2024 Women’s National League – Week 5
Central Football vs Eastern Suburbs
Nothing could have been more soothing for Eastern Suburbs after failing to score in any of their first three matches, than a peek at the fixture list to see their next two matches were against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Central Football. The two youngest teams with the two leakiest defences (those two facts being directly related). The Lilywhites put five past the WeeNix a week ago, with Britney Cunningham-Lee scoring thrice, and made two changes to that team for the trip to Palmerston North. Sofia Garcia got injured in the previous game so Isabella Atkinson came into the side. Erinna Wong also returned after a brief bench stint. Confidence returning for Eastern Suburbs.
And, frankly, one look at the Central line-up inspired some pre-Halloween shivers about what was to unfold as two of their back four, Isabelle Dunning and Zara Erol-Watt, were absent along with their most pedigreed player (by far) Rosie Missen. It’d been thankless work for a team that’d lost all three games by at least three goals but Missen’s midfield mahi and the dependable commitment of the back four have earned plenty of compliments. More on why that all was much later but suffice to say the Napier U19s tournament kinda ravaged their squad meaning this had the potential to be a very long afternoon. Saskia Pelham, Molly Mills, and Ella Johns-Stewart all stepped up for their first starts of the campaign. Pelham was a great addition: she’s repped Central in previous seasons though actually spent the winter with Coastal Spirit down in Christchurch. Pelham took Missen’s midfield spot while Johns-Stewart played right-back (with Ella Third moving into the middle) and Mills wide right in attack.
Central let the first shot fly in anger when Maddi Hughes tried her luck from distance (off target) but that was just a tease for the home fans because the Lilywhites (playing in black here) soon won a corner and with the Central defenders all crowding out the six-yard box nobody remembered to pick up Yuki Nishizono on the perimeter. Zoe Benson cut it back from the dead ball and Nishizono expertly curled it in with her left-foot. Zoe Benson led the WNL in assists last term but somehow it took her until the fifth game to get one this year.
Wong had to be sharp to prevent Sarah Rasmussen from getting a shot away in the area, while Kya Solomon was showing some more slick touches out wide and drew a decent save out of Nikki Whyte. Hughes had another shot. Central were doing some things, they’ve had phases in every game so far, and same as last week Subs were happy to throw extra numbers forward and that gave Central some joy on the counter. However, like the swell of a rising tide, Eastern Suburbs were looming ominously. The Lilywhites forged plenty of chances but perhaps didn’t always make the best decisions in the final third. Nothing wrong with how they did it in the 26th minute though. Slick ball up the line from BCL to find Zoe Benson, who somehow got past her marker on the byline and then sliced in to shoot. That was saved but Bella Atkinson slammed in the seconds. There ya go.
Benson fed Cunningham-Lee out wide, who sliced past a defender and then slotted home for 3-0 in the 39th min. Another Benson assist and BCL picking up where she left off last week. Those two were unstoppable on the left side for Subs. BCL nearly scored from an identical chance after that. Benson got her the ball on that occasion just as she got her the ball slightly outside the box on 43’. Shot on target. Good save. Jess Innes followed it up and scored.
Katie Duncan must have been pleased with what she’d seen because she made three half-time changes: Sami Kan for Innes, Lucy Hunt for Pilbrow, and Milly Boyle for BCL. Midfielder Innes had been influential getting the ball to the feet of the forwards, while BCL was the main forward everyone was aiming for. Not ideal for Cunningham-Lee’s Golden Boot hopes but her job was done for the day. It sure wasn’t done for those Central girls though. The second half had barely begun when Heck had to make an outstretched mid-air save off an Atkinson shot that may or may not have been curling top corner. Solomon did summon another useful stop out of Whyte on one of those counters and Lilly Dowsing wasn’t far off with a dipping strike from distance. But the flow was the same and, on 53’, Benson slammed a shot into the crossbar which Shion Hwang whipped home from the rebound.
That made it five after 53 minutes. Long since game over... so there’s no reason to do anything other than rush through the rest of the goals. Because, reader, we’re only halfway there. In the 67th min, Zoe Benson collected the ball on the perimeter and placed a lovely shot top corner with her left foot. Magical stuff. She deserved all of that after playing significant roles in the moves for all of the other goals. In fact, she’d played so well she deserved another one in the 75th minute, why not? Bella Atkinson picked her out with space on the left and Benson kinda walked it through the goalie to score.
