West Coast Rangers vs Auckland United

Nobody has beaten Auckland United in any competition this year but maybe a Friday nighter at Fred Taylor Park against the team that ran them closest in the NRFL Premiership could bust things up? Consecutive wins for West Coast Rangers had gotten them back on track so they were up for it. Then again, two wins doesn’t hold up to much scrutiny against AUFC’s five wins in a row. Also, while WCR may have got closer to anyone else on the regional ladder, they lost 3-1, 3-0, and 4-1 when they played them head to head so United won’t have had any fear in their bones, particularly when they held the knowledge that victory would all but confirm their grand final spot.

It was an entirely unchanged eleven for United from last week’s 2-0 win against Wellington United, though Charlotte Roche did return for a place on the bench. West Coast Rangers made two changes: Maisy Dewell in for Emily Lyon up front and Ella Dorward in for Nicole Stratford at the back. We’ll call this one the Vosper Derby since not only was Saskia out there at left-back for United, her 14yo sister Ariana was on the bench for Rangers seeking her third WNL appearance.

Underneath a beautiful yet glaring West Auckland sunset, AU were immediately on the attack and Talisha Green didn’t miss by much when she lined up a rocket shot from distance. It was on Kendrah Smith and Marissa Porteous to get around with the defensive mahi as United kept the ball around the danger zone, while Lorna Selby may have gotten away with a shove in the area (ref had a perfect view and said no ma’am). There was a Chloe Knott shott poked over the top and Harashima tried to repeat last week’s belter of a goal.

A few times West Coast Rangers did have opportunities to break or to play through the AU press but the passes just weren’t crisp enough. Midway through the first half they suffered for that when Talisha Green punted an early ball over the top which Porteous couldn’t get to in the air and then Emily Couchman got caught between rushing out and staying back to allow Kaley Ward to side-foot it over her with an excellent finish. 1-0 to Auckland United. Funny thing is, the only team to score first against AUFC during this National League was last-placed Central. In fact, that was the only time they’d been trailing and it lasted less than sixty seconds.

Green didn’t like it when Dewell left a shove in her back, even less so because she needed an injury break to recover. Those two were teammates last year as Auckland United won the championship... though recent weeks have shown there needn’t be any love lost between players and their old clubs (Harashima got booked for fouling Dewell ten mins later but that was accidental and she apologised straight away, no dramas). Dewell isn’t the only Rangers player to have moved from AUFC this year: Bree Johnson and Shannon Henson are also in that same basket. Meanwhile Alexis Cook snuck onto a Vosper switch before it could cross the byline and Couchman did well to close her down. Rangers did show some better possession stuff later in the half, it’s just that you have to be so flawless against Auckland United whose defensive abilities are even greater than their attacking ones. Flawless was not what they were.

What you can say for Rangers though is that they were defending pretty bloody well. Kendrah Smith was doing excellent things. They did have trouble with Satchell’s pace sometimes, every team does, but they were clever about how they shuffled her wide or deep. The wing-back formation allowed them to cover the edges without leaving too much space centrally. They needed to win this game, so dice were to be rolled at some stage, but it was essential that they stayed within range for when that could happen. 56 mins gone they had a golden chance when Johnson slid an angled pass through for Henson... but Hannah Mitchell was out in a flash to make a tremendous leg save.

That was the big one they were waiting for and WCR couldn’t convert. They tried to build off that chance but mustered nothing particularly for it. Soon enough both teams turned to their rested number nines with Emily Lyon and Charlotte Roche eached subbed on. Around the same time, Auckland Utd hit the crossbar from a very deep free kick – the camera didn’t pick up who hit it but it might have been Vosper... then Alexis Cook volleyed over from the rebound, couldn’t quite get over the top of her strike with room to swing. Roche was quick to hunt down a deflected Harashima shot but slipped it past the post. Door still open.

On came Ariana Vosper (and Luci Hollister) over on the right side where she went directly up against her sister. Good save from Couchman off an Elliott free kick. Knott scooped a cut-back over the bar. These United misses allowed Rangers to stay hopeful... but neither Lyon nor Johnson could get a decent shot off from a testing cross as another half-chance went astray. The offside flag went up anyway so that one wouldn’t have counted, however the lashing strike from outside the area that Luci Hollister ripped into would have... except it flew over the top. Nope, Auckland United may not have iced the game like they should have but that was fine because their backline was impenetrable. 1-0 to Auckland Utd final score.

