Auckland United vs Western Springs

Let us begin with a Kate Sheppard Cup final rematch. Auckland United were victorious on that day same as they’ve been victorious against Western Springs on three other occasions this year. All four of those games were 1-0 scorelines though, so they have been close. Charlotte Roche scored three of those winning goals, including in the cup final, but she was rotated onto the bench for this meeting with Kaley Ward getting a nudge through the middle instead. Alexis Cook and Rene Wasi were on the wings. Talisha Green started for the first time since week one after having been fit enough for a cameo off the bench in the 5-1 win against Central in round three. Meanwhile, Western Springs had a battling 2-1 win vs Southern last time thanks to the unstoppable form of Rina Hirano. They brought NZ-capped forward Aimee Phillips into the eleven, as well defender Indigo Kirk. Otherwise all very familiar from both teams.

And you know what? It was Springs who applied the early pressure via set pieces, including an Arisa Takeda free kick that was whipped on target. Easy save by Mickey Mitchell but all the same it was a statement of intent. Rina Hirano had a sighter from range too. Springs were up for this, very positive start. Auckland United didn’t begin to find their feet until about twenty mins in when Talisha Green lashed a shot on target from a short free kick. They had a clear intent to get the ball high and wide to Wasi and Cook as quickly as they could, though if the pass wasn’t on then they were happy to cycle it around. Usually through CDM Yume Harashima. There wasn’t a lot of joy to be found for them through those strategies, however, as Springs kept good shape and scrapped away in the midfield through Alosi Bloomfield and Amanda Everett.

Bloomy got booked for dragging back Harashima. There was an injury stoppage for Green before the break... but she was okay to continue. That took us halfway deep without a goal and only limited opportunities, most of them from set pieces or long range attempts (or both at the same time). Nothing changed after the team talks either, with AU still looking to push through balls in behind to no avail, while Kitty Jacob did drop a header onto the crossbar from a Springs corner kick but it never looked like going in.

The stalemate was displeasing so Auckland United threw on not one but two x-factors: Charlotte Roche and Paige Satchell replaced the two wingers after an hour (Ward moving to LW, Roche to CF). That finally did twist things. There was a huge chance for Chloe Knott when she jumped on a wild pass out from Kirk, charging into the area but then choosing power over placement with her shot to allow Angelique TuiSamoa to make the save. Green, who was clearly still battling through whatever knock she’s dealing with, popped a deep header on target from a corner. Those two chances were as good as anything AUFC had mustered to that point. Tiana Hill then made a crucial sliding challenge to stop Roche from getting through. The scales were finally tipping in AU’s favour.

And yet the game remained goalless. Chelsea Elliott tried a snapshot after a corner. That got saved. Western Springs weren’t spending much time outside their own half but credit where it’s due because they were defending really well. Giving up nothing through the middle. Hassling out wide. Great stuff from them... even if it did put us on the brink of something very distasteful: a 0-0 draw in the NZ National League. This may be an expect-the-unexpected competition but the one thing that we never expect is nil-all draws. Men or women. We’ve gone entire seasons without them before. So just as this one seemed to be on track for exactly that, Saskia Vosper did something very special...

Four minutes deep in stoppage time. Astonishing from the former Wellington Phoenix fullback. Even more astonishing is the fact that these two teams have now played five times this season and the scoreline has been 1-0 to Auckland United on every single occasion. Vosper had already been having a strong game at left-back, jumping on loose balls and feeding things forward. Then she did that. What a goal.

Beyond Saskia Vosper, AU got strong displays from the usual midfield suspects of Harashima and Knott. No surprises there. They found good value off the bench from their various subs. Mickey Mitchell’s comfort with the ball at her feet is becoming a familiar thing in goal. Auckland United had to really work for this victory and for much of the afternoon it didn’t look like they’d find a way. But they did. They usually do. They’ve not gone a full calendar year without losing a game by mere coincidence.

