Wellington United and Waterside Karori will be awaiting correspondence from Capital Football this week containing a Memorandum of Understanding inviting them to contest the National Women's League with their federation's assistance, after both scored wins on Saturday which confirmed they'll finish in the top two positions in this season's Central Region Premier Women's League. "The Diamonds" maintained their grip on the top rung on the ladder courtesy a hard-earned 2-0 win over Moturoa at Newtown Park, Hope Gilchrist's eighth minute goal supplemented nineteen minutes from time by Carolyn O'Reilly to keep them a point clear of "The Magpies", 4-1 winners at bottom-placed Seatoun. All the scoring took place in the first half at Seatoun Park, and the visitors were responsible for all the goals. Nikki Furukawa, the league's leading markswoman, got things off to a flying start with a second minute strike, and by the time the halfway mark in the half had arrived, she'd doubled her tally, and Rhianna Houghton had also chimed in. As had Juana Diesing, who was so keen to get in on the act that she put through her own net to the delight of the locals. Normal service resumed in the shadows of the half-time whistle, however, Nicola Ross wrapping up the scoring to secure another top-two finish for Waterside. The race for third place is getting rather tasty, with three teams vying for the "best of the rest" ranking. Taradale are well in the mix, drawing level with Petone on points after beating them 3-1 at Taradale Park, where Kya Solomon opened the scoring after eight minutes. A quickfire second half double by Maddison Hughes put the result beyond doubt with fifteen minutes still to play, and although Caelin Patterson pulled one back from the penalty spot for Petone in the time remaining, this season's Kelly Cup winners now find themselves in a battle to finish third as a season which promised so much for them approaches the finish line. Marist Palmerston North are also in the mix for a third-placed finish, a first half double from Ruby-Aroha Gurnick inspiring their 5-0 win over Victoria University at Arena Manawatu, where Isabella Yarwood and substitutes Torijan Lyne-Lewis and Amber Mahoney netted in the final half-hour to record the biggest win of the round. Two rescheduled fixtures are set down for Saturday, with "The Magpies" looking to take over at the top of the table when they visit Onuku Taipari Domain to take on Moturoa on a day the students and Petone do battle at Boyd Wilson Park. There is another fixture scheduled, with controversial Kate Sheppard Cup entry Wellington Phoenix taking on Auckland United at Fraser Park in the semi-final. Meanwhile, Wellington United's "Sapphires" are celebrating a third successive Capital Premier Women's League title after a 4-2 win at Upper Hutt City left them unassailable on the standings.

Details: Marist Palmerston North 5 (R. Gurnick (4, 22), I. Yarwood (62), T. Lyne-Lewis (87), A. Mahoney (90)), Victoria University 0  HT 2-0 Seatoun 1 ("oggie" (23)), Waterside Karori 4 (N. Furukawa (2, 18), R. Houghton (19), N. Ross (42))  HT 1-4 Taradale 3 (K. Solomon (8), M. Hughes (69, 74)), Petone 1 (C. Patterson (81 pen))  HT 1-0 Wellington United 2 (H. Gilchrist (8), C. O'Reilly (71)), Moturoa 0  HT 1-0 Dunedin City Royals have stretched their advantage atop the South Island Women's League to six points after seeing off Roslyn Wakari 3-0 at Tahuna Park, captain Rose Morton scoring twice to take the lead in the race for the competition's Golden Boot award. Her efforts sandwiched a Nieve Collin strike as "The Royals" took full advantage of the fog which prevented Cashmere Technical from flying out of Christchurch - their match at Nelson Suburbs was postponed. Coastal Spirit's hopes of winning the title for a second time are fast fading after being held to a 2-2 draw by Otago University at Logan Park. Spirit led twice through Holly Lyon and Mel Cameron, the latter restoring their advantage deep in first half stoppage time after Aynsley Martin had levelled the scores moments beforehand. The students drew level again through Jemma McCormick early in the second spell, an equaliser which ultimately earned the natives a share of the spoils, allowing them to edge ahead of cross-town rivals Roslyn Wakari on goal difference. Saturday sees the bulk of the attention on Tahuna Park, where "The Royals" host Western Springs in the Kate Sheppard Cup semi-final. There is also league action taking place that day, however, with Spirit and Nelson doing battle at English Park, while on Sunday, "The Ponies" and Cashmere square off at Logan Park. The race for the title in the Otago Daily Times Football South Women's Championship is set to go to the wire, with three teams - Queens Park, Dunedin City Royals and Otago University - tied at the top going into the final two rounds of action. Adding to the mix are Green Island, who lie two points behind, and Northern, who are five points adrift but have a game in hand. They were also the beneficiaries of a blunder by the students in their recent clash at Logan Park, a match which Otago won 2-0 on the pitch, only to be pinged for fielding an ineligible player - how crucial will that mistake prove to be in terms of their league title prospects? Details: Dunedin City Royals 3 (R. Morton (18, 72), N. Collin (43)), Roslyn Wakari 0  HT 2-0 Nelson Suburbs v. Cashmere Technical - postponed Otago University 2 (A. Martin (45), J. McCormick (51)), Coastal Spirit 2 (H. Lyon (39), M. Cameron (45))  HT 1-2