It was a double-banger long weekend in the Women’s National League, gotta squeeze in the games in order to get through two full rounds. Therefore week six began with a couple of Friday night games under Auckland lights, then added a pair of federation derbies on Saturday. And on Monday each of those teams played the reverse fixture against the same opponents.

Fascinating WNL areas, especially with some great match-ups on offer. That also happens to be a lot of games to watch and review so we’ve gotta split them into parts one and two. This one will cover the four Auckland games. Part two will have the federation teams. Rightio.

Western Springs vs Northern Rovers

Western Springs hosted Northern Rovers for a 7.30pm kickoff under the Seddon Fields floodlights. Happy days for Springs after five wins in a row to get going – another win here would really extend their (and Eastern Suburbs’) lead at the top. Full strength line-up too. Jaedeci Uluvili and Lily Taitimu back in the XI after being rested on the bench (to begin with) against Central last week. Not even a hint of a weak link in this unit.

Northern Rovers weren’t anywhere near as settled. Ben Bate only made two changes from the impressive 4-1 win over the Cantabs a week earlier but they were big changes. Didn’t have the midfield experience of Estelle Harrison, who has apparently left for Wales (according to Maia Jackman on commentary – who tends to know these things), and even more significantly... their best player’s gone. Michaela Foster was signed by the Wellington Phoenix on a scholarship contract, announced earlier that same Friday.

It’s absolutely fantastic to see consistently dominant NL performances rewarded with an A-League opportunity. Michaela Foster spent some time with the A-League Offseason Programme and has worked with Nat Lawrence with the FFDP before. She’s been knocking on that door, showing everybody else in this National League that there’s a pathway there.

At the same time, she does leave a massive gap in that Rovers line-up. Angela Pivac started on the wing in her first appearance of the NL term while Rene Wasi dropped deeper into midfield. Dani Canham also returned after skipping the previous match.

It got dark fairly quickly, those lights coming in handy. The half-time highlights put into shadowy perspective as each clip gets darker and darker. There were a few brollies out in the crowd too. But hey look at the pretty rainbow...

The home side immediately got onto the ball and didn’t give it up. Rovers weren’t too bothered as they sat deep without any notable press to speak of. Sofia Garcia tried a shot that zipped past the post and there were a few incisive passes that just avoided their targets. Unfortunately for Western Springs their right back Maggie Pedersen went down hard after only ten mins and required some significant treatment on her knee. The magic spray got her up on her feet again... but it didn’t do enough and Anija Irvine was on early to replace her.

Arisa Takeda whipped in a beaut of a free kick from which Lily Jervis towered above everyone else to win the header... but it was too close to Ellen Blount and got saved. Rina Hirano also headed off target as Springs tallied up their xG without actually scoring. Emma Pijnenburg went close with a pop from range. There was nothing yet going on for Rovers in attack however they were battling well in the midfield.

Talisha Green blocked a header from Garcia. The Rovers captain soon copped a blow on her ankle which she shrugged off to carry on... then almost immediately got clattered by Garcia (who was booked). Not ideal. Add in another extended injury break. She was good to continue, don’t panic. Also continuing were the long shots from Western Springs who were perhaps too impatient in those areas. Gotta also praise NR centre-backs Chelsea Elliott and Greer MacIntosh for putting up a wall.

What Rovers needed was to get Kelli Brown involved. Very little of that to begin yet later in the half she drifted out to the right a few times and put in some killer crosses (annoyingly she wasn’t also able to get on the end of them). All scoreless at the half. The first scoreless half of Western Springs’ National League.

There’s only so long you can sit back and absorb the pressure of a team like Western Springs though. The breakthrough arrived after 54 minutes when Takeda’s cross was only partly defended and the ball fell easily for Emma Pijnenburg who had time to take a touch and pick her spot. That was all she needed for her second goal of the campaign.

