It's as you were at the top of the Lotto Northern Women's Championship after wins for the top three teams on the last Sunday in June maintained the status quo on the league table, with Onehunga Sports continuing to lead by a point from FC Tauranga Moana. Both had to accept cameo roles this week, however, in light of Franklin United going goal-crazy at the Drury Sports Complex, where Melville United were put to the sword 11-2 as the victors made amends for last week's heavy defeat in the Bay of Plenty. Britney Cunningham-Lee cemented her place at the top of the Golden Boot standings with a five-goal haul as she led Franklin to a win which was supplemented by double strikes from Chloe Marthe - her first goals of the season - and Sarah Carpenter. Nikita Lieshout and Ashleigh Downs struck either side of half-time to add to Melville's woes, the visitors having been on level terms inside the quarter hour after Lola Williams found the net, a feat matched by Mia Humphrey for the visitors in the shadows of the half-time whistle. "The Green Machine" maintained their one-point advantage atop the table in a hard-fought affair at Waikaraka Park, where Northern Rovers' stubborn resistance was finally broken twenty minutes from time when Leah Thomson had the misfortune to put through her own net. Kate Inwood wasted little time in doubling Sports' advantage as they maintained their perfect home record so far this season, a feat which Tauranga Moana also boast, although their latest win was recorded on the road at Kiwitea Street. The visitors humbled Central United 7-1, a win inspired by Kate Mori, who opened the scoring after ten minutes then was instrumental in the first goal of the second half, with Wallis Bland's attempted goal-line clearance seeing the Central defender slice the ball into her own net. Grace Duncan struck a hat-trick for the visitors, while Briana Osborne and a long-range missile from Jaimee Paterson also found the target, as did Danica

Chhour after twenty-five minutes as Central's well-conceived opening goal brought them back into the contest before the half-hour. There was only one goal in it at Walter Massey Park - Emily Oosterhof struck what proved to be the winner just five minutes into the contest as Birkenhead United overcame bottom-place Manukau United 1-0 - but there were fireworks aplenty in stoppage time as the game concluded in scenes rarely seen in the women's game. Referee Marcus Turner had reason to send off three players before the final whistle, after Manukau's Victoria Fatiaki and Birkenhead substitute Bella Hellesoe got involved in a violent exchange which saw both players still going at it once they'd gone to ground. Manukau substitute Nikisha Kumar got involved in proceedings and, according to the referee's records, "punched a Birko player with closed fist" … all in all, not a good look, and no doubt some suspensions will be forthcoming. There'll be no holds barred at Fergusson Park this Sunday as Tauranga and Onehunga square off in an eagerly awaited top-of-the-table tussle. Northern welcome Manukau to McFetridge Park while Central travel to Melville's Gower Park home, with Birkenhead's clash with Franklin postponed as the latter face Kate Sheppard Cup holders Western Springs in a quarter-final clash at the Drury Sports Complex on Saturday from 1pm. Details: Central United 1 (D. Chhour (25)), FC Tauranga Moana 7 (K. Mori (10), G. Duncan (14, 36, 73), "oggie" (60), B. Osborne (71), J. Paterson (84))  HT 1-3 Franklin United 11 (C. Marthe (7, 45), B. Cunningham-Lee (17, 34, 59, 79, 86), S. Carpenter (27, 48), N. Lieshout (41), A. Downs (67)), Melville United 2 (L. Williams (13), M. Humphrey (44))  HT 6-2 Manukau United 0, Birkenhead United 1 (E. Oosterhof (5))  HT 0-1 Onehunga Sports 2 ("oggie" (69), K. Inwood (77)), Northern Rovers 0  HT 0-0