October 19 was a super Sunday for the four Auckland teams competing in the Dettol / Ford National Women's League competition, with all four winning their matches, and each scoring a minimum of four goals in the process. League leaders Western Springs led the way by equalling the league's record scoreline as they crushed Central Football 12-0 in inclement conditions at Massey University, Britney Cunningham-Lee leading the way with five goals. Maddi Ollington, Nanami Omasa and substitute Katie Rood all helped themselves to doubles in this one-sided affair, while Cleo Carmichael beat Alex Gray all ends up at her near post in the 33rd minute as she struck her first goal of the campaign. The only silver lining for Central is that they've no more fixtures against the teams from the northern region. But perhaps the time is nigh for Central to review their situation, and consider entering the federation's best-placed club side from the Central Region Premier Women's League in the NWL, with federation support, of course, much like Capital are doing with Petone and Wellington United this season. Something needs to change, because for too long now, Central have merely made up the numbers in the NWL, copping some hidings each year, and repeatedly finishing last, or second-last at best. It's rinse and repeat, year on year. That can't go on ad infinitum, as no one is benefiting. Reigning champions Auckland United got in on the act with a 4-1 win over Wellington Phoenix at Fraser Park, where Alyssha Eglinton headed the visitors in front in the third minute, conceding an "oggie" as she attempted to head a Talisha Green free-kick to safety. Auckland were keen to build on that early advantage, and did so in the sixteenth minute through Rene Wasi, whose angled twenty-yarder arrowed through a forest of legs into the far corner of the net. Halfway through the half, Ela Jerez - one of only two players in Wellington's squad who has experienced the intensity of Lotto Northern Premier Women's League football - afforded the home team a lifeline when getting past Green in the penalty area before battering a shot into the top far corner from an acute angle. It took just eight minutes for United to restore their two-goal lead. Danielle Canham's angled ball into the box was spilled by Brooke Neary, who was mortified to find fellow Junior Fern Zoe Benson on hand to exploit her blunder to the max. Benson wrapped up the scoring ten minutes into the second spell, curling home a shot from the edge of the penalty area upon being picked out by Wasi's cross to maintain Auckland's perfect start to the NWL season - three from three. That record will be sorely tested in the coming ten days by two of their cross-town rivals. West Coast Rangers also recorded their third win of the campaign by overpowering Wellington United 4-2 at Fred Taylor Park in a clash between the Northern and Central Region champions. "Diamonds" captain Zoe Barrott hit the bar with a thirty yard free-kick in the tenth minute, to which Rangers responded by taking the lead two minutes later, Marissa Porteous heading home a Kailey Short free-kick via the far post. Wellington came desperately close to equalising six minutes later, Natalie Olson and Hannah Pilley combining for Maggie Jenkins' benefit, only for Sophie Campbell to produce a fine save to maintain a lead which Rangers doubled on the half-hour, Shannon Henson volleying home from four yards following an Emily Lyon corner. United were far from out of the contest, however, and halved the deficit through Jenkins five minutes into the second spell, a goal which owed much to the indefatigable Georgie Furnell. But two goals in two minutes twenty minutes from time ensured the home team of the points, Sienna Higinbotham's volleyed finish supplemented soon after by Anjelina Ujdur's unerring twenty-five yard strike which completely deceived Blair Currie. Four minutes from time, Olson struck a stunning acute-angled volley to reduce the arrears, and give Wellington hope that, while they're now six points off the pace with five rounds remaining, four of those five games are very winnable from "The Diamonds"' perspective - they're far from out of the Grand Final race yet! Across town at Madills Farm, two goals in the first eight minutes were the foundations on which Eastern Suburbs set up a 5-0 win over Canterbury United Pride, whose fall from grace is one of the talking points of this season's competition. Sammi Tawharu pounced just 95 seconds into play after the visitors failed to deal with one of Kenya Brooke's trademark long throw-ins, while Vicky Neuefeind doubled the lead in the eighth minute, picking out the far corner of the net after Rebekah Van Dort - great to see her back on deck locally - had launched an attack from deep. Ruby Nathan should have made it three from the penalty spot three minutes later, only for Amy Simmers to pull off a fine save low to her left. But the 'keeper was at fault ten minutes before half-time when spilling Neuefeind's steepling cross - Tawharu