In response, Rovers straight away produced their best attack of the game as Canham twisted and shot after a failed clearance. Didn’t punish them that time... but Kelli Brown sure did soon after. Slightly heavy first touch after Leanna Ryan had dished it to her. All goods. Brown still had the quick feet to get there and poke in the near-instant equaliser. That’s Brown’s seventh goal of the NL, second only to Tayla O’Brien. Her mate Michaela Foster got signed by the Nix whereas Brown’s been released. Looks like KB has a point to prove.

Both teams threatened with aerial deliveries. Jervis then needed some help with a sore elbow – both captains in the wars – before she carried on and soon made a superb sliding block against Brown. Canham drilled a volley high. Hirano had a piledriver well saved. Suddenly this game had busted wide open. Taitimu also went close. On came Georgia Brown for Springs, her first NL appearance. With twenty to go this game was poised at 1-1.

Those last twenty minutes were all Western Springs. Starting with a Pijnenburg intercept feeding Hirano in the box, who rounded the keeper and was taken down for a penalty. Arisa Takeda scored from the spot. Deserved that one.

Again Rovers rallied with a spell of attack but nothing quite aligned and things were getting frantic. Kelli Brown went into the book as the fouls perked up. Canham nearly threaded a pass for Brown, then picked up the pieces and forced a save herself from Angelique TuiSamoa. Maybe ought to have gone to her left for a better angle.

K.Brown had already scored for Rovers. G.Brown then tapped one in for Springs. She’d made a wonderful impact off the bench and was exactly where she needed to be as Sofia Garcia’s cross went untouched through the six yard box towards Brown for the easy finish. That was the no-turning-back goal. 3-1 pretty much had it in the bag but just to be sure Jess Innes scored a free kick near the end – a looper that hit the underside of the bar on its way in. Jess Innes with five goals in her last four games all from midfield. Springs as a team had scored 3+ in every game to date. Didn’t look like they’d get there for a long time here... then they did it with room to spare.

Well now. 4-1 to Western Springs and it’s going to take something dramatic for anyone other than them and Eastern Suburbs to be contesting that grand final. This was another strong performance, especially in the second half. Arisa Takeda was all quality. Emma Pijnenburg impressed yet again. Georgia Brown off the bench with arguably a game-changing cameo. Bit of a worry that Rina Hirano limped off late (she and Sofia Garcia each reached 5 assists in this match), luckily it turned out to be nothing serious.

But yeah. 1-1 after 70 minutes then 4-1 at the end of it. Good from the Rovers CBs in that first half and Breeze Durham worked hard in the middle. Kelli Brown up top too. Just didn’t have enough over ninety minutes. But they did have a second crack at Springs a couple days later on their own pitch to plan for...

Eastern Suburbs vs Auckland United

More Friday night footy between the other two Auckland clubs in this competition, including another runaway league leader in Eastern Suburbs - who came into this week with a perfect 5/5 winning record and powerful intentions to continue on that way. The night kickoff meant this match was held at William Green Domain in Howick on the artificial turf. Still a home game for Suburbs just not their usual. Needed those shining floodlights is all.

Auckland United had worries before the game even kicked off. It’s one thing to be up against a rampant Suburbs team but another to be struggling to put a squad together at all yourselves. United only had two players on the bench and neither was a goal-keeper. Sophie Bradley didn’t play this game, neither did Bella Richards. Most notably they were also without star defensive midfielders Alosi Bloomfield. They did have four U17s on their way back but none were ready in time to play this game... that meant first starts of the season for Maia Vince, Jennifer McMurray, and Penny Brill.

Must have been a Friday night thing because even the home team were down a few players. No Deven Jackson, most notably. Charlotte Wilford-Carroll and Juliette Lucas were also missing. Lucas and Jackson have scored 10 goals between them already... at least Tayla O’Brien was able to start in the front three after an injury scare last week. Pretty handy consolation given she entered this game with 8 goals all to herself, top of the charts.

U20s rep Ella Findlay also returned after missing last week to set up in the midfield this time. The Nicoles Mettam and Cooper were the other changes from the 1-0 win against Southern in the previous game – both of whom have started previous games and looked sharp so nothing to panic about there. Also note that Olivia Page and Zoe Benson were on the bench – back from the U17 World Cup and straight into the squad.

