Tauranga Moana have taken over the lead of the Lotto Northern Women's Championship after handing incumbents Onehunga Sports a 4-0 hiding at Fergusson Park on July 7, thus maintaining the victors' season-long winning streak on home turf. Caleb Ward's charges took full advantage of the absence of defensive lynchpin Sivitha Boyce from "The Green Machine"'s squad, and were on their way to victory in just the fourth minute, Abi Witney-Collins doing the honours. Jaimee Paterson doubled their advantage twenty-odd minutes later, while Grace Duncan made the points safe twenty minutes from time before Briana Osborne iced this particularly tasty cake with seven minutes remaining. The result sees Tauranga edge two points clear of Onehunga, who themselves are unbeaten on home turf so far this season, and will be hoping they're still within range of their conquerors come August 25, when the top two square off at Waikaraka Park for what is already shaping as a pivotal fixture in the title race. With third-placed Franklin United on Kate Sheppard Cup duty, Northern Rovers took the chance to leap-frog Birkenhead United into fourth place on the table by downing ten-woman Manukau United 5-1 at McFetridge Park, but they had to come from behind to do so. With players suspended and, in Ashley Porter's case, on international duty with NZ Maori, the South Aucklanders turned up with just ten players for this match, but made light of their predicament by taking the lead through Mareta Brothers in the seventh minute. That put the proverbial cat amongst Rovers' pigeons, but order was soon restored when Orla Chambers levelled matters after twenty minutes, before Mila Morles broke Manukau's spirited resistance with a goal just before half-time to put Northern in charge on the scoreboard. They made their numerical superiority tell in the second spell, two Ivy Calonne goals in a ten-minute spell around the hour mark putting the result beyond doubt, with Katy Gothard ensuring a nap-hand for Northern seven minutes from time. In the battle of two of the bottom three-placed teams, Laura Bennett broke the deadlock fifteen minutes from time to earn Melville United a 1-0 win over Central United at Gower Park, a result which saw the victors leapfrog the vanquished on the table. The Bastille Day round of action next Sunday sees Tauranga travelling to Walter Massey Park to take on Manukau, while Onehunga welcome Melville to Waikaraka Park. Franklin make the trip north to Central's Kiwitea Street home, while there'll be plenty of edge in evidence in the North Harbour derby at McFetridge Park, as Northern and Birkenhead draw swords. Details: FC Tauranga Moana 4 (A. Witney-Collins (4), J. Paterson (26), G. Duncan (69), B. Osborne (83)), Onehunga Sports 0  HT 2-0 Melville United 1 (L. Bennett (74)), Central United 0  HT 0-0 Northern Rovers 5 (O. Chambers (20), M. Morles (42), I. Calonne (57, 67), K. Gothard (83)), Manukau United 1 (M. Brothers (7))  HT 2-1