With that result, AK United can start thinking about the grand final in a few weeks. 19 points from seven games, only three goals conceded in that time. More clean sheets than goals against. Saskia Vosper was probably their best, getting forward heaps in the first half but also making a crucial late challenge in the final seconds as they closed things out. Talisha Green, Yume Harashima, Alexis Cook, Dani Canham... they were all really good as well. Another strong performance where they did enough without going beyond that. Compared to last year’s WNL champions, a bunch of their best attackers are now playing for West Coast Rangers but the defence has been the strength of this team all along.

On the flipside, West Coast Rangers can rightfully be a little annoyed about this one. They defended so well with Porteous and Smith heavily involved. Couchman made some good stops. But they needed to sneak a goal from somewhere and against the best defence in the country that meant being clinical with rare chances and to put it simply they were not. No glaring misses but enough half-chances to have gotten something for it. Oh well. This is a team that narrowly missed out on National League qualification last year then made big improvements this year to correct that. Their first year in the Nats has probably had more disappointments than successes but you can call it a safe bet that they’ll learn from this and improve again.

West Coast Rangers 0-1 Auckland United

Goals (Assists)

22’ | AU | 0-1 | Ward (Green)

Southern United vs Wellington Phoenix Reserves

Turns out the start of the A-League season was great news for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves because it means Ella McMillan and Ela Jerez were available again and they each delivered fantastic performances in a 5-0 win over Central last week (a few U17 World Cuppers returning helped too). That snapped the WeeNix’s five-game losing streak, now the task was to try and keep that momentum going against a Southern United whose hopes of getting back to the final were effectively dashed with a 3-1 loss against West Coast Rangers. They were back at Logan Park seeking to make amends with two changes being made to that side: Alisa Tuatagaloa and Kelsey Kennard returning to the eleven. No Shontelle Smith, that’s a bummer. It did mean Stacey Martin was back in attack though.

As for the Phoenix Reserves... just the one alteration and that was ALW-contracted Olivia Ingham making her second start of the term. She’d gotten minutes off the bench for the first team last week but the return of import forward Olivia Fergusson made her surplus to requirements. No worries there, the ressies are proving a comfortable landing spot for those players trying to earn those call-ups. Brooke Neary also got formalised as a first team player during the week when she was given an amateur contract – same deal as Aimee Danieli had last season before she moved up to scholarship terms.

It took three-and-a-half minutes for Southern to take the lead. Simple as. Georgia Keen collected a throw-in on the right edge, held off Ingham as she turned, then took a shot which looked to take a deflection on the way through and dribbled into the bottom corner. Neary caught not knowing which way to go. It wasn’t a particularly heavy shot but the deflection couldn’t have been kinder. Freaky stuff. Having said that, the last two times Southern scored inside ten minutes they went on to lose 2-1 on both occasions so everyone knew there was a long way to go.

Martin’s pressing then nearly caused a second, turning the ball over before Rose Morton smacked a shot on target which Neary saved well down low. That’s how a lot of this game was happening, with the WeeNix trying to build things up from deep and Southern happy to let them do exactly that with intentions to pressure them high up the pitch. When they did get over halfway their pace and movement was proving a handful. A burst of speed from Isla Cleall-Harding led her into a shooting position although she sliced it wide. Ela Jerez was out there doing nutmegs and twisting away from tackles.

Meanwhile, Rankin put a lovely free kick right onto Keen’s head but the direction was lacking on the next bit. Keen was quick to shrug that one aside when she pushed a perfectly weighted pass into the area where Milly Scott managed to sneak it past a hesitant Neary only for Rebekah Trewhitt to go surging across with a magical goalline clearance. Claims of an impeding shove on Scott went ignored – one of those ones where if she’d taken a tumble she’d probably have got the penalty but since she tried to do the right thing she didn’t. Still took a superb defensive act to deny her. Toni Power headed wide from the corner. Neary saved well against Martin after Morton laid one off in the area. It was raining off and on throughout the game so Danica Urlich-Beech tested out Neary’s handling with a skidding shot. No worries there. Southern were well deserving of their lead nearing half-time but they really needed another goal to reflect things. They needed it because Olivia Ingham can do things like this...