Auckland United will be a stronger prospect when their own U17s are available but in the meantime they just had to try and hang in there against this rampant Lilywhites side. They lasted all of three minutes before Nicole Mettam laid a ball back to Nicole Cooper whose shot caught a deflection off Jess Philpot (who threw her hands up in frustration before the ball had even crossed the line). Jesse Barnard didn’t have a hope. Already 1-0 to Suburbs who had come out and controlled possession from the opening whistle. United had hardly touched the ball and they were behind.

AK Utd did win a free kick that Philpot drilled on target but otherwise it was Suburbs whipping the ball into their penalty area from a variety of sources and on 14’ they made it twosies. Erinna Wong kept the ball alive in the area (strong start from her) by finding O’Brien with a header. Naturally Tayla O’Brien then took the ball down sharply and swivelled past the attentions of Georgia Martin to nudge the ball across for Nicole Cooper at the near post. Keeper got a slight touch on both the cross and the finish but it wasn’t enough. Cooper with her second... although she got injured in the process. Hurt her ankle in scoring and soon had to be replaced by Jade Parris. Twenty minutes in and on a hat-trick, gutted.

The Lilywhites were playing some scintillating footy with O’Brien operating as if she’d returned from the future having already played this game once and now knew every correct run, pass, and shot to make. Ella Findlay played the first few games in defence and looked decent but in midfield she was unleashed, combining beautifully and flowing forward. In the 22nd minute it was those two who tag-teamed for goal number toru. Findlay with the ball in behind, O’Brien not giving up her run and sneaking past McMurray who might have underestimated TOB’s perseverance. That’s all it takes, one slip-up. Next thing O’Brien was cutting back and lashing a mean finish into the roof of the net.

Destructive things. Suburbs did at least slow down after that one, partly due to United’s midfield sitting a bit deeper and closing down the space. There was a deflected shot by Aimee Atkins. A long-ranger from Mettam. O’Brien with more moments of quality. But it remained 3-0 into the break – where Suburbs threw on Liv Page (for Saki Yoshida) and United threw on Issy Gerrand (for Emma Leaming, who’d taken a knock late first half – yet another injury for a team that can’t afford the ones they’ve already got).

Good chance for AK right off the bat but somehow the pass into the area from Gerrand got past both Bree Johnson and Aimee Barnard. The Lilywhites weren’t finished though. Aimee Atkins plucked a low cross into the danger zone and her opposite side wing-back Erinna Wong tonked it in via a touch from the keeper and a bounce off the underside of the crossbar. Wing-back to wing-back for goal #4.

O’Brien had designs on another banger yet Gerrand got a foot in to stop her running through, then IG put her body in the way of the eventual shot. Mettam also popped one over the top. Atkins did similar things after overlapping on the left from a TOB shift. Parris sliced wide. Martin got an important deflection on an O’Brien shot. One of these was gonna have to go in... that one was an O’Brien header from an Atkins cross. As second goal and second assist of the game respectively. And, yes, that’s a 10th goal this season for TOB... unreal.

That was in the 82nd minute so not much longer before the mercy of the final whistle. Auckland United, to their credit, never phoned it in despite being short on players and up against an unforgiving opponent (mostly unforgiving, anyway... Page missed a chance late on which added to the large number of off-target shots from Subs). Gerrand did very well at left-back in the second half. Philpot and Martin didn’t flinch at the back. They didn’t really have an outlet but they worked hard and didn’t let things get ugly. That bodes well... supposing they can get a few more players back. They only had four starters here that also walked on for the Kate Sheppard Cup final six weeks ago (and one of them went off injured).

This was Eastern Suburbs’ evening in the spotlight, making it six in a row with a 5-0 victory. Tayla O’Brien put even more distance between herself and the field in the MVP debate. 10 goals and 4 assists from 6 games is otherworldly mahi (and the weekend wasn’t over yet...). Erinna Wong and Aimee Atkins were both great. Ella Findlay had a strong game in midfield too, not every pass was a winner but enough of them were that she thrived out there. Also rate that defensive unit and how well they managed things from the back. Rebekah Van Dort of course. One of the best in the business. Rachel Head too. Also for the second week in a row young Arya Blackler’s distribution was top notch along with having a little more to do defensively. They’ve got some supreme prospects in that Lilywhites club, no doubt about it.

