It's taken them until the end of June, but Hibiscus Coast have finally scored their first win of the season in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League, overcoming Tauranga Moana 3-1 at Stanmore Bay Reserve to leapfrog the beaten side in their battle to avoid relegation. Miya Stott gave "The Coasters" the lead on the quarter hour, but Briana Osborne's leveller soon after half-time put the game well and truly in the balance. It needed something special to separate the teams, and a captain's knock from Jess Smith - a thirty-five yard free-kick, if you please! - delivered the goods for the home team, for whom Stott made sure of victory with a stoppage time clincher. This was the first of two matches in successive weeks between these sides, with next Sunday's clash at Links Avenue a rescheduled affair after their game at Papamoa earlier in the season was abandoned at half-time with Tauranga three goals to the good on a rice pudding of a pitch. Elsewhere, reigning champions Auckland United are just three points away from securing their spot in this season's National Women's League, due in part to their 3-0 defeat of Western Springs on Friday evening. An early goal from Alaina Granger settled the title-holders' nerves, and when Saskia Vosper battered home their second ten minutes before half-time, the game was up for "The Hoops", who were kept at arm's length by the league leaders thereafter, substitute Ava Pritchard icing the cake for United seven minutes from time. Across town at Riverhills Park, West Coast Rangers closed to within two wins of securing their NWL berth with a solid 4-0 defeat of Fencibles United, who looked a little threadbare given the injury-enforced absences of Millie Loxton and Rosie Missen, not to mention three players on international duty at the OFC Women's Nations Cup. Rangers wasted little time in exploiting their opponents' selection concerns, Emily Lyon establishing an early lead before two goals in four minutes just before half-time - Shannon Henson potted a penalty before Mackenzie Longmuir arrowed one past Caelan Tremain following a partially cleared set-piece - put the visitors on easy street. Marissa Porteous' latest towering header from a Lyon corner wrapped up the scoring before the hour mark on a night both coaches - United's Simon Motie and Rangers' Andrew Clay - were booked for dissent by referee Wilhelmus Duncker. Which brings us nicely onto the subject of match officials in general, and the influence they can potentially have on a team's aspirations in both the National Women's and OFC Women's Champions Leagues, and FIFA Finals beyond those competitions. This was in evidence at Madills Farm, where Ellerslie was denied two goals by the offside flag as they went down 1-0 to Eastern Suburbs, who benefited from Anita Trudgen's second minute "oggie" and maintained that advantage for the duration. "The Ponies" were not amused by either call, and given this result leaves them four points adrift of a top-four finish with eight rounds to play - a win would have had put them in fourth spot, with

Suburbs fifth, so tight is the battle for the remaining top four spots - they're understandably miffed. As we know, the structure of the game in New Zealand is regionally founded, with the leading teams in each region then contesting an end-of-season National League, the winner of which represents the country in the respective Oceania Football Confederation's Champions Leagues. There is a significant difference, however, in terms of the match officials appointed to these games. For the chaps, it's as you'd expect - weekly appointments are made from a select pool of suitably qualified officials, the pick of whom go on to take charge of National League matches and potentially earn FIFA officiating badges if they're consistently good at what they do. And that's as it should be - no one should have a problem with it. For the women, however, it's far less formal - whoever's available and wants to officiate in a NPWL game, step right up, please. (That's how it seems at any rate). As a consequence, the standard and consistency of officiating varies from game to game, never mind from week to week. We appreciate their efforts, because they're doing their best, but the powers that be need to do for the women's game in the northern region what they've long done for the chaps - establish a pool of match officials who are up to the task demanded by players and clubs who are vying for the chance to take on the champion women's clubs of other confederations annually in the FIFA Women's Champions Cup and, from 2028, the FIFA Women's Club World Cup. FIFA has raised the game for women's club football globally by introducing these competitions. We in New Zealand need to follow their lead, assess our current arrangements and raise our standards accordingly. If that means the same pool of officials who take charge of Dettol League matches also receive appointments to officiate in the best league in the country, the NPWL (which, let's be honest, is effectively an extension of the NWL), so be it. Because that's largely what's required for the local game's development long-term, both from a playing and officiating perspective, now that FIFA has raised the stakes to the degree that they have. As well as the aforementioned rescheduled league fixture next Sunday, two other matches are taking place next weekend which will determine the northern region's representatives in the Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup semi-finals. Auckland and West Coast lock horns at Keith Hay Park from 5pm on Saturday in what should be a rip-roaring quarter-final between the league's best-performed teams so far this season. And on Sunday at 1pm at the Drury Sports Complex, "The Lilywhites" will look to avoid the banana skin which a trip to Championship side Franklin United potentially poses. Details: Eastern Suburbs 1 ("oggie" (2)), Ellerslie 0  HT 1-0 Fencibles United 0, West Coast Rangers 4 (E. Lyon (14), S. Henson (37 pen), M. Longmuir (41), M. Porteous (58))  HT 0-3 Hibiscus Coast 3 (M. Stott (15, 90), J. Smith (73)), Tauranga Moana 1 (B. Osborne (48))  HT 1-0 Western Springs 0, Auckland United 3 (A. Granger (13), S. Vosper (35), A. Pritchard (83))  HT 0-2