Two minutes later, Benson played a beautifully delayed return pass to Erinna Wong overlapping outside and Wong’s cross wasn’t dealt with by a similarly delayed Central defence. Isabella Atkinson turned it in at the back post. That made it eight. And then Samireh Kan pounced on a loose one in the area (82’) before Hwang thumped a shot into the roof of the net after a Benson cut-back had been partially diverted.
So, yeah, that got rather ugly. 10-0 final score. Central have been well-beaten in every game to date but not like this. This was the first time where it felt like they didn’t even want to be there. Depth was stretched even further that usual and not only could they understandably not compete with the Suburbs first eleven, they struggled just as bad against the hungry bench players for the Lilywhites. The only consolation for the home side, the only one, is that they had a chance to make things better two days later with their catch-up game against Southern United.
Of the ten goals that Eastern Suburbs scored, Zoe Benson scored two, assisted three, and was heavily involved in the build-up for a further four. It was only that Sami Kan goal she had to admire from afar. Frankly, Benson could have scored a few more. Suburbs weren’t even that sharp with the finishing but they created chance after chance from start to finish and it was basically a training exercise after the first forty-five. Innes and BCL were awesome in their half-games. Zoe Brazier had a strong game, especially early on helping set the tone from wide on the right. Saki Yoshida is always great. Shion Hwang showed her goal-scoring touch, as did Bella Armstrong in her first start – doubles for each of them. And though it seems weird to highlight the goalie of a team that won 10-0, Nikki Whyte was utterly flawless in this match. There were saves to be made and she made them. No fumbles. No hesitation. Just pure composure at all times. Zero goals in three games then 15 goals in the next two. They were against the two worst teams but nobody else is going to turn it on like that in these fixtures (at least we hope not).
Central Football 0-10 Eastern Suburbs
3’ | ES | 0-1 | Nishizono (Benson)
26’ | ES | 0-2 | Atkinson (Benson)
39’ | ES | 0-3 | Cunningham-Lee (Benson)
43’ | ES | 0-4 | Innes (Cunningham-Lee)
53’ | ES | 0-5 | Hwang
67’ | ES | 0-6 | Benson (Brugh)
75’ | ES | 0-7 | Benson (Atkinson)
77’ | ES | 0-8 | Atkinson (Wong)
82’ | ES | 0-9 | Kan
83’ | ES | 0-10 | Hwang
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Canterbury United Pride vs Auckland United
A few of the players in this game, just a few, will have vivid memories of Canterbury vs Northern grand finals in years gone by. Between 2012 and 2020 those two teams won nine of the ten national championships (six for the Cantabs, three for Northern, with Auckland winning in 2017). The most recent final meeting between the two was in 2019 where Nicola Dominikovich scored for the Pride in a game which her team went on to win via penalties. Chloe Knott missed a spottie for Northern that day.
The Canterbury Pride have had their ups and downs since then but as this one kicked off at a soggy English Park, they found themselves equal top of the table after four weeks. Three wins and a draw. Level with Auckland United (their opponents this day) and Waterside Karori. The Pride had just buried some demons in the South Island Derby, they’d had the miracle comeback win against West Coast Rangers, now they faced the challenge of NRFL Premiership, Kate Sheppard Cup, and Oceania Champions League trophy-holders Auckland United to see how they really stacked against the best of the best.
Two changes for the Cantabs with Lily Fisher (CB) and Grace Johns (LB) returning to the line-up. That meant more fiddling with the back four but it couldn’t be helped – and the rest of their side has been extremely consistent throughout. Auckland United, who’ve built a three-game winning streak despite not yet hitting top gear in the Nats, made only one change and that was to bring Christchurch native and former Pride favourite Charlotte Roche back into the side. And would you believe it she scored in the first minute of the match. Talisha Green lifted the ball into the penalty area and Roche flipped it up and home simple as that.
