Onehunga Sports came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw with Lotto Northern Women's Championship leaders Melville United at Waikaraka Park on May 18, a result which never looked likely at half-time. Tarena Ranui's team bossed things from the outset, and when Stevie-Lee Tiller took full advantage of a poor Maika Boonekamp clearance to thump home the opener from twenty-five yards halfway through the first half, it was due reward for their superiority to this point in proceedings, with Laura Bennett and Freya Douglas having both gone close to breaking the deadlock. Tiller was through on goal again seven minutes later, and while Sports goalkeeper Sammi Burton produced a fine one-on-one denial, she was powerless to prevent Hayley Bennett from ramming home the rebound. It was an injury to Hayley Bilk which ironically brought about a change in the momentum of the match. Sports' midfield lynchpin landed heavily on her hip in between Melville's goals and couldn't run it off, so coach Geoff Brogan made the brave call to shift Sivitha Boyce out of her usual defensive role into one which saw her shoring up the midfield. It worked, particularly in the second spell, when Melville certainly weren't the dominant force they had been. "The Green Machine" rose to the challenge, with Pip Meo regularly racing past players half her age as she looked to make a difference in the attacking third. One of those runs, to latch onto a Kate Inwood free-kick, saw "The Pocket Rocket" steal in behind the defence and force Emma Meadows into a save at her near post in the 65th minute. Eight minutes later, another Meo run culminated in Sophia Dol tripping Sophia Hoffman in the area. Inwood made no mistake from the spot - 2-1, and five minutes from time, it was Sports' captain's corner which was headed into her own net by a Melville defender, an "oggie" which referee Roger Williams incorrectly attributed to Inwood. (Not his only mistake of the afternoon, it must be said!) Sports didn't care who scored it - they were level, and worthy of the point gained. But the league leaders, whose perfect start to the campaign was ended by this stalemate, will look on the result of this top-of-the-table tussle as two points lost, with justification. They're a good young side, however,

and being well coached by former age-grade international Ranui, NZ Football's Junior Coach of the Year in 2019. That stalemate played right into the hands of Franklin United, who stormed to a 4-2 win over Northern Rovers at the Drury Sports Complex thanks to Sarah Carpenter, who scored all four goals for the home team in a devastating seven-minute spell either side of the half-time break. Rovers stopped the rot when Ellen Carter struck six minutes after half-time, but while Ashleigh McKie potted a late penalty to give the visitors hope of an unlikely fightback, Carpenter's work was exemplary on this occasion, as Franklin, after a sluggish start to the season, build another solid title challenge - they're just a point behind Sports and a further three points behind Melville following this win. Birkenhead United currently have the edge on Cambridge as their mid-table tussle continued, with both teams recording wins on home turf this weekend. Stella Neems' injury time goal broke the hearts of bottom-placed Onehunga-Mangere United as Cambridge prevailed 1-0 at John Kerkhof Park. United, meanwhile, saw off Central United 4-1 under the Shepherds Park lights on Friday, Grace Chitty's goal just before half-time supplemented by strikes from Charlotte England, Jaime Govind and substitute Veronica Ortiz-Rojas in a fifteen-minute spell after the interval, a period during which Alicia Kennedy netted Central's lone reply. All the action takes place on Sunday this week, with the Central Auckland derby at Waikaraka Park between Sports and Central a game the home team look to win, given Franklin and Melville are meeting at the Drury Sports Complex. OMU and Northern meet at Mangere Domain in a must-win match for "The Scarlets", while "Birko" and Cambridge draw swords at Shepherds Park. Details: Birkenhead United 4 (G. Chitty (42), C. England (52), J. Govind (63), V. Ortiz-Rojas (67)), Central United 1 (A. Kennedy (65))  HT 1-0 Cambridge 1 (S. Neems (90)), Onehunga-Mangere United 0  HT 0-0 Franklin United 4 (S. Carpenter (42, 45, 46, 49)), Northern Rovers 2 (E. Carter (51), A. McKie (83 pen))  HT 2-0 Onehunga Sports 2 (K. Inwood (74), "oggie" (85)), Melville United 2 (S. Tiller (21), H. Bennett (28))  HT 0-2