Northern Rovers vs Western Springs

Onwards to Labour Day Monday for the first of our week six return fixtures. Northern Rovers couldn’t hang on in the second half against Western Springs. Perhaps that night game went on a bit late for their likings. Having fallen eight points behind both Springs and Eastern Suburbs this was pretty much the final chance for the Northern League champs to salvage any realistic title hopes. Ben Bate made two changes to his team from Friday’s defeat with Maisy Dewell adding some bite and creativity to the midfield and young gun Alexis Cook back in the front line after returning from the U17 World Cup. Good changes.

Western Springs lost right back Maggie Pedersen to injury in that previous meeting so Lily Taitimu swapped the midfield for fullback duties, doing what it takes for the team. Rina Hirano went off hurt late last game but was all good after a couple days of rest, so she slid back into the midfield clearing room for Lara Colpi, another U17 World Cup rep, to start in the front three. Colpi hoping to add to the goal and two assists she supplied across the first two rounds. Plus Keely Taylor started in goal with number one keeper Angelique TuiSamoa not featuring.

McFetridge Park in Glenfield was the setting. How would Rovers respond on their own territory? Initially by keeping things settled and focussing on their shape out of possession as Springs tried to move the ball around. Colpi in particular was into the action. More than ten minutes had elapsed before Kelli Brown put a long shot onto the roof of the net, otherwise Rovers were largely in defensive mode... but without allowing any major chances. Dewell certainly helped sturdy up that midfield while Danielle Canham seemed to be operating deeper alongside regular CDM Breeze Durham.

Sammi Tawharu didn’t quite get the curl on her shot from in the area after a soft clearance from a Colpi cross. That shot drifted wide. First genuine clear chance for Springs so far coming after sixteen mins. However Rovers were increasingly showing purpose through Kelli Brown especially... Jaedeci Uluvili with one important block to deny KB. Brown also swung in some dangerous corners (picking up where Michaela Foster left off). Add in a fantastic open play cross after a flick from Dewell... but Dani Canham couldn’t get her head on it amidst the attentions of Taitimu.

It was 0-0 after the first half of Friday’s game and it was 0-0 after the first half of Monday’s game, although Northern Rovers will have been much happier about the run of play this time around. That pride was almost ruined one minute into the second half when Arisa Takeda’s corner was headed strongly by Jervis but Kate McConnell was there to clear it off the line. Kelli Brown then attempted an overhead kick... wasn’t anywhere near a goal but the sheer ambition was worth a shout.

Something unprecedented happened soon after: Northern Rovers scored. That in itself isn’t unprecedented, Rovers score lots of goals. In this case it was a great progressive run by Rene Wasi and a smart switch from Brown to Alexis Cook... who brilliantly chopped back in to finish on her left. Back from the U17s with a bang...

Alexis Cook is fresh from the U17 World Cup and doing things like this for @northernrovers in the #NZNationalLeague pic.twitter.com/9eFKkybUgR
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) October 24, 2022

Nah, the unprecedented bit was that this was the first time all National League that Western Springs had been trailing in a game. Hadn’t happened in any of their first five matches.

So what did Springs do in response? Well, Jess Innis smashed a shot at the near post after an intercept, Ellen Blount doing well to save that. Then from the corner Lily Taitimu leapt up to head home via the crossbar (after Green’s desperate attempt to divert it off the line). Only problem was the whistle had already gone... for a penalty. Jervis had been taken down by Wasi and the ref didn’t wait to play advantage. No dramas because for the second game in three days Arisa Takeda scored against Ellen Blount from the penalty spot. The deficit lasted less than four minutes.

