Waterside Karori and Wellington United's season-long battle for the Central Region Premier Women's League title continued unabated on the penultimate weekend in August, with both scoring solid wins to maintain their respective - first and second - positions on the league table. "The Magpies" came from behind to down Petone 4-2 at Karori Park, where Caelin Patterson topped and tailed the scoring for the visitors, her opening goal on the half-hour supplemented by a second strike fifteen minutes from time. Unfortunately for the visitors, their hosts netted four times in between those goals, three of them coming in as many minutes within five minutes of the second half resuming - whatever was in Karori's half-time refreshments clearly had the desired effect! No sooner had Kendall Pollock levelled the scores then the league's leading markswoman, Nikki Furukawa, got in on the act with her eleventh and twelfth goals of the campaign to put Waterside well in charge, an advantage further bolstered by Sarah Morton's goal twenty minutes from time. "The Diamonds" also won by a two-goal margin, prevailing 2-0 at Arena Manawatu as goals from Jemma Robertson and Hannah Pilley in a three-minute spell halfway through the second half dashed Marist Palmerston North's hopes of upsetting the apple cart. Taradale drew level with Petone in third place, Megan Thomas' hat-trick inspiring their 4-2 win over Moturoa at Taradale Park, a result which ended the Taranaki team's season. Laura Brassington confirmed "Dale"'s win in stoppage time after second half goals from Kathryn Greaney - an equaliser at the time - and Sasha Rasmussen had given the visitors hope of heading home with a point. Victoria University's captain, Nicole Baird, led by example at Boyd Wilson Park, scoring in each half to lead her team to a 3-0 win over Seatoun, Millie Lynskey also netting for the students as the beaten team lost for the thirteenth time in as many matches this season. Their last chance to score points in this campaign comes on Saturday, when they welcome Marist to Seatoun Park. Elsewhere, Petone entertain the students at Petone Memorial Park, while with Karori having already played their fourteenth round fixture, "The Diamonds" will look to return to the top of the table when Taradale pay a visit to Newtown Park. United's "Sapphires" wrapped up their Capital Premier Women's League title-winning campaign in subdued fashion, North Wellington holding them to a 1-1 draw. There's a proper battle on for second place, with Petone, Te Kotahitanga, Miramar Rangers and Upper Hutt City covered by three points going into the final week of the campaign. Details: Marist Palmerston North 0, Wellington United 2 (J. Robertson (66), H. Pilley (69))  HT 0-0 Taradale 4 (M. Thomas (8, 61, 66), L. Brassington (90)), Moturoa 2 (K. Greaney (60), S. Rasmussen (73))  HT 1-0 Victoria University 3 (N. Baird (26, 56), M. Lynskey (60)), Seatoun 0  HT 1-0 Waterside Karori 4 (K. Pollock (48), N. Furukawa (49, 50), S. Morton (71)), Petone 2 (C. Patterson (31, 76))  HT 0-1

Dunedin City Royals require a point from their final game of the season to win the South Island Women's League for the first time. Two goals from Georgia Kennedy inspired their 5-0 rout of Nelson Suburbs at Saxton Fields, where Raegan Potter, Hannah Mackay-Wright and Abby Rankin also led the goalscoring celebrations. Only reigning champions Cashmere Technical can stop "The Royals" from securing the silverware, a result of their seeing off the challenge of Coastal Spirit 4-2 at Garrick Memorial Park. Anna McPhie and Margi Dias fired "Tech" into a two-goal lead by the halfway point in the first half, but Rebecca Wilson and Mel Cameron - from the penalty spot - had Spirit back on level terms by half-time. Parity prevailed until the last five minutes of the match, at which point Dias broke the deadlock before Annalie Longo sealed the deal in the dying minutes to finally settle the argument over supremacy in Christchurch women's football for 2024. Spirit captain Lauren Dabner wasn't a happy lass come the final whistle, however, and vented her frustrations towards referee Yash Naicker, who promptly brandished the red card, despite the contest having concluded. A four-game ban has been mentioned in despatches … ouch! The latest Dunedin derby saw Otago University prevail 2-0 over Roslyn Wakari at Logan Park, where two goals in as many minutes from Aynsley Martin and Jemma McCormick put the students in charge just before the half-hour mark, a double-blow from which "The Ponies" couldn't muster a response. The final round of action for the season is spread across next weekend, with Spirit and Roslyn meeting at Linfield Park on Saturday, the same day on which the students welcome Nelson to Logan Park. But it's Forsyth Barr Stadium on which all eyes will be focused on Sunday, with "The Royals" and Cashmere locking horns in what amounts to a title decider. Anything other than an away win will see Dunedin secure the title - a Cashmere victory means they'll need to win a rearranged fixture at Nelson the following weekend to clinch the silverware on goal difference. The Otago Daily Times Football South Women's Championship saw a dramatic conclusion unfold on Saturday, with Green Island emerging triumphant as champions after Queens Park, who led the way going into the final round of action, had their hopes dashed by a 3-2 loss to Dunedin City Royals at Culling Park. Across town at Sunnyvale Park, Green Island went goal crazy against Roslyn Wakari, Lauren Pendreigh scoring four and Abby Vinicombe three in a remarkable 13-3 encounter which saw the victors celebrating winning the silverware come the final whistle. Details: Cashmere Technical 4 (A. McPhie (15), M. Dias (22, 84), A. Longo (89)), Coastal Spirit 2 (R. Wilson (32), M. Cameron (40 pen))  HT 2-2 Nelson Suburbs 0, Dunedin City Royals 5 (R. Potter (5), G. Kennedy (11, 37), H. Mackay-Wright (30), A. Rankin (47))  HT 0-4 Roslyn Wakari 0, Otago University 2 (A. Martin (26), J. McCormick (28))  HT 0-2