With Auckland United and West Coast Rangers having confirmed their spots in the National Women's League, a right battle royal is unfolding for the other two places which are available in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League, with the three teams involved separated by a solitary point with four rounds remaining. As they did earlier in the season, Eastern Suburbs prevailed at Riverhills Park over Fencibles United, this time by a 3-0 scoreline, to leapfrog their eastern rivals and climb back into third spot on the table, on goal difference from the vanquished East Auckland club. Shion Hwang struck early in each half for "The Lilywhites", whose return to form has coincided with the return from holiday of defensive lynchpin and team captain, Kenya Brooke. Jess Innes was also on target for the visitors, who it "Fencies" for six the last time they met at this venue. Western Springs piled on the pressure on Friday, closing to within a point of their top-four rivals and fellow qualifiers for the National Youth League by handing a disjointed Hibiscus Coast combination a 5-0 hiding - not the birthday present the league's co-leader in the Golden Boot race, Danica Urlich-Beech had been hoping for. "The Hoops" never looked back once Ella Findlay found the net just 146 seconds into the contest, and after Anya Stephan rifled home from fifteen yards ten minutes later, it very quickly became a case of "by how many". Findlay made it three in the 25th minute, heading home completely unmarked from four yards - another goal which had Megan Lee's corner-taking capability as its source. Another would come in the second half, from Sydney Sparks with her first touch of the ball, after Arisa Takeda had sprung the offside trap just before the hour mark. "The Coasters" were denied a consolation goal by the offside trap, but they could have lost this match by an even greater margin but for some fine saves by Leah Botica. The loss of a couple of their stalwarts to US scholarships has really hurt the league's northernmost team, and it's as well they've got enough points on the board already to avoid being part of the relegation battle. Ellerslie are right in the thick of that, and suffered the biggest loss of the round as West Coast Rangers hit them for six at Fred Taylor Park, inspired by Emily Lyon's maiden hat-trick, a first half treble just eleven minutes in both conception and

execution. Bree Johnson added further to "The Ponies"' woes soon after half-time, while first-ever Rangers goals from Taylor Vujnovich and Erin Freeman saw the scoreline blow out to 6-0 - Ellerslie's biggest defeat of the season. Auckland United closed out the weekend by maintaining their six-point advantage atop the table, but they were made to work for their 3-0 win at Keith Hay Park by a Hamilton Wanderers team which has improved significantly since last being sighted by this writer. The bottom-placed side weren't without chances in this match, the closest of them being a Stella Neems effort which hit the inside of the far post and bounced back into the gloves of a grateful Hannah Mitchell. But they were never going to beat the reigning champions, who were afforded the ideal start in both halves by quality close-range finishes from Charlotte Roche, both of which were inspired by Rene Wasi, who rattled the crossbar halfway through the first half, one of a number of opportunities United spurned throughout proceedings. They wrapped up the scoring twenty minutes from time through Kate McConnell, who thundered home a twenty-five yarder into the top far corner on a day new signing Estelle Harrison - once of Northern Rovers, but most recently UEFA Women's Champions League experience with Cardiff City - made her debut for the league leaders. Eighteenth round action this Sunday sees the top two on the road, Auckland at Riverhills Park to take on "Fencies", Rangers at Porritt Stadium where "The Blue Army" lie in wait. "The Lilywhites" welcome "The Coasters" to Madills Farm, while "The Ponies" and "The Hoops" square off at Michaels Avenue in the late kick-off. Details: Auckland United 3 (C. Roche (4, 50), K. McConnell (69)), Hamilton Wanderers 0  HT 1-0 Fencibles United 0, Eastern Suburbs 3 (S. Hwang (12, 64), J. Innes (67))  HT 0-1 West Coast Rangers 6 (E. Lyon (23, 25, 34), B. Johnson (48), T. Vujnovich (57), E. Freeman (79)), Ellerslie 0  HT 3-0 Western Springs 5 (E. Findlay (3, 25), A. Stephan (13), A. Takeda (57), S. Sparks (78)), Hibiscus Coast 0  HT 3-0