Petone Wins First Kelly Cup Since 1999 by Jeremy Ruane Petone scored their first Kelly Cup win in twenty-five years on April 20, overcoming first-time finalists Victoria University 4-0 to claim the trophy for the fourth time while hinting at their intent to bring more silverware to the Petone Memorial Park clubrooms this season. That intent was clear from their close-season signings, with Dani Ohlsson and Pepi Olliver-Bell heading across town from Wellington United to considerably strengthen the Hutt Valley team's ranks. The latter made a great impact on her debut, bagging a hat-trick in the opening round 7-0 rout of the newly-named Te Kotahitanga, the club formerly known as Horowhenua Coastal, and not to be confused with the educational research and development programme aimed at improving Maori student achievement. As was to be expected, all the noteworthy names advanced to the quarter-finals, although there was a scare for last season's runners-up, Wellington United, who came from behind and scored twice in the last five minutes to get past Petone's reserves 4-2. Cup holders Waterside Karori had no such issues, mauling Miramar Rangers' reserve team 14-0 with five players scoring twice in this one-sided affair. Upper Hutt City had an even easier passage into the last eight, winning their tie with Seatoun by default. The quarter-finals pitted the gun teams against each other, but Marist Palmerston North were unable to fulfil their obligations, thus defaulted to "The Magpies". 'Twas the other tie twixt the top teams which made people sit up and take notice, however, with Petone coming from behind to down "The Diamonds" 2-1, the winner scored by Wellington old girl Ohlsson. Elsewhere, Sally McKendry struck four goals as Victoria University romped to a 9-0 win at Upper Hutt, while Wellington United's reserves - "The Sapphires" - hit double figures in a wild encounter with Island Bay United, who bowed out on the wrong end of a 10-4 scoreline. Iris Reweti-Gould snared a treble for the beaten team, but her efforts were superseded by Ashleigh McCutcheon's quad-trick for the victors. The students made light work of "The Sapphires" in the semis, five different scorers earning them the 5-0 win and their maiden appearance in the Kelly Cup Final. Their opponents were decided in a ding-dong go at Petone Memorial Park, where the home team struck twice in stoppage time to stun "The Magpies" 3-2, Libby Boobyer's second goal of the game clinching victory for Petone in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Onto the final at Martin Luckie Park, where another Boobyer brace inspired Petone's 4-0 triumph over Victoria, Oliver-Bell and Rebecca Otte - like Boobyer, a Petone stalwart - adding the extras as they claimed the club's first women's football trophy this century. With pre-season activities now done, attention turns to the Central Region Premier Women's League competition, which kicks off this weekend. Petone take on Marist Palmerston North in the capital, with Seatoun and "The Diamonds" meeting at Seatoun Park. The other Saturday affair sees Moturua and Victoria University squaring off at Onuku Taipari Domain, while on Sunday, newly promoted Taradale welcome title-holders Waterside Karori to their Taradale Park home. The eight-team Inter Football Capital Premier Women's League also commences this Sunday, while the Lotto Central Federation Premier Women's League kicked off last Saturday, with just four teams - Moturoa, New Plymouth Rangers, Palmerston North United and Whanganui Athletic - under starter's orders in 2024.