Not good from Rovers to concede so soon after a hard-earned goal of their own. Especially concerning considering that by their own admission they didn’t react well to conceding on Friday either. But they almost scored a couple more times straight after through Kelli Brown. One after a stunner of a ball over the top from Chelsea Elliot, nudged over to Brown by Wasi only Brown’s shot was dug into the keeper’s hands. Keely Taylor then made a much harder save diving to deny Brown from range.

Rene Wasi’s pace on the break was causing chaos for Rovers while Springs seemed capable of scoring any time they won a corner kick. Both those outlets led to chances that weren’t capitalised upon. Wasi passing too early. Garcia volleying over. Other than those spots there wasn’t too much going on and perhaps you’ve gotta blame fatigue for that. Emma Pijnenburg did pop one narrowly wide.

Eventually the game whimpered out into a 1-1 draw. Western Springs lose their 100% record but remain undefeated, albeit for four frisky minutes they did find themselves trailing. Could have been worse but for the excellence of Lily Jervis and Jaedeci Uluvili at the back – the amount of times they stepped in with a challenge or a block to shut down Kelli Brown in particular was through the roof. Didn’t see as much from Rina Hirano or Sofia Garcia as we usually do. A lot of that is credit to a Rovers defensive unit that cut out a lot of their mistakes here. Arisa Takeda was excellent though, both defensively and also with those set pieces. The corner deliveries and the penalty. So good.

It doesn’t look like Northern Rovers will be adding another trophy to the cabinet although this was much improved from them. Corrected a lot of the problems from Friday night and were way more of a threat in attack as well. Brown would’ve scored a hatty against a weaker defence. Alexis Cook and Maisy Dewell added flair and panache. Cook’s goal was especially smooth for a youngster. Rene Wasi made things happen. Talisha Green never stopped running no matter how many injury timeouts she needed. Rovers have had a couple rough games recently but this one should give them a boost for the rest of the campaign.

Auckland United vs Eastern Suburbs

We were starting to see those U17 World Cup players filter back into the National League now, so would Auckland United’s quartet be ready to give them some much-needed Labour Day reinforcements? Yeah you’d better believe it. No Milly Clegg... but Aimee Feinberg-Danieli was there in goal. Manaia Elliott reemerged after captaining that U17 squad - curiously swapping spots with Aimee Barnard who played at right back with Elliott on the wing. Normally the other way around. And Ruby Nathan was there as an attacking midfielder. Elsewhere Sophie Bradley resurfaced to play holding midfielder having not featured on Friday night. So that’s four changes from the eleven that was soundly beaten 5-0.

Eastern Suburbs had one enforced change after Nicole Cooper got injured scoring her second goal in 15 minutes during the previous meeting so she was out and Jade Parris, who replaced her as a sub in that game, was in up top for her first start of the NL. Parris has had some injuries to overcome this year but she’s a proven goal-scorer going back several years for the Lilywhites. This is a team with options, mate. Having said that, the rest of the team was exactly as it was on Friday.

Just a reminder, and you can scroll up the page if you don’t believe it, that Auckland United were 3-0 down after 22 minutes of the reverse fixture. Eastern Suburbs had scored within a dozen minutes of all their games. Yet Auckland United were the ones who stormed forward and had Bree Johnson driving a shot that was pushed wide by goalie Brooke Bennett. Then from the corner Georgia Martin rose to win the header except she put it over. Two big chances already as United sought an upset at Keith Hay Park. They almost looked like an entirely different team.

Eastern Suburbs almost scored themselves as Parris nudged Tayla O’Brien’s pass around the corner for the run of Ella Findlay only she put it past the post. Fair play to United though, they were pressing from the front and making challenges in midfield. You have to be careful against this Lilywhites team because if you try that but don’t do it well enough then they’ll simply pass around you. But so far so good as that mystical twelve minute mark elapse without damage – in fact a lot of the game had taken place in United’s attacking half.

It almost got better as Ruby Nathan rolled her marker down the right edge and put in a stunner of a cross which Johnson reached out a toe towards but it slid slightly beyond the frame of the goal. Very nearly. Those two combined again soon after. A quick return pass from Nathan to Johnson. Johnson lined up what was probably an intended cross only it drifted off her boot towards goal where Bennett bobbled it then hooked the ball away... but the lino said it had crossed the line. Goal given.

