Reigning Ford National Women's League champions Auckland United flew out of the blocks in opening round action on the last weekend in September, handing Canterbury United Pride a record defeat as they served up an 8-0 hiding at Keith Hay Park. Before Saturday's humiliation, the Cantabrians had never conceded more than six goals in a game, a feat achieved twice - 6-0 by Auckland in the 1997 National Tournament semi-final at Keith Hay Park, and 6-1 by Waikato-Bay of Plenty in the 2011 NWL semi-final at English Park. Auckland, however, were in a statement-making mood, given their next matches are in China, against Shanghai in a friendly prior to their FIFA Women's Champions Cup clash against Wuhan Jiangdu on October 8. It took just eleven minutes for them to fashion the opening goal, Chloe Knott tapping in on receipt of an Alexis Cook cross. Canterbury responded well, however, two Petra Buyck corners resulting in goal-line clearances in the next eight minutes. United responded via Rene Wasi, who had a goal disallowed before looking to set up Knott when scoring appeared the easier option. The former Wellington Phoenix professional volleyed home her second goal in the 24th minute, before the provider of that goal was played in by Cook five minutes later, Ava Collins rounding Amy Simmers before rolling the ball home into an empty net for number three. Knott hit the bar from four yards out sixty seconds later as Auckland looked to turn the screw, and after Katie Brugh had gone close to pulling a goal back, Cook thundered home a volley on receipt of a beautifully weighted pass from Knott. Straight from the kick-off, Buyck had a goal ruled out for offside, but on the stroke of half-time, Auckland went nap, in style. The timing of Danielle Canham's pass to release Cook at pace down the right was exquisite, while the resulting cross saw Knott launch into a full-length diving header, sending the ball arrowing past Simmers and completing her hat-trick. The title-holders hit the cruise control button in the second spell, with Talisha Green having a goal ruled out for offside before Wasi made it 6-0, starting then finishing a 58th minute move which featured yet another pinpoint cross from Cook - she was outstanding. Three minutes later, Wasi struck again, this time from twenty yards to crown a superb five-pass move which carved Canterbury open once more. Emma Rolston then joined in the fun, heading one chance against the bar before wrapping up the scoring in emphatic fashion three minutes from time. Eastern Suburbs went one better on Sunday, dismissing Central Football 9-0 at Massey University, where Cema Nasau got the ball rolling for "The Lilywhites" after just 41 seconds,  as she latched onto Kenya Brooke's ball over the top before tucking home past Alex Gray. Brooke herself got in on the act in the ninth minute, a thirty-yarder from wide on the left sailing over Gray's head to double the lead. Suburbs' skipper scored a near-identical goal on the half-hour, this time from a more central position. That made the score 5-0, for in between times, Ella Findlay had picked her spot upon being picked out by Nasau, while Vicky Neuefeind added another thunderbolt to her collection, this time from twenty-five yards, having earlier been denied by Gray. She was beaten all ends up by the visitors' final goal of the half, Taylor Anderson hammering home a twenty-yarder five minutes from time, and moments before hitting the crossbar with another long-range effort. Central restricted their guests to a further three goals in the second spell. Nasau struck again after fine industry by Findlay in the 55th minute, and the same player was instrumental in setting up Ruby Nathan eighteen minutes later - Canberra United's loss. Tayla O'Brien wrapped up the scoring in stoppage time to leave Central contemplating another challenging season in the National Women's League, in which they last won a game in the Guy Fawkes weekend round in 2023. The surprise of the round was recorded at Petone Memorial Park, where Petone, making their NWL debut, stunned newly crowned Lotto Northern Premier Women's League champions West Coast Rangers 1-0. The visitors had the wind - which spoils so many potentially good footballing contests in the capital - behind them in the first half, and went close with long-range efforts from Anjelina Ujdur, Maisy Dewell and Sienna Higinbotham. But it was Petone who better exploited the conditions, and after Joanne Peel nearly fumbled Renee Bacon's cross into her own net, the marauding midfielder raced through from halfway onto a hefty 86th minute clearance to tuck the winner past the approaching goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net, to the delight of the natives. They had further reason to cheer after the final whistle, as Dewell let her frustrations get the better of her. Kicking the ball away earned her a yellow card from referee Jordan Boyd, who was soon racing across the park, red card in hand, in response to the