Auckland United were looking scary. A great bit of skill from Chelsea Elliott saw her flip the ball over her marker and then send it long over the top for Rene Wasi... but Meg Simpson kept up and blocked the cross. Saskia Vosper also had a shot blocked wide after a corner while Chloe Knott drove one wide at the far post. This was frisky stuff for the Pride, although they did get Talisha Green booked for a foul on Dominikovich bursting up the wing. Nonetheless, the Cantabs kept hustling at the back, a trait they’ve shown plenty of in recent weeks. Keeping the ball was a more difficult task but sometimes you don’t need to keep the ball... sometimes you just need to get it to Charlotte Mortlock in a half-decent position and let her thump it in off the post from distance.
Committed and resistant defence has been a trait of Canterbury United this year, another trait has been the brilliant goals they’ve scored. Some truly superb finishing and this was another for the list. Nicola Dominikovich wanted to add to it with a snapshot on the turn, but she couldn’t get it on target. Anna McPhie was up there challenging for a Mortlock corner kick – another example of McPhie’s courage, constantly winning headers against much taller players. Bennett was required to make a good save off a Greer Macintosh header up the other end but if anything the Pride were the team in the ascendency after their equaliser. It was a half of two halves.
The rain got heavier during the break. Both teams formed mini-huddles before the second half kickoff in which more than a few of them were jumping up and down trying to stay warm. Especially Claudia Wilson who was subbed on for Johns, perhaps a recurrence of the injury that kept GJ out last week. The players were getting drenched but the chances began to dry up as the game got underway again. AU kept trying to get ball in behind, kept not being able to, but also kept winning it back quickly to maintain the squeeze. Dani Canham tried to change the focus with a good hit from the edge of the box which Bennett saved comfortably. Didn’t threaten a goal but it did give her team some ideas because one minute later Chloe Knott did this...
Too good. Each and every week, just too good. Auckland United were back in the lead.
Vopser had to be alert to keep Dominikovich from retaliating straight away. The Pride then subbed on Emma Kench and Lisa Evans – that’d be the same Emma Kench who has played 31 List A and 11 T20 games for Canterbury cricket (most recently two seasons ago). But they couldn’t ease the pressure and a long throw from Talisha Green wasn’t dealt with by the youthful Pride defence, allowing Rene Wasi to pop up and score. Soon enough Roche went dashing onto a ball in behind from Vosper and this time she got there before keeper Bennett could get there. Shrunk her angle in the process but still finished with poise.
Not even this Canterbury side were coming back from that. The benches were emptied and after a few more sighters at each end the players were finally able to dry off inside and maybe help themselves to a warm beverage. 4-1 to Auckland United. It was a good battle for a while there but AU’s class and experience did eventually shine through as they further reinforced their title credentials by dealing the Pride their first defeat.
Two goals for Roche, whose hold up play was also really nice - that part of her game is developing so quickly with AU. She didn’t get that hat-trick she was chasing, going closest deep in stoppage time when Denva Perrott was able to block her shot (and then breathed a big sigh of relief as the ball ricocheted over the top), but she’s up to four for the term and playing like there’s plenty more where those came from. Saskia Vosper was really good again. Chelsea Elliott did what she needed to do with class. Chloe Knott and Yume Harashima could literally be shouted out every week. This team is amazing. It’s going to take something special to stop them. Looking at the home side, Amber Bennett continues to impress with the gloves while Anna McPhie worked hard as always, linking the midfield to the attack. Some more great work from Meg Simpson in defence too... although she did get caught out for a couple of the goals. Most teams are going to lose to Auckland United so if the Pride keep it steady then they could yet earn a rematch in the final.
Canterbury United Pride 1-4 Auckland United
1’ | AU | 0-1 | Roche (Green)
28’ | CU | 1-1 | Mortlock (Burton)
61’ | AU | 1-2 | Knott (Roche)
68’ | AU | 1-3 | Wasi
76’ | AU | 1-4 | Roche (Vosper)
Western Springs vs Waterside Karori
After losing 1-0 to Auckland United for the fifth time this year across three different competitions, Western Springs might have felt some jealousy coming up against a Waterside Karori team that actually did find an equaliser against AUFC when they met in week one. The Wharfies bagged a 1-1 draw from that game and have continued in excellent form ever since. Western Springs have been decent themselves so this was an important game as we cross past the halfway line of the season already. Can’t get those points back once you drop them.