Yeah righto. Not a bad way to celebrate your 19th birthday. Ella McMillan and Ela Jerez were among the goals last week now Olivia Ingham this week... that’s the kind of impact you want to see from first-team players dropping down.

Rose Morton struck a curler that didn’t curl enough to be on target though it sure looked like it would for a split second there. 1-1 at half-time. Both teams made attacking changes as the teams returned: Southern took ​off defender Kennard for striker Amy Hislop (Martin back to defence); the WeeNix threw on forward Lily Brazendale for wing-back Humphrey (Bartlett moving out wide). Rankin fizzed a first time strike slightly high to get Southern rolling again... though a few Jerez through balls kept everyone on their toes before Brazendale nearly got lucky when Lauren Paterson spilled one sliding out. Braze had no time to react beyond sticking a toe out and the ball rolled agonisingly past the post. As it did up the other end, at a more rapid clip, when Scott tried to side-foot volley a DUB cross on the run on the dip. Close range but asking too much.

You could see a path to victory for either team. Amy Hislop needed a little more service than she was getting but twice she dropped in, collected the ball, and turned to shoot from outside the area. The second was a dropping volley. Audacious but nope, no goal. Same deal when Ingham’s speed got her in down the right only to hack her shot the wrong side of the post. Lots of hard challenges. Great to see the WeeNix rising to the physicality. Would have been interesting to see how they handled it if Southern had shown a touch more patience in attack but impressive nonetheless... ultimately earning them a point on the road with a 1-1 draw. No further goals would arrive. Split the points and we move on.

Southern again fail to win after scoring early... they did run out of ideas in attack after a while but there were some very good chances in there, especially while it was 1-0, and there was a moment in stoppage time when a Martin cross nearly floated into the back post. Shontelle Smith’s absence definitely hurt them by taking away that direct punch but they were really good in the midfield with that Keen/Morton/Rankin trio and seeing Amy Hislop get full half of footy in her second game back from injury is a positive sign. They’ve got nothing left to play for over the last two weeks except for the possibility of these being the last few games of Southern United footy. At a guess, the South Island fed teams will continue into 2025 but you never know. The Wellington clubs have been a roaring success so sooner or later it’ll be all club-based. Leave that idea for another day though.

Brooke Neary had her best National League game yet. She never looks short on confidence but the amateur ALW contract has bound to have given her a sense of validation. Rebekah Trewhitt was there with the key defensive acts in the first half, Ella McMillan and Mackenzie Greene matched that in the second half. Great goal for Olivia Ingham. Quiet from Ela Jerez overall with a few of those through balls skidding away off the turf but there were some glorious touches in there and decisions on the ball which 16 year olds normally don’t even comprehend let alone execute. Paul Temple should be happy with that. They WeeNix are a much better team with a few of those first-teams there to set the standard.

Southern United 1-1 Wellington Phoenix Reserves

4’ | SU | 1-0 | Keen (Power)

40’ | WP | 1-1 | Ingham

Canterbury United Pride vs Eastern Suburbs

Here we had a Canterbury United team that started great, taking 10 points from their first four games, but then they lost to Auckland United and Waterside Karori to draw a line between themselves and the top two. Here we also had an Eastern Suburbs team that didn’t even score a goal through the first three weeks and now after six weeks they were the leading scorers in the whole competition. Three wins on the trot. Contrasting trends. English Park was the venue.

The Pride kept young keeper Scarlett Gray between the sticks for a second appearance. They also welcomed back the experience of Annie Gilchrist in defence, allowing Megan Simpson to move back to fullback. Bo Burton replaced wondergoal merchant Anna McPhie who was on the bench. Two changes from the side that lost from a 2-0 lead against WC Rangers. The Lilywhites switched things up a little more, happily re-embedding Zoe Benson into their attack again while Issy Atkinson and Lucy Hunt jumped back into the defensive line while Erinna Wong moved into CB. Also in a commentator’s nightmare, we had Britney-Lee Nicholson in the frontline for the Cantabs and Britney Cunningham-Lee in the frontline for Suburbs.

Eastern Suburbs promptly set up camp in the Cantabs half yet it took ten minutes for the first decent shot, taken by Benson trying to catch Gray out at her near post with the teenager up to the task. Nicholson had a pair of runs onto passes over the top in the other direction. The first, Nikki Whyte came out and cleared. The second, Gilchrist’s pass was fantastic and the run was even better but the shot didn’t match the set-up and Whyte was able to save on the dive. Another touch and it would have been a 1v1... as it was for Nicola Dominikovich running off the shoulder of the last defender as Nicholson this time performed the provider role. Touch and go with the offside, they may have gotten away with one there. But we don’t waste time with VAR in this league so it was 1-0 to the Cantabs after 17 minutes.