midfielder's reaction to her punishment. The news wasn't so good for the capital's other contenders, with Wellington Phoenix and Wellington United both suffering defeats on the road. "The Diamonds" went down narrowly in a goal-fest at Seddon Fields, where Western Springs got up by the odd goal in nine - 5-4. Liz Savage got the ball rolling for "The Hoops" with a sumptuous sixth minute strike, and Maddi Ollington's deft far post finish six minutes later doubled Springs' lead, which nearly increased again in the seventeenth minute, the crossbar denying Nanami Omasa's delightful curling effort. Two goals in ninety seconds dragged the visitors back into the contest. A long-range Zoe Barrott free-kick was missed by all-comers and found the net via the far post in the 25th minute, while straight from the kick-off "The Diamonds" carved out a super goal, with Hannah Cooper, Amelia Abbott, Hannah Pilley and Natalie Olson all contributing before Summer Laskey lashed home a fine equaliser. Back came Springs, Ollington's cross to the near post prompting an attempted headed clearance by Barrott which crasheed into the far corner of the net for an "oggie" which restored the home team's advantage. Ollington restored Springs' two-goal cushion in style six minutes before half-time, her dipping twenty-five yarder leaving Molly Simons beaten all ends up - when did she last ship five goals in a game? The fifth materialised halfway through the second spell. Arisa Takeda's free-kick was flicked on by Britney Cunningham-Lee to Anna McPhie, whose lay-off was smashed home by Savage - 5-2. United struck back straight away, Maggie Jenkins going down under Takeda's challenge to earn a penalty, which she converted in emphatic fashion to give the visitors hope. They kept on coming, Laskey hitting the bar before Pilley's enterprise was rewarded by Jenkins' precise finish - 5-4 in the 88th minute. And so nearly 5-5 in stoppage time, with Angelique Tuisamoa knowing little about Jenkins' acute-angled hat-trick attempt, which cannoned off the 'keeper to safety, a denial which secured a hard-earned three points for Western Springs. At the league's southernmost venue, Dunedin's Logan Park, Southern United overpowered Wellington Phoenix 4-1, their win inspired by two Hannah Mackay-Wright penalties, both struck eight minutes into each half. The first was a result of Harriet Muller compounding her poor pass by felling Emma Vane, while a handball offence prompted referee Sarah Jones to point to the spot for a second time. Georgia Nixon had doubled Southern's lead on the stroke of half-time on receipt of Abby Rankin's precise pass, but Wellington could have levelled beforehand, the crossbar denying Maisy McDonald's twenty-five yard effort. Vane made it four thirteen minutes from time, rounding Muller before tucking into an empty net upon receipt of a raking ball forward by Mackay-Wright. But the visitors weren't to be denied a consolation goal, Freya Des Fountain doing the honours from close range in stoppage time, after Southern failed to clear a corner. With Auckland on international duty next week - they play Chinese Women's Super League side Shanghai in a friendly before their prestigious engagement with Wuhan Jiangdu, the clash between "The Lilywhites" and the reigning champions has been deferred to a later date. The other four fixtures take place on Sunday, with "The Hoops" heading to English Park to take on Canterbury, while "The Diamonds" welcome Southern to Newtown Park. Rangers and Central meet in a match between two of the beaten teams in the opening round, while there's a capital derby at Fraser Park, with Wellington Phoenix and Petone squaring off. The National Women's Youth League is already two rounds old, with Fencibles United and Canterbury United Pride leading the way with six points apiece. The latter came from two goals down to overhaul Tauranga Moana 3-2 in arguably the best match of the competition so far. Eastern Suburbs and Melville United are the other unbeaten teams so far - both have won the lone match each has played in the nine-team competition, while Wellington Phoenix, Central Football and Capital Football will each be looking for a swift improvement in their form after enduring defeats in their opening fixtures. Details: Auckland United 8 (C. Knott (11, 24, 44), A. Collins (29), A. Cook (37), R. Wasi (58, 61), E. Rolston (87)), Canterbury United Pride 0  HT 5-0 Central Football 0, Eastern Suburbs 9 (C. Nasau (1, 55), K. Brooke (9, 30), E. Findlay (13), V. Neuefeind (22), T. Anderson (40), R. Nathan (74), T. O'Brien (90))  HT 0-6 Petone 1 (R. Bacon (86)), West Coast Rangers 0  HT 0-0 Southern United 4 (H. Mackay-Wright (8 pen, 54 pen), G. Nixon (45), E. Vane (77)), Wellington Phoenix 1 (F. Des Fountain (90))  HT 2-0 Western Springs 5 (L. Savage (6, 67), M. Ollington (12, 39), "oggie" (30)), Wellington United 4 (Z. Barrott (25), S. Laskey (26), M. Jenkins (70 pen, 88))  HT 4-2