It was an unchanged lineup for Springs as they wandered out at their Seddon Fields home turf. They lost last week but they put up a good show, especially defensively, and Maia Vink must have felt that was something to build from. Sweet as. Waterside Karori mixed it up after a 3-0 victory against Central made it three clean sheet wins in a row. Jessica Shilton returned from injury having not been seen since week one. Jennifer Larrick also found her way back into the midfield while Lizzie Ingham got her second start of the term. No Mei Burden, Tessa McPherson, or Nikki Furukawa though – a few key players not partaking in this match.
And sadly there’s no replay up on FIFA+. Almost all of the games on Saturday had technical issues and we can only work with what we’ve got to work with. As annoying as it is that NZF’s coverage just hasn’t been nearly as good this year as it has in the past few, it’s also true that the standard of coverage from the clubs themselves has fallen off a cliff in recent times too. Some of them don’t even have an active social media presence, let alone on gameday. It’s a struggle. Should get some highlights later in the week when the official NZF package turns up. In the meantime, you’ve got The Niche Cache to put a few of the pieces together.
The game ended 1-1 with both teams scoring early. Kitty Jacob gave Springs the lead after six minutes but Emma Starr tied things back up again two mins later. WSAFC coach Maia Vink said afterwards that it was an even game in terms of chances but that her team really had to knuckle down and battle through to avoid defeat. You know how that goes, coulda gone either way. Draw’s a fair result. There were also several injuries to worry about and while we don’t know who was affected specifically, the fact that Amanda Everett was subbed after only 37 mins, Alosi Bloomfield came off at the half, and Arisa Takeda only lasted 58 minutes probably answers that question. On the positive side, Springs were able to bring Rebecca Burrows on as one of their subs. First time we’ve seen her in green and white since the Kate Sheppard Cup final. Tiana Hill got the WS player of the day honours.
As for Waterside Karori, they seemed satisfied with a point on the road. Still undefeated. Second on the ladder. They’ve got three home games in a row to follow and all are against teams with similar eyes on the grand final. This was only the second goal they’ve conceded across five games, giving the best defence in the competition right now.
Western Springs 1-1 Waterside Karori
6’ | WS | 1-0 | Jacob
8’ | WK | 1-1 | Starr
Wellington United vs Southern United
Thus we move to Martin Luckie Park where Southern were to play twice over the course of three days. Putting the long weekend to good use. They really needed to win both of these games to get back in the grand final hunt though, what with only one point from their first three fixtures, especially after consecutive narrow defeats against Western Springs and Canterbury United – both times they scored early to take the lead then ended up losing 2-1. Multiple changes to their side. Experienced defender Kelsey Kennard made her first WNL appearance since 2022 which pushed Alisa Tuatagaloa out to right-back, while Samantha Woolley returned on the left. Aussie imports Millie Scott and Georgia Keen were also straight back into the eleven after being partially rested last week.
The home side Wellington United were without Caelin Patterson at the back, a big blow, but at least Sarah Alder was there to take her place (after scoring an 88th min equaliser against WC Rangers in round four). Lilian Davies got a start on the right side of defence and Hope Gilchrist was back in the midfield after missing the previous match. Libby Boobyer replaced the injured Hannah Pilley up top.
Like most games this round, it was very soggy at Martin Luckie. The Diamonds weren’t daunted though, getting straight into it by looking to stretch things with their pace out wide and that led to the first major chance after five minutes when a Pepi Olliver-Bell cross was volleyed on target by Natalie Olson and for all money that shot was destined for the net until Lauren Paterson flew across with a wicked save. Olson was at it again when fizzed a shot across the face of the goal after a super pass from Carolyn O’Reilly. There was some corner kicks chaos when Alder’s ball from the right was headed on target by Hope Gilchrist but saved again by Paterson, then Barrott’s ball from the left nearly swung directly in but was hacked away by the defence in the six-yard box.
Great start from Wellington United. Southern didn’t really threaten until 16 mins deep when Shontelle Smith won a free kick juuuust outside the area. Stacey Martin started to get more involved from there which did give Southern some impetus... but Zoe Barrott had this pesky tendency to come streaming across with crucial late tackles. Standard ZB things, to be honest. The wind and rain started getting pretty hectic, slicking up the surface and putting extra pressure on those aerial crosses into the area, but both defences dealt with it well. Goalless at the break.
