Onehunga Sports and Franklin United have taken over at the top of the Lotto Northern Women's Championship after incumbent leaders FC Tauranga Moana were held to a 3-3 draw by Birkenhead United in a ding-dong go at Shepherds Park. Jaime Govind gave "Birko" the perfect start with a third minute goal, but Grace Duncan levelled matters halfway through the first half before Kate Mori gave the visitors the lead ten minutes after half-time. United substitute Abby Chad restored parity twenty minutes from time, only for Duncan to restore Tauranga's lead straight from the kick-off, an advantage they held until Chad struck again a minute from time to knock the Bay of Plenty team off the top of the table. They've been replaced by "The Green Machine", for whom Holly Patterson scored a hat-trick as they came from behind to score a 4-3 victory over Central United at a drizzle-soaked Waikaraka Park. The six goals scored in the first spell were scored in a manic eighteen minutes - it was almost "blink and you'll miss it!" material. Isabella Cranefield headed Central in front from a corner in the seventeenth minute, but Sports were level four minutes later, Patterson ghosting in beyond the last defender to head home from close range. Her second goal, five minutes later, was vintage Patterson - an instinctive, unerring first-time strike steered superbly into the top far corner on receipt of a free-kick from Kate Inwood, who'd also supplied the cross for the equaliser. Unperturbed, Central levelled in fine style on the half-hour through Phoebe Donaldson, a super header from another Sylvia McDougall corner which fair flew past stand-in goalkeeper Tessa Blakeborough - if you're a goalkeeper in need of a new challenge at this level, Onehunga Sports would love to hear from you! Having set up two goals, Inwood chanced her arm from 35 yards with the wind behind her in the 33rd minute, and was celebrating after Central's goalkeeper, Caitlin Clark, made a right dog's breakfast of keeping it out - the ball should never have gone close to crossing the line! That gave Sports a 3-2 lead, one Patterson extended sixty seconds later as she completed her hat-trick in style, picking out the top far corner from thirty yards, a goal which brought an end to this flurry of scoring activity. Halfway through the second spell, and after Clark

had produced two superb saves in a bid to make up for her first half howler, the visitors halved the deficit through McDougall, who capped off a fine move ignited by the industrious Robyn Wilkinson, who, with Anita Gross, stood out for the beaten side in a well-contested battle between these Central Auckland rivals. Across Mangere Bridge at Walter Massey Park, an under-strength Franklin United eased to a 2-0 win over Manukau United, who held out their opponents until substitute Britney Cunningham-Lee extended her advantage atop the Golden Boot charts in the 69th minute, a goal supplemented eight minutes later by a Jax David strike. That result sees Franklin sharing the lead with Onehunga, whose superior goal difference sees them enjoying the view from the summit. Tauranga are a point behind, while just a win away from them are Northern Rovers, who are just four points off the lead having quietly crept into contention with some solid if unspectacular wins in recent weeks. This was another, a 2-1 triumph over Melville United at McFetridge Park, where second half goals from Ivy Calonne and Orla Chambers secured a come-from-behind win for the home team, after Lola Williams had given the visitors the lead on the stroke of half-time. Rovers win was achieved with a makeshift goalkeeper twixt the sticks for all but the first seven minutes of the contest. Sasha Brett, their penalty-saving heroine in the Kate Sheppard Cup a week ago, was replaced by Stacey Hallford at this early juncture, but Melville failed to take advantage, much to the dismay of coach Tarena Ranui. Northern and Franklin meet in the Kate Sheppard Cup at McFetridge Park on Sunday, a day on which three ninth round Championship fixtures are scheduled. Sports and Birkenhead meet at Waikaraka Park, while Tauranga head to Melville's Gower Park home on a day Central welcome Manukau to a yet-to-be-confirmed venue, given Kiwitea Street will be hosting Chatham Cup action. Details: Birkenhead United 3 (J. Govind (3), A. Chad (71, 89)), FC Tauranga Moana 3 (G. Duncan (22, 72), K. Mori (56))  HT 1-1 Manukau United 0, Franklin United 2 (B. Cunningham-Lee (69), J. David (77))  HT 0-0 Northern Rovers 2 (I. Calonne (53), O. Chambers (68)), Melville United 1 (L. Williams (45))  HT 0-1 Onehunga Sports 4 (H. Patterson (21, 26, 34), K. Inwood (33)), Central United 3 (I. Cranefield (17), P. Donaldson (30), S. McDougall (67))  HT 4-2