Spirit On The Slide Down South by Jeremy Ruane Canterbury Universities and Cashmere Technical lead the way following the first three rounds of Mainland Premier Women's League action in 2024, with former long-time champions Coastal Spirit very much on a downward spiral at this stage of proceedings, having picked up just one point from their opening fixtures. They enjoyed the bye in the opening round of the seven-team competition, and watched on with interest as title-holders Cashmere thumped Nomads-Waimakariri United 7-0, led by an Aimee Phillips hat-trick, plus a goal from new signing Margi Dias - a quality recruit from Dunedin City Royals. The students went one better, slamming Selwyn United 8-0, Katie Harris helping herself to five goals in a round which saw Nelson Suburbs edge Halswell United 2-1 at Halswell Domain, half-time substitute Gillian Morgan securing victory for the visitors ten minutes into the second spell. The feature fixture in the second round saw the arch-rivals clashing at Garrick Memorial Park, where the home team were comfortable 3-0 winners over a Coastal Spirit side which looks very much to be in a rebuilding phase. Dias, fellow new recruit Anna McPhie and Cashmere captain Lara Wall did the damage on the scoreboard as the natives welcomed Kate Loye's return to action after a lengthy injury absence on a day Petra Buyck and substitute Ella Innes - deep in stoppage time - scored in each half to earn Canterbury Universities a 2-0 win over Halswell United. The performance of the round took place at Saxton Fields, where Nomads-Waimakariri United staved off a stirring comeback by Nelson Suburbs to earn a 3-2 win on the road. Emily Lauer's second half double for the home team levelled the scores after Rebecca Hewitt and Jemma Creed had afforded Mike De Bono's team a two-goal advantage, and they regained the lead three minutes from time when Stella Dallimore put through her own net. She made amends a week later, however, her second half equaliser securing a share of the spoils at English Park as Nelson held Spirit to a 1-1 draw, Mel Cameron the home team's markswoman. That result says everything in regard to where Spirit is at currently. In days past, this would have been a routine home win by a decent-sized margin. But Cameron, Whitney Hepburn, Lauren Dabner and Una Foote are all that remain of the core of Coastal Spirit's team which won almost all before it in recent seasons - you can't lose so much talent and expect to keep on winning. That's exactly what Canterbury Universities did, however, Nomads-Waimakariri humbled 3-1 by the students at Kendall Park in a round which saw "The Hawks" hit the winning trail, Rachel Brodie's goal twenty minutes from time earning the chocolates at Selwyn. Their reward for doing so is a trip to a Cashmere team who sat out the third round, while Spirit take on Selwyn at English Park twenty-four hours before the table-topping students make the trip north to Nelson's Saxton Fields home - the team from the country's sunshine capital stick to tradition and play their fixtures on Sundays. Meanwhile, Ferrymead Bays overcame FC Twenty11 2-0 in the first Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup fixture this season, Sarah Summerlee's brace firing them into the quarter-finals where the six Christchurch-based Premier League teams plus Hornby United lie in wait. Further south, to describe the Football South Premier Women's League as chaotic at present is a bit of an understatement. It's a six-team league, so five rounds are being played, but the powers-that-be have spread those matches across eight weeks, meaning there are two teams sidelined most weekends … not a good look! The top two will join the top four from the Mainland competition in the South Island Women's Championship, and at this stage the usual subjects are poking their heads above the parapet. Dunedin City Royals have only played once so far, while Roslyn Wakari and Otago University have played twice - all three have duck-eggs in the draws and losses columns! There's another contender, however, in the form of Queen's Park, who've won one of their three games so far. It's a wee while since a team from Invercargill appeared at this level of the game in NZ - great to see the very bottom of the South Island back in the conversation where women's football is concerned. Round One details: Halswell United 1 (R. Brodie (75)), Nelson Suburbs 2 (E. Lauer (32), G. Morgan (55))  HT 0-1 Nomads-Waimakariri United 0, Cashmere Technical 7 (A. Phillips (13, 25, 80), D. Keogan (32), L. Ryan (34), M. Dias (51), A. Herrick (87))  HT 0-4 Selwyn United 0, Canterbury Universities 8 (K. Harris (21, 40, 44, 48, 60), "oggie" (27), O. Slaughter (65), C. Holland (77))  HT 0-4 Round Two details: Canterbury Universities 2 (P. Buyck (45), E. Innes (90)), Halswell United 0  HT 1-0 Cashmere Technical 3 (M. Dias (22), A. McPhie (41), L. Wall (61)), Coastal Spirit 0  HT 2-0 Nelson Suburbs 2 (E. Lauer (68, 70)), Nomads-Waimakariri United 3 (R. Hewitt (44), J. Creed (58), "oggie" (87))  HT 0-1 Round Three details: Coastal Spirit 1 (M. Cameron (7)), Nelson Suburbs 1 (S. Dallimore (71))  HT 1-0 Nomads-Waimakariri United 1 (A. Taylor (57)), Canterbury Universities 3 (P. Buyck (26), K. Harris (58), O. Slaughter (81))  HT 0-1 Selwyn United 0, Halswell United 1 (R. Brodie (70))  HT 0-0