The weather only got worse from there – in fact, it was bad enough that they had to take down the sideline gazebo during the interval. These are two very organised teams, not a lot gets by them, so the ebbs and flows basically depended on who was pressing and when. Tuatagaloa got in the way of a shot from O’Reilly, crucial stuff, while Morton was inches away from getting on the end of a Scott delivery. Good intent from both sides in trying to win this thing. Courage on display in each direction. Just needed something to break it open somehow. Jemma Robertson jumped on for Wellington United to make her first appearance of the WNL this year. Oddly, she came on at right back. Meanwhile Southern took off defender Kennard and brought on forward Danica Urlich-Beech. Wgtn Utd also threw on Dani Ohlsson and Hannah Cooper.
The moment everyone had been waiting for came with twenty to go when Shontelle Smith made a clever run into the area – she’d been the instigator for so much of Southern’s best mahi – and then got her legs taken out by Sarah Alder sliding in. No need for the challenge when Smith was trying to turn back and recycle. Maybe the slippery conditions played a part. Anyway, that was a penalty. Funky choice of taker for SU with centre-back Hannah Mackay-Wright (in the midst of yet another brilliant performance) placing the ball on the spot. Molly Simons did save one last week which spurred the Diamonds on towards a good result. Could she do so again? Yes she could... but HMW converted the rebound.
The Diamonds have had a knack for late result-altering goals but they didn’t have to wait until the 88th minute this time. Four minutes after going behind, Jemma Catherwood skipped to the byline with a wonderful run and chipped an equally wonderful ball into the middle where Hope Gilchrist launched herself horizontally into a spectacular header. Top corner, 1-1. Have some of that.
But then if you thought that was the goal of the week then how about what Shontelle Smith got up to three minutes later. The wind was in Southern’s favour this half so Lauren Paterson’s kicks were ripping on and one of those kicks somehow bounced over the defensive line for Smith who lobbed it over Molly Simons with a finish right off the top shelf. There was a slight touch from the defender but it’d be rude not to give that as an assist for Paterson, especially when she’d been playing so well. Second goalie assist of the season following Hannah Mitchell for Auckland United a couple weeks back. No goals for ages and then three all in a hurry. It had been brewing... then it got brought.
Southern failed to hold their first lead but they were good value with the second. Had to scramble a few times but they got the job done to finally put a win on the board at the fourth attempt. In doing so they dealt Wellington United their first defeat of the campaign. Much more like it from the Southerners, showing more of the grittiness that took them all the way to the final a year ago. Shontelle Smith has been amazing for them lately. Hannah Mackay-Wright was superb. Lauren Paterson too. That was job half done for the weekend. Wellington United do lose ground in the race for the top two but they’ve scored in every game and have already grabbed a couple good results up in Auckland so they’re hardly going to crumble after one bad day. Still buzzed about that Gilchrist header. Dunno how she did that. Zoe Barrott and Carolyn O’Reilly were top class in difficult match-ups too. There have only been three penalties in the WNL this season and Molly Simons has saved two of them. Heck of a game, that one. And one heck of a goal to win it.
Wellington United 1-2 Southern United
72’ | SU | 0-1 | Mackay-Wright
76’ | WU | 1-1 | Gilchrist (Catherwood)
79’ | SU | 1-2 | Smith (Paterson)
West Coast Rangers vs Wellington Phoenix Reserves
On paper, this was set to be a very one-sided affair. They’ve all been one-sided affairs against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves so far with the exception of their first half against Canterbury in week one. The good news for them was that at least Rebekah Trewhitt was back in the line-up this week, this time picked in the backline to give a bit of force to their efforts. Lara Smith also got a start in defence (a defence that had conceded 18 goals in four games to this point) while Mackenzie Bryant joined the midfield for her first WNL start of 2024. Aimee Danieli was again the only first-team contracted player involved, making her third start in a row between the sticks. Still too soon for the U17 World Cuppers to return. Hopefully they get a boost next week via Alysha Eglinton, Katie Pugh, Grace Bartlett, Emily Humphrey, Brooke Neary, and perhaps even Ela Jerez if she’s not summoned into A-League duties straight away. In the meantime, this week’s team looked a lot like the team of the last few weeks where great attitude and great application have not been able to overcome a great distance in experience between themselves and their opponents.