It’s not a coincidence that Suburbs were caught out by that early ball in behind their back three. The way they’ve been setting up under Katie Duncan lately has tended to involve a high line and even higher wing-backs. Arguably no wing-backs at all, just wingers. It’s 3-4-3 but they love to send players forward. After three scoreless games they obviously felt they needed to take more risks and it’s paying off beautifully... though there is space to attack which just so happens to suit how a team like Canterbury United prefers to operate. That meant Nishizono was doing a whole lot of cleaning up in defence, occasionally while outnumbered, though fortunately for the Lilywhites that’s nothing beyond her capabilities. And also fortunately it meant they continued to attack without hesitation when the moments arose and after 31 minutes they were level. Garcia and Cunningham-Lee with the two-woman show, back and forth up the right edge leading to Garcia converting at close range. Incredibly, that’s only her second goal of the term.

So it went, back and forth. Nikki Whyte was superb (and courageous) smothering Burton as she lined up a volley as the Pride finished the half stronger. It was enough to lead Duncan into a tactical change, subbing on Hannah Saxon to play left-back and switching to a back four (with Erinna Wong at RB). Canterbury also sent on Anna McPhie at HT. Part of the Suburbs switch also meant Zoe Benson was even further up the left edge and guess what? It took less than two minutes for her to get through and square one low for Cunningham-Lee who showed great strength to hold off her marker and great ingenuity to flick it around her standing leg with a cheeky heel from a few yards out. A basketballer in the same position would’ve yelled something out about “you can’t guard me!”.

Garcia would have made it three had the flag not gone up as she dashed in behind. Likewise if Jess Innes’ cut-back had been aimed at Shion Hwang instead of BCL (though you can’t blame her, the form that BCL is in). Garcia stabbed a Hwang feed into the side-netting from a similar spot on the other side to her earlier goal. The deep space that the Pride had been targeting wasn’t there with the Lilywhites in a four thus the highly competitive first half faded into a much more dominant Eastern Suburbs effort in the second, and on 65 mins they made it 3-1 when Garcia centred the ball to Cunningham-Lee shaping up between the central defenders and BCL’s sublime first touch took both of them out of the equation whilst still being soft enough that the keeper couldn’t make a go at it. It was all elementary from there for Britney Cunningham-Lee. Her second goal of the day to go with an assist. After three assists last week and three goals a couple weeks prior. 11 goal contributions in four games. What is this sorcery!?

The Pride almost found an immediate response with sub Petra Buyck and Loye both being denied at close range by Whyte, who only joined the Lilywhites from Otūmoetai FC at the start of the year and now... might be one of the best domestic goalkeepers in the competition? Hannah Mitchell (Auckland United) is probably the best but she’s American. Molly Simons (Wellington Utd) would have a case but Whyte’s arguably nudging it at the moment – she was awesome in this game. Spare some praise for Scarlett Gray who did make a save similar to all those Whyte ones staying big and closing the angles for BCL to deny her a hatty. There was a fingertip save tipping a Garcia shot over near the end too, while Garcia headed onto the crossbar from the corner. They left a few more goals on the table there, gotta say. But no dramas. Eastern Suburbs were cool with the 3-1 win in Christchurch.

It was far from a poor performance from Canterbury United. Kate Loye was in peak form sweeping at the base of midfield for the Cantabs while Annie Gilchrist made a difference at the back and Nicola Dominikovich keeps scoring goals – this was her fifth of the WNL. They did well to exploit a tactical imbalance until Suburbs adjusted and took control. Three defeats in a row for the Cantabs... ever since they broke their South Island Derby curse they keep losing (yeah yeah, that’s more a reflection of a quirky fixture list than anything supernatural – losing to the three top teams on the current ladder).

