It's all change at the top of the South Island Women's League this week, with Dunedin City Royals now enjoying the outright lead despite conceding their first goal of the entire season as they overcame Nelson Suburbs 2-1 at Tahuna Park. An early goal from captain Rose Morton was supplemented by a Raegan Potter effort early in the second spell as "The Royals" put themselves on course for another routine victory, but Junior Ferns international Jasmine Barney had other ideas, dragging the bottom-placed team back into the contest just before the hour mark. 2-1 is how it remained in the home team's favour, however, repeating a scoreline which had been recorded earlier in the day in Christchurch, as Coastal Spirit retained the Hawkey Shield by coming from behind to stun arch-rivals Cashmere Technical at Linfield Park. Aimee Phillips gave the league co-leaders at the start of play the ideal start, scoring in just the second minute of play. But just ten minutes later, former age-grade international Belinda Van Noorden dragged Spirit level on the scoreboard, and a ding-dong go ensued between two teams whose previous two clashes this season were convincingly won by Cashmere, with two more engagements between the pair scheduled before the 2024 campaign draws to a close. Spirit have held the Hawkey Memorial Shield for a number of years now, and ensured that it would remain in their trophy cabinet for the summer thanks to Laura Newman's goal nineteen minutes from time, a strike which prompted a smile of satisfaction from coach Kelly Almond come the final whistle, her efforts to revitalise the spirit in Coastal Spirit clearly bearing fruit. The other derby encounter this weekend saw Otago University and Roslyn Wakari battle out a 1-1 draw on the Logan Park turf, Zara Pratley's tenth minute goal for "The Ponies" being cancelled out by friendly fire, Amelie East Giles putting through her own net on the stroke of half-time, as the students piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. There's a monster game on the cards at Garrick Memorial Park on Sunday, when Cashmere take on Dunedin. Twenty-four hours prior, Nelson welcome Otago to Saxton Fields, while Roslyn Wakari and Coastal Spirit square off at Logan Park. All three games commence at 12.30pm. The Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup semi-finals in August will see Halswell United taking on Selwyn United, while Coastal Spirit and Cashmere Technical will go at it yet again, the latter securing their spot with a 9-0 thrashing of Ferrymead Bays during the week, led by Lainey Altieri-Need's hat-trick and a brace of goals from captain Lara Wall. The Otago Daily Times Football South Premier Women's Championship is turning into a battle royal, with four teams locked on nine points after four rounds of action, which could potentially become five teams if Northern win their two games in hand. Definitely going to the wire, that one! Details: Coastal Spirit 2 (B. Van Noorden (12), L. Newman (71)), Cashmere Technical 1 (A. Phillips (2))  HT 1-1 Dunedin City Royals 2 (R. Morton (9), R. Potter (56)), Nelson Suburbs 1 (J. Barney (59))  HT 1-0 Otago University 1 ("oggie" (45)), Roslyn Wakari 1 (Z. Pratley (10))  HT 1-1

The eagerly awaited top-of-the-table clash between Waterside Karori and Wellington United in the Central Region Premier Women's League continues to be eagerly awaited, a waterlogged Karori Park preventing a ball from being kicked in anger in a match which had the Nora Watkins Memorial Shield at stake, as well as the three points which could strongly influence the title race. The other matches were able to take place as scheduled, with Petone serving up the biggest scoreline as bottom-of-the-table Seatoun slumped to a 7-1 defeat, despite scoring inside the opening quarter-hour through Emmy Lantz. Alas for the visitors, Danielle Ohlsson and Libby Boobyer had already found the target at Petone Memorial Park, and the former went on to complete a seventeen-minute hat-trick before a brace of Pepi Olliver-Bell goals sandwiched a strike from birthday girl Kate Marra. Marist Palmerston North eked out a 1-0 win at Moturoa in dramatic circumstances at Onuku Taipari Domain, where both goalkeepers departed the fray within minutes of each other for decidedly different reasons. Isabella Yarwood scored the decisive goal on the quarter-hour for the visitors, with beaten Moturoa goalkeeper Harriett Muller making way for Evealyn Newman just after the hour mark. She was still testing the home team's shower water when the taps started running in the opposition's dressing room. Marist custodian Leonie Heck was the player letting off steam, the recipient of a red card after felling Lilly Dowsing - who missed an open goal minutes earlier - outside her penalty area with the goalkeeper the lone barrier to the target. Having already lost Mackenzie Butler to a first half injury, Marist had to deploy their remaining substitute Sarah Gurnick in goal for the balance of the contest, and she succeeded in keeping Moturoa at bay with the help of her team-mates to cement Marist's fourth placing on the table. Taradale recorded a resounding 4-1 win over Victoria University at Park Island to leapfrog the vanquished team on the table and climb into sixth spot. Megan Thomas' first half goal for the home team was supplemented by second spell strikes from Maddi Hughes and Hollie Gee, before Kya Solomon and Millie Lynskey exchanged stoppage time goals … Yes, Kya Solomon of Taradale, who was reported in this column last week as having scored against the Hawkes Bay club for Waterside Karori, based on the evidence on Comet. That has been corrected during the week, and Kya Stewart has been credited with "The Magpies"' final goal in that contest. This weekend's action kicks off on Friday night with a resurgent Petone hoping to upset "The Diamonds" at Newtown Park. Saturday's fare sees Marist and Taradale locking horns at Arena Manawatu, while Seatoun and Moturoa square off at Seatoun Park on a day the students and "The Magpies" meet at Boyd Wilson Park. Palmerston North United require a point from their encounter with bottom-placed Moturoa on Sunday to win the Lotto Central Federation Premier Women's League, while "The Sapphires" are just seven points away from winning the Capital Premier Women's League after downing the previously unbeaten Miramar Rangers on Sunday. Details: Moturoa 0, Marist Palmerston North 1 (I. Yarwood (16))  HT 0-1 Petone 7 (D. Ohlsson (8, 17, 25), L. Boobyer (12), P. Olliver-Bell (29, 87), K. Marra (59)), Seatoun 1 (E. Lantz (15))  HT 5-1 Taradale 4 (M. Thomas (20), M. Hughes (50), H. Gee (64), K. Solomon (90)), Victoria University 1 (M. Lynskey (90))  HT 1-0