West Coast Rangers had just thrown three potential victories away by conceding last-minute goals so their confidence won’t have been at the maximum. Still, they weren’t going to freak out after having been the better team for most of every game. Either gotta put more of their first-half chances away or keep locked in for 90+. The only change for them was Emily Lyon dropping to the bench with Canadian midfielder Erin Freeman taking her spot and Maisy Dewell operating in the front three. This squad is far too strong to have only won one of four games. Rangers knew what they needed to do.
One sneaky aspect of the WCR line-up was that Kendrah Smith and Mackenzie Longmuir swapped places. Smith played central defence while Longmuir got a run in midfield. Two of their top performers so far mixing it up, probably more with an eye to give 18yo Longmuir that experience in a favourable match-up. Within minutes it was obvious that the Rangers press was going to be trouble for the WeeNix, who every now and then got caught moving the ball too slowly at the back and had to scramble to prevent any carnage. That led to a plethora of corner kicks – one of which saw Marissa Porteous drop a header onto the crossbar – before Kailey Short chopped in and fired a shot on target which Danieli parried and Henson couldn’t convert from the rebound. We’re talking about some one-way traffic. Lots of joy down the wings for WCR and almost all of the territory.
However, it was still 0-0 as we ticked past 14 minutes and that meant a milestone for the Nix: they’re the only team to last that long without conceding against this fast-starting Rangers side. On it went like that until, would you believe it, the WeeNix scored. Out of nothing. Emily Couchman simply did not see Isla Cleall-Harding bearing down and passed it straight to her. ICL passed the ball into an empty net for 1-0. Well now. That’s the first goal that the WeeNix had scored since the 25th minute of week one’s match. A 364-minute drought coming to an end with a gift-wrapped sitter.
Kailey Short had already had some good involvements. Another chance fell her way when she and Henson kinda ran into each other and the defence got confused allowing Short to shoot... but it was too close to Danieli who ripped off another good save. The finishing was subpar from Rangers but the saves were there from Danieli. Yet rarely was the saying ‘easy come, easy go’ more accurate than in the 42nd minute when a Trewhitt tripped over a short corner two metres in front of her own goal and Bree Johnson does not miss those. A gift each way. Back on level terms.
The freakiness eased up with Rangers no longer losing, though 1-1 at half-time still had them in an odd spot. They weren’t able to do much in transition against a team as deep-set as the WeeNix and their other ideas weren’t working due to poor crossing and shooting. Emily Lyon has been a key part of their attack this year and they did have that move up their sleeve. They’d pull the trigger on that substitution after 58 minutes (as well as sending on Luci Hollister) but right before that happened... they scored. Bree Johnson again. Not sure how because the livestream crapped out at that exact moment, though the WeeNix had been preparing another goal kick right before. Again we wait to see if the NZF highlights package offers any further clues.
Lyon made a rapid impact, bringing down a ball on the move and pinging a shot near post which Danieli used to add to her personal highlight reel with a diving denial. Bree Johnson had visions of a hat-trick when she lined up an effort from the corner of the box with the keeper out of position... off the crossbar. Henson headed across goal from a Johnson cross. All it took was taking the lead and finally Rangers were looking like themselves again. Selby curled (what was probably a cross) onto the woodwork. Johnson got 1v1 but a heavy touch allowed Danieli to take the ball away.
Much better chances for WCR even if the end product was still off the boil. Not that it really mattered. They understood that the game was in the bag as long as they avoided any more silly mistakes - the WeeNix were defending valiantly but barely getting over halfway. Wasn’t ideal when it began raining sideways... and there were actually one or two frisky moments. Through balls, a free kick, an unnecessary punch from Couchman... but nothing that led to anything significant. 2-1 was the final score. West Coast Rangers get back amongst the victories. Here’s a bird that flew in front of the camera…
Weird game that. On the one hand it was easily the most impressive defensive showing from the WeeNix so far, with Rebekah Trewhitt offering some much-needed physicality and Lara Smith doing very good things to go with solid keeping from Aimee Danieli. On the other hand, it still felt like they would have conceded five if Rangers had been more efficient. Maybe it was an improvement, maybe it wasn’t. Dunno. But they should take plenty of confidence out of seeing their efforts reflected in a much closer scoreline. Obviously WCR are walking away relieved about the three points and thankful for the pressing and workrate of Bree Johnson on their left wing. Two goals, could easily have had more. Countless progressive carries. Always keen to show a defender who’s boss. Beyond her, the wing-backs Kailey Short and Lorna Selby were both heavily involved and Marissa Porteous had a sneakily impressive game in defence. They’ll pocket the points and move on. Nothing special but they got what they required.