Damn but it’s a brutal one for Western Springs, who deserved their first clean sheet of the WNL yet were denied at the very end by a goal of such quality they never stood a chance. Probably doesn’t help that they’ve had to pick a different back four every week. Tiana Hill led the way defensively while Everett impressed in midfield. Lots to like about 16yo fullback Ava Lewis who has started all four games. Rina Hirano was as quiet as she’s been this year, thus her goal streak ends at three matches. Five 1-0 defeats against the same opponent in one year... that’s getting close to accursed territory.

Auckland United 1-0 Western Springs

90+4’ | AU | 1-0 | Vosper (Ward)

Waterside Karori vs Central Football

Despite the 5-1 defeat last time out, Central defended pretty well against Auckland United. Many folks would have expected that game to turn out much worse for them – in fact if it weren’t for two stoppage time concessions at the end they’d have kept the powerhouses scoreless through the entire second half. They’re obviously limited but only because of how young they are. They’ve got some serious emerging talent there while older players like Rosie Missen and Evealyn Newman offer a bit of structure and guidance. Their only change for this match was Megan Thomas replacing Charlotte Noakes.

Waterside Karori began the season with a 1-1 draw against Auckland United then chased that with a 5-0 win over Wellington Phoenix and a smash-and-grab 1-0 win away to Eastern Suburbs. One goal conceded. Seven points on the board. Up against one of the bottom teams. Whether or not they can turn this start into a grand final appearance will depend on how they go against teams like Canterbury and Wellington United later on but you can’t argue with how they’ve started. Two changes for them at Martin Luckie Park. Those were Sarah Morton stepping into that defensive midfield role and Tui Dugan returning in a more attacking midfield spot. There are some pretty handy front threes in this competition. The West Coast Rangers trio springs to mind (Johnson/Lyon/Henson). Auckland United of course (Ward/Roche/Wasi... and sometimes Cook/Satchell). But the triumvirate of Nikki Furukawa, Renee Bacon, and Kendall Pollock is right up there with any of them.

Karori were without coach Tory Schiltgen who was doing her coaching badges... but that was fine. This side is too organised and well-drilled with their passing patterns to need much gameday guidance. They know what they’re doing. Central did win an early free kick, giving them the first chance to lift the ball towards the area, but nothing came of it and pretty soon Renee Bacon was blazing one off target for the Wharfies and Dugan was slapping one off the post after gorgeously controlling the ball on the turn eight yards out and before much longer Kendall Pollock had managed to nod in the game’s first goal from a Nicola Ross cross.

The waves kept crashing. Dugan whipped another shot past the other post this time after some sweet work from Pollock out on the left. Pollock scooped one over herself after Furukawa had blasted past her marker. Bacon cleared the bar with an acrobatic volley. Furukawa curled one wide after a mint first touch. Bacon ended the shots-off-target streak but wasn’t able to beat Leonie Heck. Central couldn’t play through the Wharfies press and they also couldn’t go over it because the WK midfield was winning all the battles. What Central did do well was to stay alert and compact in defence... but there was only so long they could resist and in the 29th minute Pollock was where she needed to be to slide home a square ball from Furukawa.

A few offsides and some good scramble defence, combined with the less-than-precise finishing of Karori, ensured that it was only 2-0 at the midway stage... however it only took two minutes from the kickoff for Kendall Pollock to make it a triple. The only thing missing from this Wharfies performance was the final touch but Pollock had that covered, the American surging to the top of the Golden Boot ranks after four weeks. Lovely pass through from Emma Starr and Pollock rounded the keeper to do the rest.

That was all there was. The Wharfies eased off with a healthy lead in place, same as they did in the second half against the WeeNix, and maybe they got a bit impatient trying to push the ball in behind rather than creating more deliberate stuff like they had been earlier. Also, Heck’s keeping was very good, especially getting off her line, and the centre-backs Isabelle Dunning and Evealyn Newman kept challenging. There were even a couple of hints up the other way with Kya Solomon showing some slippery dribbling. Mostly, though, it was the midfield mastery of Sarah Morton and Emily Starr outclassing all. Cool to see Jayden Watts get some minutes for the Wharfies to mark her return to the pitch after a long-term knee injury. Central managed to avoid the late goals that blew out the scoreline last week. A more respectable 3-0 defeat this time. They’ll take it.