Impossible to tell from the livestream’s angle so we’ll roll with the decision of the officials. Nathan sure seemed to think it was in, celebrating immediately. Bennett of course didn’t... though she might also be relieved they gave it as a Bree Johnson goal not an own goal. Bennett was already in the pressure cooker thanks to United’s energy up top – a couple times Nathan had part-charged her clearances down.

Suburbs did trail for about 11 combined minutes in their win over Northern Rovers so unlike Western Springs this wasn’t a new scenario for them. O’Brien did her best to restore parity but Feinberg-Danieli got her hands to that strike. Then O’Brien was the one who didn’t deal with the first contract from a low Nathan corner kick that therefore made it all the way into the middle of the area where Manaia Elliott buried it for 2-0. How about this for a turnaround? All it took was a few of Aotearoa’s very best under-17s players and the script had flipped.

You didn’t need a ouija board to know that Eastern Suburbs were going to make a revival at some point. What they would have given to have Deven Jackson out there as they moved it around at the back, settling the game, but struggling to progress things. Jade Parris did put the ball in the net after an Aimee Atkins cross but Parris had clobbered into goalie AFD in the process and the whistle had gone. Striker’s instinct to still make sure the ball crossed the line even from the ground having conceded a foul. Thorough check on Feinberg-Danieli to make sure she was okay and we were back underway.

Elsewhere Bree Johnson wanted to make it three as she found some space on the left only for her shot to smash into the back stanchion of the net. Suburbs were strangely off their game. Not as much energy as usual. Could be the quick turnaround with a mostly unchanged team, fatigue setting in with limited recovery time. Could be a much improved display from their opponents. Probably a bit of both, really. But at half-time of this one it was 2-0 to Auckland United.

Now here’s a funny exchange between Manaia Elliott and Aimee Atkins...

The first five minutes of the second half looked a lot like what had preceded it. Closest thing to a chance was Bree Johnson turning Arya Blackler to get into the area but Blackler poked the ball away before a shot could follow. Then something strange happened. Aimee Feinberg-Danieli had been hurt in the first half. She carried on until the 50th minute but then had to be replaced... by Issy Gerrand, who went into midfield while Maia Vince put the keeper’s kit on.

Jesse Barnard was listed on the bench but that could have been a mistake or a formality to make up the numbers. Because outfielder Vince wore the gloves for the remaining forty minutes. Not really the preferred course of events when you’re trying to hold on to a lead against the most rampant attacking team in the country. (You’d have thought Aimee Barnard, Jesse’s twin sister, might’ve done the honours).

Anyway, you’ll not be shocked to hear that Suburbs scored within five minutes. The game had been getting a bit scrappy with a few fouls, however fouls equal set pieces and Eastern Suburbs are dynamite from those. Free kick on the left edge and Nicole Mettam lifted a super ball in deep to Tayla O’Brien who headed in for goal #11 of the term. In fairness, it didn’t matter who was wearing the gloves for that one. The marking was the problem. Great cross, simple header. 2-1 and the Lilywhites had a sniff.

Suburbs immediately made a triple sub, bringing on Charlotte Wilford-Carroll, Zoe Benson, and Olivia Page. The former went to the U20 World Cup this year. The latter two back from the U17 World Cup. CWC didn’t play at all on Friday night whilst the other two were only subs. Fresh legs. Highlight that note.

This was no longer the same game. Suburbs were going hundies and United were trying to find any kind of outlets to ease the onslaught. O’Brien made a great run down the left but in trying to place it past Vince, the emergency keeper got a hand to it and then Jennifer McMurray did well to prevent Page from scoring on the follow-up. Vince then leapt high to slap the corner kick away, just like a volleyball player on the spike. Big hops, fair play. Mettam’s next corner was met by Rebekah Van Dort but Aimee Barnard, having a bit of a blinder at right back, was there to punt it away from in the six-yard box.