West Coast Rangers 2-1 Wellington Phoenix Reserves
29’ | WP | 0-1 | Cleall-Harding
42’ | WCR | 1-1 | Johnson
58’ | WCR | 2-1 | Johnson
Southern United vs Central Football
Lastly it was time for some bonus Labour Day labour, as Southern United and Central Football used the holiday to sneak in their rescheduled week two fixture – initially postponed due to the bad weather down south at the time. They didn’t play in Dunedin though. Since Southern had just played two days earlier at Martin Luckie Park in Wellington, they made a weekend of it and hung around to play this game at the same venue on Monday. Made sense. It’s closer for Central too. Well, geographically it’s closer. They’d have flown to Dunedin though, whereas a Wellington game meant another road trip which is fine for the Palmy girls but for those in the Hawke’s Bay it might have ended up being a longer trip.
Also, someone may have forgotten to alert the groundskeepers about the weekday footy because four minutes into the match they had to hit the pause button when the automated sprinklers went on. Look, we’ve all been there. Players had to kick a ball around in a circle while they waited for the waterworks to run their course. It rained all weekend but never mind.
Despite the double game-week, Southern United only made one change to the eleven that beat Wellington United, that being Danica Urlich-Beech replacing Abby Rankin. No Rankin in the squad so maybe she had a knock or couldn’t stay for the full weekend away. Maybe didn’t want to play against her old team. She’s been great for SU this year (as she was last year) though this did allow Shontelle Smith to play through the middle after scoring that magnificent winner on Saturday. Central made three changes to their group. Marina Ishimoto, Charlotte Noakes, and Anneka Voss all getting amongst it. Also, they only had two substitutes available on the bench. This after a 10-0 defeat. Yikes in advance.
There was some match-up mystery here though. Southern United were obviously huge favourites but they have struggled to convert chances this year and when they have done well it’s usually come from pressing high or counter-attacking. Both aspects would be tough to manufacture against a pragmatic Central team that knew they had to restore some pride after letting the Eastern Suburbs loss get to badly out of hand. Having said that, set pieces are always a good workaround and it was from a corner kick that Georgia Keen nearly opened the scoring with a very good header which Leonie Heck shuffled and saved. Southern were definitely loading up on Central’s goal kicks too. There were a few of those kinda ones but from open play, gotta say, Central were doing really well. Working hard, making tackles, staying compact.
She hasn’t had to do it this season, but Leonie Heck is also an accomplished outfielder and those instincts peeked through when Smith attempted a shot from distance which Heck stood there and kicked away. Smith was happy to shoot on sight though Rose Morton didn’t follow suit when DUB cut one in for her after an overlapping run only for Morton to take an extra touch that allowed Noakes to swoop over in cover. Fortunately for Southern, that wasn’t an issue when the roles were reversed shortly afterwards. Morton got into the area. Square ball to Urlich-Beech at the back post. That’ll do it. More than thirty minutes before the first Central concession though, in every other game they’d leaked a goal inside the first ten.
Those wide runs and deep crosses were the answer for Southern. Twice Millie Scott picked out Urlich-Beech who wasn’t quite able to make the most of the situations. Scott forced a fingertip save from Heck later in the half before Southern made it two from the corner. Shontelle Smith delivery. Hannah Mackay-Wright header. It then caught the leg of a defender on the way through and went down officially as an own goal for Ella Johns-Stewart. Southern were perhaps lucky when the ball struck Kelsey Kennard’s arm in the area. Ref said accidental, carry on. That was a rare instance Central being able to commit numbers forward... and they nearly conceded because of it when Stacey Martin ran onto a DUB through ball on the counter. But they didn’t. 2-0 at the half.