Central’s season is going to come down to the week six meeting with the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. That’s the wooden spoon derby. It’s a WeeNix home game, plus there’s more scope for the Phoenix to improve between now and then with first team player availabilities. But we shall see. Next week will be a hectic one because Central have got Eastern Suburbs at home on Saturday and are then playing their rescheduled game against Southern United on Monday. According to the website that’ll be at Martin Luckie Park in Wellington, a neutral venue presumably because Southern United are playing in Wellington on Saturday (at the same venue vs Wellington United) and can therefore make a Labour Day weekend of it. Anyway, Central are battling away. They’ll have their moments. Didn’t get many here but they applied themselves for ninety minutes and can certainly build on that.

As for the Wharfies, well, sure they’ve already played both Central and the WeeNix... but they also drew with Auckland United and beat Eastern Suburbs away. They’re top of the table on goal difference having kept three clean sheets on the trot. Annie Foote didn’t have to work for this one like she did against Suburbs last week but that’s the duality of football. Emma Starr was amazing in midfield, getting into pockets and picking smart passes. Sarah Morton was a ball-winning machine. Kendall Pollock scored a hat-trick with goals from a variety of situations: header, sliding cross, run in behind. She has six goals in four games. Nicola Ross was bright at fullback. The likes of Dugan, Furukawa, and Bacon all had great impacts too – though they each probably should have scored. Not that it mattered. Waterside Karori are looking like the real deal and in the coming weeks they’ll get the opportunity to prove it.

Waterside Karori 3-0 Central Football

5’ | WK | 1-0 | Pollock (Ross)

29’ | WK | 2-0 | Pollock (Furukawa)

47’ | WK | 3-0 | Pollock (Starr)

Wellington Phoenix Reserves vs Eastern Suburbs

Here’s a match-up for you. Coming into this game, Eastern Suburbs had somehow failed to score a single goal from their three games but they were up against a Phoenix Reserves team that had allowed at least four in each match. It’s been tough sledding for the WeeNix with this National League season clashing with both A-League preseason and also the U17 World Cup. Aimee Danieli did back up for a second appearance in a row so that was helpful. But there was no Rebekah Trewhitt (scorer of their only goal so far), which allowed Grace McClintock a start in midfield, while Holly Robins earned a start after doing really well off the bench last week in defence.

Eastern Suburbs recalled Shion Hwang for some extra attacking prowess, the young Hamiltonian not having played since week one. She lined up alongside Sofia Garcia up front with Britney Cunningham-Lee on the left wing where she could get on the ball in deeper positions and run with some momentum. Zoe Brazier was on the right with Zoe Benson in the pocket. Had to mix it up after three scoreless games. Lucy Hunt and Emily Pilbrow also came into the side as part of the back three.

Was there any chance of the WeeNix tipping the apple cart over at Fraser Park? Well, Lily Brazendale did nearly dash onto a ball in behind the first minute. That proved to be a common sight through the early stages of this match... sadly the artificial surface just kept dragging that ball out of her reach. Perhaps that situation was a good metaphor for this game. The WeeNix looked organised. They looked switched-on. But they conceded after 16 minutes when Shion Hwang flipped a magnificent finish into the top corner from the left edge of the penalty area. It only took 286 minutes but Eastern Suburbs finally had a National League goal.

Jess Innes and Sofia Garcia tried to do similar things targeting those top corners. Didn’t happen for them but it was only a matter of time until the second goal. The Lilywhites had done their scouting. The Nix left two up front for the counters and Suburbs didn’t even care, happy to go woman-to-woman with only Pilbrow and Nishizono handing back, allowing them to find overloads all through the Phoenix half of the field. The 2-0 strike occurred in the 29th minute when Sofia Garcia’s long shot, catching Aimee Danieli slightly out of position after a turnover, managed to draw a mistake out of the keeper. Didn’t have her feet set and her hands suffered for it. Garcia was subbed off soon after scoring, surely injury-related. Putri Ardana took her place.

