A hat-trick from Birkenhead United's Nina O'Leary condemned Central United to relegation from the Lotto Northern Women's Championship on the final day of the season on September 7. "Birko" prevailed 3-2 at Shepherds Park over the bottom-placed side, who needed to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Anita Gross and an O'Leary own goal gave Central hope inside the last fifteen minutes as they pegged back a two-goal deficit, but the striker completed her hat-trick in stoppage time to break the visitors' hearts. Down the road at McFetridge Park, it was another hat-trick which confirmed the Golden Boot winner for the season. Sarah Carpenter and Britney Cunningham-Lee both bagged trebles as Franklin United thumped Northern Rovers 9-0, with the latter's efforts earning her the individual honour. Chloe Marthe, Georgia Fisher and Georgia Irvine also chimed in as the South Aucklanders cemented their second-placed finish in style, albeit eleven points behind champions Melville United, who signed off with a 3-1 win over Onehunga Sports at Waikaraka Park. A Laura Bennett brace either side of the half-time whistle settled matters after Mia Humphrey gave United the lead four minutes before the interval. Kate Inwood pulled one back twenty minutes from time for "The Green Machine" - one wonders how well they'd do if they could field their strongest eleven more consistently, as they should be finishing far closer than seventeen points behind Melville, given the quality of their squad. Cambridge wrapped up their maiden campaign at this level with a 2-1 win over Onehunga-Mangere United at St Peter's School, where first half goals from Bella Stark and Charlotte Harries earned the points for the home team, despite the scare posed by Chante Du Plessis' late strike for "The Scarlets". With the season now all but over, attention now turns to which team will replace Central in next season's Championship. Uni-Mount Bohemian and Lakes FC will dispute the available spot over the next two Sundays, with the first leg at Bill McKinlay Park this week from 2pm. Details: Birkenhead United 3 (N. O'Leary (4, 38, 90)), Central United 2 (A. Gross (76), "oggie" (80))  HT 2-0 Cambridge 2 (C. Harries (13), B. Stark (41)), Onehunga-Mangere United 1 (C. Du Plessis (90))  HT 2-0 Northern Rovers 0, Franklin United 9 (S. Carpenter (13, 48, 76), G. Irvine (37), C. Marthe (48), B. Cunningham-Lee (59, 69, 89), G. Fisher (82))  HT 0-2 Onehunga Sports 1 (K. Inwood (69)), Melville United 3 (M. Humphrey (41), L. Bennett (44, 46))  HT 0-2

The final two South Island Women's League matches saw the travelling teams hit eight goals apiece as they recorded emphatic victories. Champions Dunedin City Royals romped to an emphatic 8-0 win at bottom-placed Halswell United, with Abby Rankin and Amy Hislop both scoring a brace at Halswell Domain. Nieve Collin, Rose Morton, Kelsey Kennard and Keira Pettefar also chimed in as "The Hawks" capitulated in the second spell, with Hislop's double giving her a share of the Golden Boot with the ever-lethal Britney-Lee Nicholson - both netted nineteen times. "Queen B" was in hat-trick-scoring form as Coastal Spirit came from behind to thrash Nelson Suburbs 8-1 at Saxton Fields, as was Frankie Morrow, with Laura Newman and Samantha Whyte also finding the net after Anise Baxley gave Nelson the early lead. Cashmere Technical took out the Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup in emphatic fashion at English Park, condemning Canterbury Universities to a 5-0 defeat as they claimed the trophy for the third successive season on the back of goals from Anya Stephan and substitute Tessa Toombs - two each - and Saskia Pelham. At this stage, there may be no play-offs for next season's South Island Women's League, but there's one taking place this Sunday with a place in next season's Central Region Premier Women's League at stake. Seatoun and New Plymouth Rangers meet in a one-off encounter at Palmerston North's Memorial Park to determine which team will be promoted for 2026. Details: Halswell United 0, Dunedin City Royals 8 (A. Rankin (44, 86), N. Collin (50), A. Hislop (54, 77), K. Pettefar (56), K. Kennard (75), R. Morton (80))  HT 0-1 Nelson Suburbs 1 (A. Baxley (12)), Coastal Spirit 8 (L. Newman (27), F. Morrow (29, 47, 87), B. Nicholson (45, 79, 90), S. Whyte (54)) HT 1-3 Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final details: Cashmere Technical 5 (A. Stephan (6, 35), S. Pelham (52), T. Toombs (70, 81)), Canterbury Universities 0  HT 2-0