Petone scored a crucial come-from-behind 2-1 win over Waterside Karori in the feature Central Region Premier Women's League on August 16 to take the upper hand in the race to finish third and claim the final place in this season's National Women's League. Renee Bacon opened the scoring from the penalty spot at Karori Park for "The Magpies", but last season's beaten NWL Grand Finalists were overpowered before half-time by goals from Caelin Patterson and Pepi Olliver-Bell for the visitors, who are a point ahead of Waterside with two games to play. Both have to face bottom-placed Victoria University, who earned a point from their 1-1 draw against Miramar Rangers at Boyd Wilson Park. Crystal Phillips gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, with Nicola Baird levelling matters eleven minutes from time, leaving the students needing to get at least a point from their final two fixtures, both of which see them taking on the NWL place contenders. Wellington Phoenix and Wellington United have already qualified for the National Women's League, of course, and both recorded contrasting victories in this round of rescheduled action, with the Phoenix afforded three points by Marist Palmerston North's default. Meanwhile, a parked bus meant newly crowned champions United were made to work extremely hard for their 2-0 win over Moturoa at Newtown Park, with their X-factor duo doing the damage in the dying minutes of play. The "Ace of Diamonds", Hannah Pilley, broke the deadlock seven minutes from time, while the "Queen of Diamonds", Natalie Olson, made sure of the points from the penalty spot in stoppage time to maintain "The Diamonds"' perfect league campaign - they've won all seventeen matches played. This was a seventeenth round match brought forward by a week. The remaining games in the round take place across next weekend, kicking off at Wakefield Park on Friday night as Wellington Phoenix and Miramar lock horns. Saturday's fare sees the Palmerston North derby taking place at Arena Manawatu, while the students and "The Magpies" square off at Boyd Wilson Park. And on Sunday, Petone make the trip north to Taradale Park to take on the locals. Details: Victoria University 1 (N. Baird (79)), Miramar Rangers 1 (C. Phillips (9 pen))  HT 0-1 Waterside Karori 1 (R. Bacon (25 pen)), Petone 2 (C. Patterson (28), P. Olliver-Bell (39))  HT 1-2 Wellington Phoenix 3 ("oggies"), Marist Palmerston North 0 Wellington United 2 (H. Pilley (83), N. Olson (90 pen)), Moturoa 0  HT 0-0

Just one game took place in the South Island Women's League this weekend, with Coastal Spirit coming from behind to down Roslyn Wakari at Logan Park. Morgan MacCormick gave the home team the lead halfway through the first half, but double-strikes from Margi Dias and Samantha Whyte turned things round for Spirit, who remain in fourth place on the table despite this win. "The Ponies" play their final game of the season on Saturday when they welcome Nelson Suburbs to Logan Park. Spirit visit bottom-placed Halswell United's Halswell Domain home, while the match of the round sees Cashmere Technical and Otago University locking horns at Garrick Memorial Park. Details: Roslyn Wakari 1 (M. MacCormick (22)), Coastal Spirit 4 (S. Whyte (32, 90), M. Dias (55, 62))  HT 1-1