There was a chance for Georgie Furnell sprinting through but Nikki Whyte saved that without needing to move. Other than that, Eastern Suburbs were always a few steps ahead and the next goal always seemed imminent. The WeeNix did some good things defensively. Across the board they hustled and harried and stayed with it... they simply were not as good or as physical as their opponents. But Benson missed a headed chance that she probably should have buried and BCL slipped over when she was about to shoot after an intercept on the edge of the box so that kept it at 2-0 for at half-time.

Danieli got her positioning spot on to save a Cunningham-Lee shot at the start of the second half... but she never had a chance when Sienna Candy’s bad touch fell straight to BCL about ten yards out. Wasn’t going to miss from there. Ten minutes later, BCL stole the ball away and went charging with it, chopping back onto her right foot and smashing in a wonderful finish from just outside the area. Much tougher finish this time but same result. She did miss-hit a chance off a Benson set-up, dragging it for Danieli to make an easy save, but then Danieli hurt her arm or shoulder throwing the ball out and had to be subbed off. Fortunately Aoife Gallagher-Forbes was on the bench as cover hence we avoided a Western Suburbs situation like in the men’s league.

It was cruise control from that point... though Britney Cunningham-Lee did eventually get that hat-trick she was hunting for. This was after a long injury break for Marie Green of the Nix, who limped off very gingerly after they’d already used all their subs. Nix had to finish with ten. BCL tapped home an easy one after Sami Kan’s shot had been parried. Nothing else to it. We didn’t have any hat-tricks through the first three weeks but Kendall Pollock (Waterside Karori) and Britney Cunningham-Lee have now screwed that note up and Kobe’d it into the bin.

This was a clinic from Eastern Suburbs who shrugged off their lack of goals with a five-for in Wellington. Felt like they held a fair bit in reserve too. Britney Cunningham-Lee got a second-half hatty. Saki Yoshida and Jess Innes were levels beyond in midfield. Zoe Benson, Zoe Brazier, Sofia Garcia, and Shion Hwang all did their parts. Nothing much else to say because the story is the same each week for the Phoenix Reserves. The attitude was great, the effort was great, the intentions were great... they’re simply dipping too deep into the depth to be able to compete with these National League sides. Really hoping we see some more first-teamers show up over the next five weeks because hearing the same story each week does get boring. That’s now 18 goals conceded in four games.

Wellington Phoenix Reserves 0-5 Eastern Suburbs

16’ | ES | 0-1 | Hwang (Brazier)

29’ | ES | 0-2 | Garcia (Innes)

53’ | ES | 0-3 | Cunningham-Lee

64’ | ES | 0-4 | Cunningham-Lee

90+4’ | ES | 0-5 | Cunningham-Lee (Kan)

Southern United vs Canterbury United Pride

Ah yes, the Southern Derby. Logan Park in Dunedin was the venue. For years the Canterbury United dynasty owned this league with Southern hovering around the very bottom of the table and the results reflected that chasm. But in recent years the results have flipped. It was Southern United who made the grand final last year, beating CU 2-1 along the way with goals from Freya Partridge-Moore and Abby Rankin. In 2022 there was a double-round format which led to a 0-0 draw and a 2-1 Southern win. In the 2021 South Central Series that Southern United won, they beat Canterbury both times: 2-1 away and 5-3 at home. Gotta go back to week one of the 2020 season for a 4-1 Canterbury win against SU. Five games unbeaten against their closest competitors for Southern. You’d never have dared to imagine that five years ago.

Speaking of Freya Partridge-Moore, the fullback started on the left here for her first appearance of the term. The Aussie imports were both on the bench which meant Shontelle Smith in the midfield and Bianca Park on the wing. Raegan Potter also got a start in attack, meaning three changes from their 2-1 loss away to Western Springs – a game that they easily could have won with some more efficient shooting. Still no Amy Hislop which doesn’t help the cause. So it goes. Southern have had a draw, a postponement, and a loss so they really needed this victory.