Speaking of Eastern Suburbs, you wouldn’t have thought it a few weeks ago but four straight wins has gotten them where the grand final is an achievable aim. Yuki Nishizono was outstanding, reading the play and winning the ball endlessly. Britney Cunningham-Lee is basically undefendable at the moment. Good to see Sofia Garcia returning to her productive ways while Zoe Benson, Saki Yoshida, and Erinna Wong were all excellent, as was goalkeeper Nikki Whyte who already got her flowers in the two paragraphs ago (she also made a last-minute save to turn a Mortlock shot over the bar to add to the highlight reel). No goals for the Lilywhites in weeks 1-3 then 21 goals in weeks 4-7. They’ve also only conceded five overall... and two came in the game that Whyte didn’t play. Admittedly that was against Auckland United so doubtful that Whyte would have altered the course of destiny.

Canterbury United Pride 1-3 Eastern Suburbs

17’ | CU | 1-0 | Dominikovich (Nicholson)

31’ | ES | 1-1 | Garcia (Cunningham-Lee)

47’ | ES | 1-2 | Cunningham-Lee (Benson)

65’ | ES | 1-3 | Cunningham-Lee (Garcia)

Western Springs vs Central Football

It’s been a tricky campaign for Western Springs, dealing with a few too many injuries amidst what was already something of a rebuilding season, and that’s been reflected in a lot of close games delivering merely a single victory. But this week they had their scheduled win against Central. Fair play to Central, we all know they deal with a unique set of circumstances... however after losing to the WeeNix last round they’re basically confirmed to finish last. They re-welcomed Evealyn Newman into the defence while Isabelle Dunning, Sasha Rasmussen, and Kya Solomon were fellow outfield alterations. Plus U17 World Cup squadie Sophie Campbell was available to make her first appearance of the term.

This was the first game of a double header for Western Springs at Seddon Fields (their men’s team played a spectacularly entertaining match against Cashmere Technical afterwards) and they used the occasion for a charity drive for mental health awareness group Chatterbox. Even had the bouncy castle up for the kiddos. Lovely stuff. Their side kept the same attacking crew, as well as getting Rina Hirano further forward this week, but beyond that it was all on. Amberley Hollis got a second start in goal. Indigo Kirk moved into the midfield alongside Jaedeci Uluvili while another U17WC played, Charli Dunn, got the centre-back start alongside Tiana Hill. That meant Arisa Takeda was at left-back again after a couple weeks filling in at CB. Musical chairs with the positions for Maia Vink who keeps having to mix and match with the players available.

Rasmussen wasn’t far from getting a proper touch on a free kick sent into the area for Central, though you can imagine how that chance was a rarity. Sopie Campbell’s first save came six minutes in, parrying a Jacob shot onto the post after KJ had gotten after a Savage cross. After 15 mins she made a good stop against Jacob again, Jacob kinda messing up a big chance from a turnover by shooting too early. There was another near post denial against Uluvili. Then a back post one from Hirano. The expectation was always that Springs had loads more to offer... but Central were swimming relatively comfortably. They were showing a little more possession stuff than usual. Rasmussen was on a mission in the midfield. They scrambled well in the defensive third. And because hard work alone is never enough, they also got lucky when an Aimee Phillips header bounced off the crossbar. After 25 minutes this thing was still goalless.

After 26 minutes, Western Springs were leading 1-0. Ava Lewis chipped the ball into the area for Aimee Phillips who took it down on her chest and then blasted it past Campbell for that belated opener. She’d been the most likely candidate. 26 mins is the second-longest Central have lasted before conceding – it was 32 mins against Southern... though they did go on to lose 8-1 that day.

Takeda missed a good look running late into the area onto a cross that beat everyone else before Lilly Dowsing almost pounced for Central by taking down a long ball only for her shot to get charged down by Tiana Hill. Useful few minutes for Hill because soon after that she scored to make it 2-0. Questions of a foul on Campbell as Phillips impeded her ability to grab a loose ball in the area but it’s refreshing to see a forward actually get the benefit of the doubt in that situation. She blocked her off but only by standing her ground. Tiana Hill then put a high boot on the bouncing ball to poke it over the goal-line.

Phillips was denied a second goal by the offside flag, tapping in after a Hirano lay-off. Takeda blasted one high from the edge of the box. Newman had to be alert to turn a Savage byline ball wide. Unfortunately, Dunning then turned Takeda’s corner kick into her own net for 3-0. Immediately after that, Ava Lewis made a burst up the right wing and squared for Liz Savage, who faked one way, then faked the other way, then picked out the top corner. Too easy for her. Both of Western Springs’ capped kiwi internationals on the scoresheet. First of the season for both Phillips and Savage. At least Campbell did make a reaching save against Hirano, then an even better one against Jacob, to ensure it was only four at half-time.

