The battle for spots in the National Women's League is well and truly on in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League, with the teams in the middle of the table clashing on Matariki weekend in matches which left five points covering the four teams involved. Eastern Suburbs were the big winners of the weekend, scoring an in the end comfortable 3-0 win over Fencibles United in cold, windy conditions at Madills Farm - it felt like one was in Wellington, but you knew you were in the city which is New Zealand's home of football because it was a bog-standard Auckland day, with wall-to-wall blue sky on point. "Fencies" had the wind abaft them in the first half, but didn't exploit it anywhere near enough, in part because they suffered two critical injury setbacks which could well influence the destiny of their campaign. Millie Loxton's ongoing battle with hamstring problems saw her depart the fray halfway through the first spell, but it was the loss of captain Rosie Missen to a collarbone injury, after landing awkwardly just before half-time, which came as a hammer blow to the visitors. The ball of energy who is Mikaela Bangalan covered every blade of grass in a sterling bid to stave off the inevitable, but two goals in three minutes just shy of the hour mark turned the game Suburbs' way, Cema Nasau and Sammi Tawharu the goal celebrants. To rub salt in "Fencies" wounds, former United starlet Zoe Brazier came off the bench to confirm Suburbs' 3-0 win in stoppage time on a day Ella Findlay began her second stint at "The Lilywhites" after transferring from Western Springs during the week. Her old club could have done with Findlay's services at Michaels Avenue, where Maddi Ollington's stoppage time free-kick earned Ellerslie a 2-2 draw against "The Hoops", who were on course for what would have been a significant victory in the dying minutes - a win would have given third-placed Springs a seven-point buffer over their fifth-placed hosts. "The Ponies" knew this was a vital game, especially after their shock loss in the Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup last week, and opened the scoring through Ollington's long-range effort early in the second spell. Springs wasted little time in levelling the scores, Rina Hirano leading the celebrations, albeit in controversial circumstances. Referee Alec Couchman had waved play on after Ellerslie had cleared the ball off the line, but then opted to consult with his assistant, after which the goal was awarded … To upset the natives further, Eunuk Jeong was adjudged to have used her hand to block a shot in the area ten minutes from time - penalty. Katie Rood, making her first start in a game for two years,

marked her return by firing the visitors in front from twelve yards. But there was a further twist to come in this tale, Indigo Kirk committing a bookable offence outside the penalty area in stoppage time. Up stepped Ollington to earn "The Ponies" a vital point - they remain four points behind Springs, but are just two behind Suburbs and one ahead of "Fencies" in the race for the top four with nine rounds remaining. Meanwhile, the top two further strengthened their respective grips on National Women's League spots. Auckland United are just ten points away from securing a top-four finish after mauling Tauranga Moana 9-0 for the second time this season, this time at Links Avenue. Last season's Lotto Northern Women's Championship winners must be sick of the sight of the league leaders after enduring two successive hidings at United's hands - they won last week's Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup encounter 8-0 at the same venue. Rene Wasi helped herself to a hat-trick on that occasion, and repeated the dose here, while Chloe Knott scored her first three goals of the season in this match. Saskia Vosper opened the scoring, while Jess Philpot and Talisha Green also chimed in as United significantly bolstered their goal difference should the league title need to be determined by that means. At the northernmost ground in the league, West Coast Rangers remained three points behind United after overcoming Hibiscus Coast 4-0 at Stanmore Bay Reserve, where Taylor Vujnovich required just two minutes to open the scoring. Shannon Henson, the league's leading markswoman, snaffled a goal in each half, due reward for following in, something which all good strikers do instinctively. She did - two tap-ins resulted. And Laney Strachan's thumping header from a Maisy Dewell free-kick concluded the scoring. Next weekend's action sees "The Hoops" and the league leaders locking horns at Seddon Fields on Friday night, while "Fencies" and Rangers square off at Riverhills Park at the same time - 7.30pm kick-off in both cases. Sunday's fare sees "The Lilywhites" and "The Ponies" locking horns at Madills Farm, while "The Coasters" will be targeting their first win of the campaign when Tauranga pay a visit to Stanmore Bay Reserve in the battle of the bottom two. Details: Eastern Suburbs 3 (C. Nasau (56), S. Tawharu (59), Z. Brazier (90)), Fencibles United 0  HT 0-0 Ellerslie 2 (M. Ollington (48, 90)), Western Springs 2 (R. Hirano (54), K. Rood (80 pen))  HT 0-0 Hibiscus Coast 0, West Coast Rangers 4 (T. Vujnovich (2), S. Henson (16, 56), L. Strachan (62))  HT 0-2 Tauranga Moana 0, Auckland United 9 (S. Vosper (7), R. Wasi (21, 24, 76), J. Philpot (52), C. Knott (55, 56, 89), T. Green (87))  HT 0-3