Threateningly for Central, Shontelle Smith began the second half on a mission and when her initial few attempts didn’t lead to a goal for herself, she pivoted back to setting them up. Corner kick onto the head of Mackay-Wright who scored an excellent header and this time it was all hers, no need to share. Seven minutes later, Southern made it four when Georgia Keen ran into the area to collect a throw in then curled it beautifully into the top corner. Don’t think that’s where it ended. 68 mins and Mackay-Wright was at it again. Another corner kick. Central won first contact but didn’t clear it and HMW slammed it home for her third goal in three days.
That was enough for Southern to clear their bench, sending on Bianca Park, Freya Partridge-Moore, and Aynsey Martin – having already brought on Raegan Potter at half-time (with Stacey Martin going centre-back to make it work). There was no let up there... two of those subs scored goals. Bee Park put her name on the scoresheet in the 80th minute with a tidy back-post header off an Urlich-Beech cross. Central did pull a goal back on 89’ when Sarah Rasmussen fizzed a lovely ball through for Maddison Hughes whose finish was superb. But Rose Morton got her captain’s goal with a crisp finish after Urlich-Beech had an effort parried, before Morton set up Raegan Potter for a back post tap-in with the final kick of the game. 8-1 was the end of it.
Central’s set piece defence could clearly do with some extra training time... as could all the other aspects of their defence. Funny thing is, a fortnight ago Southern and Eastern Suburbs were both having serious trouble scoring goals. Now they’ve combined to score 18 against Central in the space of three days. Suddenly Southern have gone from the brink of catastrophe to being right back on track again after a couple of good wins. Don’t even worry about it. Yet another game in which Shontelle Smith and Rose Morton and Hannah Mackay-Wright bossed the show. Great to see Danica Urlich-Beech bringing her goal-filled ways to this Southern team too, she scored one and set two others with plenty of sweet work on the wing. No more game in hand, just points on the board. The race is on.
Let’s not dig too deep into Central’s woes though. They were without coach Jamie Dunning who was coaching at the Napier U19s with the Taradale boys. Rossie Missen was coaching the Fencibles girls at the same tourney (who made the final, losing 2-0 to Auckland United). Several players from this Central side were involved in that tournament, including a few who played both National League and U19s across the weekend. There were players who did the same for other clubs (Western Springs definitely had a couple) but the difference is that Central had two WNL games. They’d probably rather have had none but then they’d have had a rotten time trying to fit in two catch-up games over the next four weeks. It’s a raw deal either way, just had to get through it and hope for better days in future games. Like next week when they face the WeeNix in their one genuinely winnable match.
Southern United 8-1 Central Football
31’ | SU | 1-0 | Urlich-Beech (Morton)
45’ | SU | 2-0 | Own Goal (Mackay-Wright)
53’ | SU | 3-0 | Mackay-Wright (Smith)
60’ | SU | 4-0 | Keen (Tuatagaloa)
68’ | SU | 5-0 | Mackay-Wright
80’ | SU | 6-0 | Park (Urlich-Beech)
89’ | C | 6-1 | Hughes (Rasmussen)
90+1’ | SU | 7-1 | Morton (Urlich-Beech)
90+5’ | SU | 8-1 | Potter (Morton)
Table
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland United | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Waterside Karori | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 9 | 11 |
| Canterbury United | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 10 |
| West Coast Rangers | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 8 |
| Wellington United | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| Eastern Suburbs | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 7 |
| Southern United | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Western Springs | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9 | -1 | 5 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 20 | -18 | 0 |
| Central | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 31 | -29 | 0 |
Top Assists
Shannon Henson (West Coast Rangers) - 5
Arisa Takeda (Western Springs) - 3
Jemma Catherwood (Wellington United) - 3
Zoe Benson (Eastern Suburbs) - 3
Top Goal Scorers
Kendall Pollock (Waterside Karori) - 6
Britney Cunningham-Lee (Eastern Suburbs) - 4
Bree Johnson (West Coast Rangers) - 4
Charlotte Roche (Auckland United) - 4
Rina Hirano (Western Springs) - 3
Renee Bacon (Waterside Karori) - 3
Emily Lyon (West Coast Rangers) - 3
Anna McPhie (Canterbury United) - 3
Nicola Dominikovich (Canterbury United) - 3
Charlotte Mortlock (Canterbury United) - 3
Shion Hwang (Eastern Suburbs) - 3
Hannah Mackay-Wright (Southern United) - 3
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