Ella Johns-Stewart replaced Dunning at the break (Dunning was later see on crutches on the bench so fingers-crossed that’s nothing serious), causing a slight reshuffle with Ella Third moving to centre-back (and immediately making a few helpful contributions). Nothing much to be done as Ava Lewis did a bit of this...

It didn’t actually get much further out of hand from there. It could have done, five goals down after 50 minutes, but Central were able to stem the flow with a few attacking set pieces of their own, including one where an Erol-Watt corner was headed on target by Rasmussen but cleared off the line by Takeda who was marshalling the back post. Campbell closed down Takeda for another save, then another from Hirano in the area. Placement wasn’t there for the latter.

Substitutions ensued in each direction as we ticked into the last half hour and that usually disrupts things a bit. Hirano missed with another swerving effort and Central continued to battle through. Caitlyn Turner made a season debut for them. Maddi Day got the last ten mins off the bench for Springs, the third-choice keeper getting some reps – not sure she even touched the ball. Campbell made perhaps her best save of the day tipping away a Maia Lythe shot after a Phillips cut-back... but Aimee Phillips did get a deserved second in stoppage time. She started it and she ended it. Right place to tap in from Hirano’s square ball across the six-yard box. That’s how it’s done.

A final score of 6-0. Not the worst for Central, not the best for Central. They had some decent stuff within this game and the experience will help their very youthful squad. Sophie Campbell has already had a couple years of WNL footy despite her age so none of this was unnatural to her and despite the six goals there were plenty of very good saves in there. Ella Third and Zara Erol-Watt are emerging as perhaps the best of this wave of Central prospects while Sasha Rasmussen and Evealyn Newman were solid here too.

Western Springs got big time showings from Aimee Phillips and Liz Savage. Rina Hirano had a quiet/wasteful game and still emerged with two assists because even on her lesser days she remains that effective. There’s also lots to like about how Ava Lewis is settling in as a fullback having started every games this year as a 16-year-old (no, that’s not a typo: sixteen). As youthful as Central are, Western Springs have plenty of teenagers themselves. Charli Dunn is 17. Indigo Kirk is 18. Those two and Collins started, while in clearing their bench they gave minutes to: Maddi Day (18), Chloe Carmichael (16), Maia Lythe (18), and Anya Stephan (not sure but she’s in the same range). Amanda Everrett (18) has played quite a bit this season too. A key difference is that Springs are able to throw those players out alongside experienced role-models, including internationally capped players, to accelerate their development. After only scoring twice in the previous three games, the Swans will be stoked with a hefty yet routine win in their final home game – with away trips to face the WeeNix and Cantabs holding potential to go scooping them up the ladder before this thing is over and done with.

Western Springs 6-0 Central Football

26’ | WS | 1-0 | Phillips (Lewis)

34’ | WS | 2-0 | Hill

40’ | WS | 3-0 | OG (Takeda)

41’ | WS | 4-0 | Savage (Lewis)

50’ | WS | 5-0 | Lewis (Hirano)

90+3’ | WS | 6-0 | Phillips (Hirano)

Wellington United vs Waterside Karori

Here we go, main event of the round right here. One of the main events of the whole season... doesn’t even matter about National League context – although there’s plenty of that too with Waterside Karori entering week seven in a grand final position with the chance to reinforce that by beating their closest rivals. Still undefeated following their amazing comeback victory against the Cantabs last week, from 2-0 down early to winning 3-2. Wellington United did lose their previous two matches but they got the bragging rights from the regional season, with a win and a draw against the Wharfies, the latter securing them the Central League championship in the final game of the campaign. These two clubs have combined to win the last seven league titles in the region. Welly Utd won four in a row, then Karori got a couple, before the Diamonds snatched the trophy back in 2024.

Last National League season these clubs drew the head to head and finished on exactly the same points, goal difference, and goals scored. Perfectly even. Plus a bunch of these players have played together in the various Capital Football rep teams through the years. Nice to see the two coaches share a handshake and an extended chat before hand... knives pocketed, backs all safe. There were a few funky selections though. Wellington United pushed Jemma Catherwood further forward on the left with Zoe Barrott moving to fullback and Sarah Alder into CB. Misha Koyari also joined the midfield brigade while Carolyn O’Reilly was good to go despite getting injured last week. Waterside Karori also sent a fullback further forward with Nicola Ross deployed as a winger. Jennifer Larrick made her fourth start in the midfield while Mei Burden returned at left-back.