On the other side, Canterbury United rocked up undefeated following the outrageous stoppage time comeback win against West Coast Rangers. Three changes for them too. Annie Gilchrist went off injured last week so Anija Irvine got a start at CB while Claudia Wilson came in at left-back. Also, Charlotte Mortlock returned to the eleven after sickness prevented her from doing ninety last week (but didn’t prevent her from scoring an olimpico winner off the bench).

Two minutes into this game, Raegan Potter rushed the Cantab keeper Amber Bennett with a sliding block and diverted the ball to Abby Rankin who knocked it in for a very early goal. Yeah righto, just like that.

Perfect start for Southern who never have trouble with getting into top gear from the opening whistle and they straight away pounced on an inexperienced Cantabs backline without Gilchrist’s presence. Fair play to Amber Bennett though, she may have been pickpocketed that time but she’d already come off her line twice to gather the ball before that and the recent U20 World Cup backup has commanded her area very well through the opening rounds. Meanwhile, Margi Dias threatened to do something similar to Lauren Paterson but Pats was able to scramble the ball away.

The Cantabs did well to keep cutting out crosses and crowding their penalty area after that concession. Southern continued to ask questions but they weren’t finding much space to turn those into chances. Stacey Martin whipped one over from just outside the area and there were a couple of headed chances for Southern too. Partridge-Moore and Mackay-Wright were amongst those... although the closest headed chance was a defensive nod from Wilson which dropped onto the crossbar. An own goal on top of how they’d already conceded would have been brutal. Not to worry. Not only did they handle all that pretty well, they then went and equalised almost out of nothing when Dias lofted a delivery over towards Anna McPhie who not only beat Alisa Tuatagaloa to the header but somehow managed to guide it into the top corner from a depth where very few headers get scored. Fantastic finish, like all of McPhie’s goals seem to be, and that was 1-1.

Interesting. Very interesting. From there, McPhie also whipped in a few challenging crosses, while Shontelle Smith was booked for putting a big shoulder on Bo Burton. Crossing was one of the areas where Canterbury seemed to far more effective despite Southern having more opportunities. It had been such a rapid start from the home side but other than a few Martin efforts their dominance was slipping... inspiring flashbacks to week three when they took and early lead but ended up losing.

Tuatagaloa had to go off the pitch for some injury treatment late in the half. Abby Rankin dropped all the way back in cover for a minute or so, which was funky because the one time she had to do some proper centre-backing she did it with the exact same aggressive intent that the natural Southern CBs bring – firing out of the line to close down an opponent. That approach is one of the trademark aspects of the team in blue but it can backfire, such as when Tuatagaloa was drawn out of the line by Anna McPhie who collected the ball on the spin and then threaded a beautiful pass into the space created for Nicola Dominikovich. The Canterbury captain hit the post with her shot but the rebound was kind and she pumped that one over the line for the lead shortly before the half. The Pride were ahead 2-1.

Canterbury United were out there waiting for several minutes before the second half began, with Southern’s team talk presumably requiring a much higher word count. The Southerners made not one but three subs at the break with Georgia Keen and Millie Scott chucked on, the two Australians, as well as their second Hibiscus Coast loanee Danica Urlich-Beech (Stacey Martin being the other).

Almost immediately, Keen nearly bundled home a Scott corner kick. Abby Rankin also created a great look with some slick footwork but didn’t get the power on her shot. Scott put a header narrowly wide. It was another high-tempo start to a half from Southern... who should have gone level when Scott’s low cross found Martin in the middle only for SM to flip it over the top with the keeper advancing on her, roughly eight yards out. If you thought that was close, how about the one minutes later where a lovely move up the left involving Scott and Smith led to Rose Morton ripping a shot off the crossbar. Huge pressure but Southern needed to capitalise.