swooped to conquer in a heartbeat. Two minutes before the break, Neuefeind pounced on an under-struck back-pass and raced round Simmers before rolling the ball home into an empty net. Canterbury offered greater resistance after the interval, but conceded again fifteen minutes from time, an attempted clearance of Cema Nasau's header flying into the net off the unfortunate Simmers, who knew little about it. The round kicked off on Saturday at Petone Memorial Park, where Southern United made better use of the prevailing winds to school Petone 4-1 and claim fourth place on the table, although their winning margin should have been greater. Amy Hislop hit the bar from twenty-five yards halfway through the first half, while Emma Vane somehow headed over an open goal from point-blank range seven minutes before the break, as United took the game to the locals. With the wind at their backs in the second spell, Southern blew Petone away, Toni Power's long-range lob six minutes after half-time supplemented by Mackenzie Ratstatter's 35 yard free-kick fifteen minutes later, the ball sailing into the top far corner beyond a bemused Leonie Heck. Fifteen minutes from time, Keira Pettefar punished Petone's failure to clear a Hannah Mackay-Wright cross from close range, while Vane made amends for her first half blemish by steering home a twenty-yarder ten minutes later. An Olivia Gibbs goal in stoppage time - Lauren Paterson should have done better - was of consolation value only for Petone, who didn't do themselves justice in the windy conditions with which they're all too familiar. It's local derbies time in the National Women's League over the course of the next ten days or so, with pride and bragging rights on the line on at least six occasions in this period, with Central and Petone getting things under way at Massey University on Wednesday evening. Two derbies take place on Friday night, with "The Diamonds" and the Phoenix squaring off at Petone Memorial Park, while "The Hoops" and "The Lilywhites" play out the latest instalment in their long-standing rivalry at Seddon Fields, a match which will test the league leaders' merits to the max. Saturday's fare sees Auckland and Rangers locking horns at Keith Hay Park - there's no love lost in that rivalry either, while South Island bragging rights are on the line at Logan Park when Southern and Canterbury clash, four days before the eagerly awaited rescheduled encounter between Suburbs and the title-holders takes place at Riverhills Park. Northern region teams continue to dominate the National Women's Youth League too, with Eastern Suburbs, Fencibles United and Melville United all maintaining their perfect records on October 19. Zoe Brazier's brace of goals led "The Lilywhites" to a 7-2 thrashing of Canterbury United Pride, while Morgan Day also struck twice as "Fencies" came from behind to edge out Central Football 3-2 on a day ten different goalscorers found the net at Gower Park, where "The Unicorns" also scored a come-from-behind win, 6-4 over Capital Football. Only a late equaliser from Wellington Phoenix's Amelie McClintock prevented a clean sweep in the round, as the reigning champions held Tauranga Moana to a 1-1 draw to record their second stalemate in this season's competition. Local derbies dominate the landscape on Labour weekend, with three matches scheduled on Saturday. The pick of them sees Fencibles and Suburbs drawing swords at Riverhills Park, while Melville head across the Kaimais to Tauranga's Links Avenue home on a day South Island pride is at stake when Southern United welcome Canterbury to Logan Park. The Wellington NWYL derby, between Capital and the Phoenix, takes place on October 30. Before then, of course, three of our national teams will have played a few matches. The Football Ferns take on Mexico in Mexico City (3pm Friday), and in Cuidad Juarez (noon Monday), before crossing the border to take on the USA in Kansas City at 1pm on Thursday week. The Young Ferns, meanwhile, are on FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Finals duty in Morocco, with games against Japan (2am Monday), Paraguay (8am Thursday) and Zambia (8am Sunday) on the menu for Alana Gunn's charges. And the Futsal Ferns head to Brazil for two matches against South America's finest in the next ten days. Busy times - love it! Details: Central Football 0, Western Springs 12 (M. Ollington (12, 32), B. Cunningham-Lee (21, 38, 47, 48, 54), C. Carmichael (33), N. Omasa (50, 90), K. Rood (75, 89))  HT 0-5 Eastern Suburbs 5 (S. Tawharu (2, 35), V. Neuefeind (8, 43), "oggie" (75)), Canterbury United Pride 0  HT 4-0 Petone 1 (O. Gibbs (90)), Southern United 4 (T. Power (51), M. Ratstatter (66), K. Pettefar (79), E. Vane (84))  HT 0-0 Wellington Phoenix 1 (E. Jerez (22)), Auckland United 4 ("oggie" (3), R. Wasi (16), Z. Benson (30, 55))  HT 1-3 West Coast Rangers 4 (M. Porteous (12), S. Henson (29), S. Higinbotham (69), A. Ujdur (71)), Wellington United 2 (M. Jenkins (50), N. Olson (86))  HT 2-0