! Thus it was that on the half-hour, Pilley, having moved infield in an effort to make some attacking in-roads, did so to great effect, dashing through only to be denied by Shivi Anthony's splendidly timed tackle, which saw her play the ball back towards Fuimaono. Suburbs claimed an indirect free-kick, but referee Bridget Baker had other ideas. Back came the visitors, Burrows rattling the crossbar for a second time in the 37th minute, this time via a twenty-five yard free-kick. They went closer still two minutes later, Leong pouncing on Rachel Head's under-hit back-pass, only for Brown to hurtle off her line and produce a superb one-on-one save to deny the dangerous striker. Brown instantly started a counter-attack which culminated in Parris directing a volley straight at Fuimaono. But when Brown instigated another raid a minute later, the accuracy of her distribution to Carlton turned defence into attack in lightning-quick fashion. Upon receipt of the ball, Carlton instantly sent Pilley scampering down the right - the only occasion in the first half she gave Leaming the slip. The speedster got to the byline before firing in a cross intended for Parris, only for Fuimaono to intervene at the expense of a corner. Parris, the architect of the first goal from the same corner quadrant, delivered another textbook set-piece to the far post. Kate Seatter rose to guide the ball back across goal, where O'Brien launched herself skywards to power home a near post header in the 42nd minute. That gave "The Lilywhites" a 2-0 half-time lead, and they started the second spell in fine fettle, with Pilley volleying narrowly past the post after United failed to clear a Parris cross. In the 49th minute, another Parris corner was eventually cleared, but only as far as Seatter, who evaded a challenge before letting fly from twenty

yards. Fuimaono flung herself to her left to turn the ball to safety. United's retort, three minutes later, saw Jess Philpott pick out Dewell with a raking pass which invited her to whip in a cross. Sadly for the visitors, it proved just too high for the incoming figure of Alosi Bloomfield, whose supporting runs from midfield were of great assistance to Leong, who was being afforded little change in attack by both Robertson and Van Dort. On the hour, Carlton threw the ball in to O'Brien, who, despite having two defenders on top of her, managed to turn and pick out Parris at the near post. Her initial shot was blocked, while her second attempt was turned round the far post by Fuimaono, the same upright narrowly past which a Parris free-kick whizzed just two minutes later. United pressed again, Dewell leading the charge on the left before crossing to the near post, where Bloomfield was flying in to meet the ball. Brown beat her to it, but copped one on the ankle for her troubles, limiting her distribution for the balance of the contest. The visitors pressed again in the 68th minute, with Philpott picking out Leong, who, on this occasion, didn't have Robertson monitoring her every move. The striker fed Dewell on the left, and she took on the game's first goalscorer before picking out Bloomfield with a cross which invited the midfielder to let fly. She did, but to the wrong side of Suburbs' goal. United came again sixty seconds later, this time through captain Mathews. She won the ball off Ava Collins in midfield before bursting through a couple of challenges, upon which she entered the penalty area. Van Dort came across to cover her run, got in a solid tackle and appeared to handle the ball in the immediate aftermath of the situation, prompting Three Kings to howl for a penalty. Their case was a strong one, but referee Bridget Baker wasn't convinced, and play duly continued. The ball was swiftly back at the feet of Three Kings' captain, and Mathews duly unleashed a piledriver which Brown saved solidly. The visitors continued to threaten after this, despite a series of substitutions impacting on the momentum of the contest. The changes disrupted the visitors' momentum, but not that of their hosts, who sealed the deal two minutes from time with a counter-attacking strike launched by Brown. The ball landed at the feet of Hannah Hoeksema following the resulting aerial duel, and she instantly released fellow substitute Annie Byrne through the inside right channel. Fuimaono dashed out of her goal to gather the bouncing ball, but former United player Byrne was too quick for her old team-mate and deftly lobbed the 'keeper, the ball bouncing into the net by the near post. Three Kings didn't deserve to finish the game with nothing to show for their efforts on the scoreboard, and straight from the kick-off Mathews stormed downfield, busting through challenges at will. When she took on one too many, Bloomfield was on hand to take over, and duly unleashed a drive which fizzed just the wrong side of Brown's left-hand upright. 3-0 the score remained, a result which is harsh on the visitors given their significant contribution to what was a fine contest. But their inability to pierce the league's most miserly defence - Suburbs have conceded just three goals in ten games - and keep out its most prolific attack was to United's detriment, and the delight and relief of "The Lilywhites", who host Glenfield Rovers in a top-of-the-table clash in a fortnight. Suburbs:     Brown; Carlton, Robertson, Van Dort, Head; Collins, Seatter (Byrne, 70), O'Brien (Hoeksema, 81), Carter; Pilley, Parris Three Kings:     Fuimaono; Anthony, Martin, Philpott, Leaming; Burrows, Mathews, Bloomfield (booked, 61); Russ, Leong, Dewell (Lawson, 86) Referee:     Bridget Baker