But they didn’t. Canterbury held firm with 18yo Megan Simpson leading a fine defensive effort. They subbed on Lisa Evans at left-back to reinforce things (as well as Darsha Keoghan in midfield)... and just like inthe first half the Southerners lost potency after the first fifteen minutes. It balanced out and actually Canterbury weren’t far from the icing on the cake with a Dominikovich header. However, that scare sparked the home side back into action and it was the Pride freaking out for a sec when Wilson almost turned another one into her own net. From the resulting corner, Keen full-on thumped a header on target which Amber Bennett palmed away showing super reactions. Martin got the rebound but was blocked and then Keen’s instinctive reaction looped over the top. Agonising. Not content with that, Mackay-Wright put a header onto the crossbar and Toni Power volleyed high from the seconds. The spark was back in the last fifteen. Still no equaliser though.

So it was that, despite their innumerable efforts, Southern United have now gone three games without a win. The quest to get back to the final is not quite in tatters but it’s starting to tear. Two weeks in a row they’ve arguably been the stronger team yet both times they lost 2-1 despite taking early leads. Countless chances gone begging. Amy Hislop’s return can’t come soon enough. Stacey Martin and Abby Rankin did what they could, Georgia Keen and Millie Scott had a large impact when they came on. But the woodwork and a courageous Pride resistance kept them out.

Make that three wins and a draw for the Cantabs. Nicola Dominikovich and Anna McPhie have three goals each after four weeks, continually delivering for their team. Kate Loye is such a valuable veteran presence in midfield. Amber Bennett recovered from that early mistake to deliver another quality goalkeeping showcase. And the back four defied their youth to hang on through multiple murky phases in that second half. Megan Simpson was the pick of the bunch, a leader at 18 years of age. The Pride beat Southern for the first time in more than four years. What a blast from the past to see Canterbury United back up near the top of the ladder again.

Southern United 1-2 Canterbury United Pride

2’ | SU | 1-0 | Rankin (Potter)

22’ | CU | 1-1 | McPhie (Dias)

43’ | CU | 1-2 | Dominikovich

West Coast Rangers vs Wellington United

That leaves us with only this cracker of a match-up left to cover, featuring a West Coast Rangers side whose WNL form hasn’t quite lived up to their regional stuff with their previous two games both marred by stoppage time concessions that cost them potential victories, and a Wellington United side who have looked magnificent so far, winning two of their first three. Captain and goalkeeper Emily Couchman returned for Rangers to make her first appearance of the term. Bree Johnson was also available again so the triumphant trio up front was reunited: Bree Johnson, Emily Lyon, Shannon Henson. Those were the only two changes for Rangers. Wellington United didn’t have Hope Gilchrist for the trip but Hannah Cooper was fit again, so that was cool. Misha Koyari also started in midfield. Zoe Barrott was at right-back in a quartet. That’ll do it.

Say what you will about how Rangers have finished games but there’s no denying their quick starts. This fixture was no different. With merely two minutes gone, a quick throw from Shannon Henson allowed Emily Lyon to spin past her marker and then outwit the keeper with the simple finish. Bingo. Rangers have scored within the first fifteen minutes of all four games and Emily Lyon has been the culprit on three of those occasions. Not only that, but Shannon Henson now has five assists to grab the impetus in the Assist Queen title race. In the previous two years that TNC has tracked this, Zoe Benson (6 assists for Eastern Suburbs in 2023) and Ruby Nathan (11 assists for Auckland United in 2022) have led the way. The 2022 season was longer hence the larger number.