Twenty minutes to go. Still 2-1. Emmelin Bowala came on for United in place of McMurray who’d copped a knock. Kenyah Brooke had already replaced Erinna Wong for ES after a head clash. The attritional factor was becoming pretty obvious. Then Olivia Page skipped around the right wing and put a fine ball into the area which O’Brien could only glance off her boot... but Barnard misplayed it at the back post and there was Nicole Mettam to tap in the leveller. All square after 73 minutes with time yet for the Lilywhites to go on and win it.

Auckland United weren’t getting much going on attack and they didn’t maximise their set piece deliveries either. However for a split second they thought they’d retaken the lead when Johnson shifted to Nathan on the break, who hit Gerrand on the overlap... and Elliott slotted the low cross from wide open at the back post. Except Manaia Elliott was offside. Flag up, never mind.

United had the benefit of fresh legs at the opening kickoff but only using/having two substitutes meant that by the end they were out on their feet. Charlotte Wilford-Carroll tried one from outside the area and smashed the crossbar. As that ball disappeared for a goal kick, Vince needed help with cramp in her leg while Sophie Bradley was already down awaiting the next ball out of play so she could get treatment. Bradley had to limp off leaving AKU with ten women on the pitch, then just as she came back on she had to watch Zoe Benson run through the stretched and tired Utd defence and drill a low shot at Vince who dove over the top of it. 3-2 to Eastern Suburbs. 86th minute of the match.

Incredibly, the assist for that one goes to goalie Brooke Bennett whose long ball had been allowed to bounce before skidding through into Benson’s path. Love a keeper’s assist. But, yeah, brutal for United who had battled so hard only to run out of legs in the end. You just can’t go into a game like this with only 13 available players, it’s too hard. Especially for the second game in 72 hours.

It’s ruthless when you’ve got injuries and the long weekend in an amateur league is going to be a hurdle as well... yet has been a regular thing for this team. Prior to this game United had made a total of 18 substitutions. Only Southern United had made fewer and guess what? That’s been a problem for them too. In four games out of seven coach Mauro Donoso has only made two changes. Not sure how National League teams are ending up in that situation, to be honest.

Can’t blame the emergency goalkeeper for missing that third goal. Maia Vince wasn’t even supposed to be in that position. It’s all a consequence of a stretched squad that’s seen too many players dip out without replacements. Compare that to Suburbs who had a substitute scoring that go-ahead goal (and another sub, Page, instigating the equaliser).

There were troubling visions as Ella Findlay collided awkwardly in a challenge and had to be helped off the pitch with a knee complaint. Fingers crossed that’s not as bad as it looks because Findlay’s been in lovely touch. There ended up being seven minutes of time added on but Auckland United never even came close to threatening another goal. Suburbs shut it down with confident ease like the champion team they’re showing themselves to be. Forget about United for a second, Eastern Suburbs were 2-0 down at half-time and came back to win 3-2. It’s a win that sends them clear at the top of the table after Western Springs’ draw.

Ruby Nathan and Manaia Elliott were fantastic for AK Utd, giving them heaps of energy when they really needed it after a big defeat a few days earlier. Nathan’s creativity and Elliott’s tenacity took them even deeper. Bree Johnson scored her fifth of the campaign. Georgia Martin was a marvel in central defence. Unfortunately the goalie swap exposed their lack of bodies and it was downhill from there. They’d have won if it were a seventy minute game. Over ninety they got ground down... and maybe that woulda happened regardless of who was in goal.

Tayla O’Brien now has 11 goals and 5 assists. First and first-equal respectively on the league charts. Even without Juliette Lucas and Deven Jackson this weekend they still scored 8 goals in 180 minutes. They faced some proper adversity here and still found the gas in the tank to rally for a win. Both Olivia Page and Zoe Benson had great cameos off the bench, can’t wait to see more of them over the second half of the season. The only team that the Lilywhites haven’t played (and beaten) yet? Western Springs. Very good chance they face that lot three times across the next eight weeks. The first of those meetings is on Friday night at Seddon Fields, 7.30pm. Fire up for that rip-snorter.