Coastal Spirit scored a 2-0 win over Nomads-Waimakariri United at Kendall Park in the last round of Mainland Premier Women's League action on the last Saturday in May to secure their place in next month's South Island Women's Championship. Second half goals from Mel Cameron and substitute Ella Hanton - the latter netting in stoppage time - secured Spirit's passage into the showpiece competition on a day a win for the home team would have seen NWU, rather than the perennial title contenders, advancing to the showpiece competition. That Spirit are in a rebuilding phase is without question - the sight of club stalwart Whitney Hepburn donning the gloves and the goalkeeper's jersey in this match, now that long-serving custodian Una Foyle has headed abroad, is ample proof of how thinly spread their playing resources are nowadays. How starkly that contrasts with Cashmere Technical's circumstances. Three current or former Football Ferns were on the scoresheet in their 8-0 rout of Canterbury Universities at English Park, Kate Loye leading the way with a brace as Annalie Longo, who came on as a substitute with twenty minutes still to play, used this match to help her regain match sharpness ahead of the naming of the Football Ferns' Olympics squad. Naturally, "Flea" scored during her time on the park, as did fellow substitutes Aimee Phillips, Leanna Ryan and Margi Dias, while Emma Kench and Anna McPhie also found the net in this one-sided affair, with Cashmere concluding the competition with the perfect six from six record. Sunday's postponement of Nelson Suburbs' clash with Selwyn United, due to a flight cancellation, has created an unnecessary and unwelcome can of worms for the Mainland Federation, a situation of their own making. Firstly, with this being the final round in the competition, why weren't all fixtures scheduled to take place on the same day? This point of principle is minor, however, compared to the other dilemmas which Mainland have brought upon themselves through this lack of foresight. This postponed match must take place, potentially this weekend, because the team finishing fourth in the competition has to play the third-placed team in the Football South Premier Women's League in a play-off to determine the final make-up of the South Island Women's Championship. Nelson, who lie in fourth place at present, need to win to finish level on points with the students. Cue the folly of deciding the finishing order of teams via head-to-head results between them, rather than the tried-and-trusted goal difference option which bases finishing positions on an entire season's endeavours. As Nelson defeated Canterbury in their round-robin encounter, a mere one-goal victory over Selwyn means they'll finish third, despite the fact Suburbs have an inferior goal difference to Varsities. If Nelson don't win the postponed match, however … Roslyn Wakari isn't alone in awaiting the outcome of this debacle. With Kate Sheppard Cup ties taking place this weekend, and the Championship kicking off on June 22, the window of opportunity to resolve this issue is decidedly limited. It didn't have to be this way ... The Football South silverware was yet again claimed by Dunedin City Royals, whose twelfth successive title triumph was confirmed by Hannah Mackay-Wright's stoppage time winner as they edged out runners-up and fellow South Island Women's Championship qualifiers Otago University 1-0 at Logan Park. DCR's latest championship success equals the national record which was established by Miramar Rangers, who won the Wellington WFA title every season between 1975 and 1986, winning 135 and drawing three of the 138 games they played in that era of unprecedented regional dominance, scoring 952 goals and conceding a mere sixty in the process. For the record, Miramar lost their first match in

thirteen seasons in 1987, missing out on the title on goal difference as a result. They made amends by winning the league with perfect records in each of the 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992 campaigns, two defeats in 1989 condemning them to another runners-up spot. Rangers' overall league record between 1975 and 1992 makes for incredible reading: Played 211, won 204, drew 4, lost 3, scored 1391, conceded 98, league champions 16 times. Kate Sheppard Cup action this weekend sees two ties in Dunedin on Friday night, with Otago University taking on Queens Park at Logan Park, while Roslyn Wakari lock horns with DCR at the Caledonian Ground fresh from clinching a third-placed finish thanks to a 10-0 demolition of Green Island, Abbey Neilson leading the way with a four-goal haul. The lone tie in Christchurch sees Coastal Spirit and Cashmere clashing at Linfield Park on Saturday, a day on which Nelson is due to host Nomads-Waimakariri United at Saxton Fields. Because of the aforementioned scheduling dilemma, this tie hasn't been confirmed at this stage. Details: Canterbury Universities 0, Cashmere Technical 8 (E. Kench (3), K. Loye (30, 43), A. Phillips (59), A. McPhie (64), L. Ryan (76), A. Longo (80), M. Dias (90))  HT 0-3 Nelson Suburbs v. Selwyn United, postponed Nomads-Waimakariri United 0, Coastal Spirit 2 (M. Cameron (60), E. Hanton (90))  HT 0-0 Relatively close results were the order of the day in the Central Region Premier Women's League, with Wellington United taking the outright lead after goals from Misha Koyari, Natalie Olson and substitute Milla Green earned a 3-0 win over Victoria University in a Friday night affair at Newtown Park. That put the pressure on Petone to record a win on Saturday afternoon, something they failed to do as Moturoa held them to a 1-1 draw at Petone Memorial Park. Indeed, but for Pepi Olliver-Bell's injury time equaliser for the home team, Sasha Rasmussen may well have been the match-winner for the New Plymouth-based side, who, like "The Diamonds" and Petone, boast an unbeaten record after the first four rounds of action. Waterside Karori can move into second spot on Wednesday night when they take on the students at Wakefield Park. "The Magpies" warmed up for that clash by downing Marist Palmerston North 2-0 at Arena Manawatu, where first half goals from Nikki Furukawa and Carena Oosterbaan proved decisive. Kya Solomon was the match-winner once more for Taradale as they continued to make an impressive start to life in the top flight, seeing off Seatoun 1-0 at Seatoun Park in a match which saw home team stalwart Cara Chung make her 150th and final appearance for the club before heading to Australia. She'll be a big miss for the "Sky Blues", having played for them for over a decade. This Saturday's Kate Sheppard Cup action in the Central Region sees Seatoun welcoming Wellington Phoenix to Seatoun Park, while Te Kotahitanga make the trip to Arena Manawatu to take on Marist Palmerston North. Waterside Karori and Miramar meet at Martin Luckie Park, while Petone and Upper Hutt City square off at Petone Memorial Park. The highlight of the latest round of Inter Football Capital Premier Women's League action saw Wellington United batter Brooklyn Northern United 12-0, a match which saw Ashleigh McCutcheon and Jemma Robertson both score four goals for "The Sapphires", while Taylor Watson struck a first half hat-trick. Details: Marist Palmerston North 0, Waterside Karori 2 (N. Furukawa (21), C. Oosterbaan (35))  HT 0-2 Petone 1 (P. Olliver-Bell (90)), Moturoa 1 (S. Rasmussen (68))  HT 0-0 Seatoun 0, Taradale 1 (K. Solomon (36))  HT 0-1 Wellington United 3 (M. Koyari (27), N. Olson (70), M. Green (90)), Victoria University 0  HT 1-0