WCR weren’t far from making it two goals in five when Kailey Short squared for Henson who missed the target from a spot where she really shouldn’t have. Lorna Selby showed her how it’s done with her effort but that was saved. Wellington United did find some stability from there but they still struggled to keep the ball and progress things. Mackenzie Longmuir and Marissa Porteous kept stepping in with good defensive interventions. Kendrah Smith was imposing in midfield. Wasn’t any easier for the Diamonds when Pepi Olliver-Bell had to step off the pitch for several minutes to get patched up after a blow to the face. Nor when Hannah Pilley needed the physio after being on the wrong end of a heavy tackle. POB was okay but Pilley couldn’t run it off so Dani Ohlsson took her place after 38 minutes. Chuck in a decent attempt from Selby and a couple of juggles from WU keeper Molly Simons trying to pluck crosses out of the air (one of which she dropped into the back of Henson’s head but regathered it before anything freaky could happen)... and that was a very one-sided 45 minutes of football.

Oh yeah and can’t forget the bust-up between Emily Lyon and Carolyn O’Reilly. They got tangled up and fell over which led to them each throwing a few shoves. Had things boiling over like we don’t often see in the Women’s National League for a moment there... but the referee calmed everyone down pretty quickly.

Despite the buzz, it was only 1-0 and the Diamonds do know how to find the back of the net. Zoe Barrott took it upon herself to get her team going with a few crunching tackles and attacking through balls. She also unleashed a wonderful shot that Couchman needed all of her reach to push away for a corner... then Couchman made a great save of a different variety with a close range block against Olliver-Bell. It took more than fifty minutes but finally Wellington United were getting it going.

That didn’t change the fact that Porteous, Longmuir, and Stratford were playing excellently at the back... and with Hannah Cooper and Caelin Patterson doing the same at the other end we were at something of an impasse. The runs in behind weren’t working, with WCR drawing several offside flags, and the forwards weren’t able to beat the challenges. There were hints at both ends when they used the width but then the crosses were gobbled up by those same defenders and their respective keepers. Couchman did make another huge save when POB overlapped into the area in a rare exception to the rule. The other exception came in the 72nd minute when Emily Lyon made a spectacular slicing run into the area, beating two defenders, and was hacked down by Zoe Barrott for a penalty. Barrott who’d been so good in this game apart from that... but she didn’t have to worry for long because Molly Simons saved the spottie from Lyon. Massive moment.

You just knew that Rangers had to be in their heads about that one given how their previous two games had ended. They had the chance to go 2-0 up and they didn’t take it. Forgot to lock the door behind them and guess what? In the 88th minute of the match, Jemma Catherwood sent a ball deep down the field from just outside her own half to where Sarah Alder, on as a sub, took it down magically with her thigh and then smashed a finish into the roof of the net as she turned. Tremendous goal. Alder with that futsal finesse shining through. Wellington United salvaged the 1-1 draw to stay undefeated.

Yet again. West Coast Rangers cannot seem to finish these things off... they’d be top of the table with four wins from four if they didn’t keep conceding late goals but instead they’ve only got one win and five points. Every week they’re dominating first halves but not quite putting teams away and then conceding late to spoil their good work. Three weeks in a row this pattern has repeated. In fairness, the Diamonds defence did figure some things out at the break because apart from the penalty there there wasn’t nearly as much for Rangers to lean upon. Lots of crosses and through balls but they kept getting diffused. On the plus side, Shannon Henson, Kendrah Smith, Mackenzie Longmuir, and Emily Couchman all thrived plus we did get to see a National League debut right at the very end for 14 year old Ariana Vosper, younger sister of Auckland United fullback Saskia Vosper. Absolute speedster by the sounds of it.

Hey but how about those Diamonds? That’s eight points from four games which puts them very much in the hunt. Caelin Patterson was marvellous, cutting out basically everything. Zoe Barrott was right there with her (apart from the penalty), and of course Molly Simons deserves a heap of praise. There were one or two wobbly moments in the first half but Simons did absolutely everything required of her all game and then saved a penalty. It wasn’t easy for them to find attacking outlets with the way the game panned out but they tried and they tried and they tried and then they scored. Two trips to Auckland have provided them with four points and on both occasions they scored result-altering 88th minute goals.

West Coast Rangers 1-1 Wellington United

2’ | WCR | 1-0 | Lyon (Henson)

88’ | WU | 1-1 | Alder (Catherwood)

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