Martin Luckie Park was the venue so it was effectively a neutral venue game with both teams having already played home games there this season (technically it was a Welly Utd homer on this occasion). And as is often the case there in the shadow of Mount Albert... there was a feisty breeze blowing across the park affecting anything aerial. The sturdy defensive shapes of the two sides, combined with that breeze messing with passes in behind, meant that this game took a very deliberate and patient approach to begin with. Then Emma Starr showed some lovely feet to send Kendall Pollock into some space peeling wide right. Pollock’s the top scorer in the competition but she turned provider on this occasion with a sweet cross into the middle where Starr had continued her run. Superb header from Emma Starr. 1-0 to the Wharfies after 14 minutes.

Pollock nearly scored straight after when Tui Dugan pounced on a slow turn from Koyari, the ball squeezing through to the American striker with only the goalie to beat, edge of the area. Molly Simons stayed alert to challenge the shot but it was still a shock to see Pollock flip it over the crossbar. The Diamonds were on the slippery slide for a sec there, though that quickly changed when they were able to get some attacking territory and there ya go Natalie Olson drew some contact from keeper Annie Foote and the cool, calm, composed Sarah Alder dispatched it for 1-1. Only the fifth penalty awarded in the WNL across 35 games.

With both sides having gotten that settling goal, they were free to start making things unsettling by lunging into a few more challenges. Always need a bit of that in a derby. Not a lot of shooting opportunities though. Sarah Morton prevented a few with some classy defending for WK, while Barrott managed to clear away a game of head tennis in the six-yard box for WU after a wobbly old corner kick using that breeze to good effect. Renee Bacon could have broken the deadlock when the ball rolled her way with Simons out of positions. She was pretty far wide though and couldn’t get the chip on target. Catherwood nearly set up Gilchrist back post with a sumptuous cross. Meanwhile, Pollock talked her way into a yellow card after not getting a corner kick tussling with Barrott, emblematic of the occasion.

Still even at the break. Still even as a very long Barrott free kick flew past the far post, the wind now behind Welly Utd’s backs, and still even as O’Reilly flipped a shot into the gloves of Foote. The scrappiness levelled up when Bacon went over under the attention of ZB in the area which ref deemed to be shoulder to shoulder. Bacon then left a nudge on Barrott as she jogged back to her position. Fire it up. Alder made a great sliding challenge to stop Pollock from getting a shot away. The Wharfies turned to their bench first by making a double change on 64’ and unleashing Rhianna Houghton and Emma Kruszona. The Diamonds responded on 71’ with Pepi Olliver-Bell and Libby Boobyer. Olson ripped one from range but couldn’t get the radar right. Pollock was flirting with that second yellow, chipping away with a few more fouls. The Diamonds went to a back three for the last ten minutes. Catherwood beat her marker but then her smashing shot was tipped over by Foote. Still even at the end of it.

Yep, another draw between Wellington United and Waterside Karori. The defences were just too good. Zoe Barrott was the left-back but she was everywhere, rushing around wherever she could be of use (and seeing her team covering smoothly for that). Caelin Patterson and Sarah Alder also had some great moments at CB, as did Sarah Morton and Daphne Ranta up the other end. Not a lot for either goalie to do in this game beyond trying to kick the ball into the wind and making the saves they were expected to make (although Foote’s stoppage time denial of Catherwood saved the best ‘til last). With two goalies of this calibre that was no issue. Carolyn O’Reilly worked hard in midfield. Emma Starr once again looked like someone who should be playing at a higher level. Kendall Pollock set up a goal and then spent the rest of the game trying to hurt/annoy people. Good fun. Sometimes you’ve just gotta stop and recognise good quality defensive mahi. Waterside Karori remain undefeated and in the box seat for grand final qualification. They’ve got games against West Coast Rangers (A) and Southern United (H) with which to seal the deal.

Wellington United 1-1 Waterside Karori

14’ | WK | 0-1 | Starr (Pollock)

21’ | WU | 1-1 | Alder [p] (Olson)

Standings

Top Scorers

Top Assists

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