Auckland United and West Coast Rangers clash at Keith Hay Park on Wednesday evening in a must-see top-of-the-table Lotto Northern Premier Women's League encounter, but at the end of May hardly anybody would have expected the reigning champions to be going into this match leading the way on goal difference. Rangers began the month with the perfect record - nine wins from as many matches - and were three points clear of United. But all that changed on Friday evening, with the title-holders requiring a dramatic and controversial stoppage time winner to score a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Hibiscus Coast on a night Ellerslie stunned the league leaders 3-1 at Fred Taylor Park in another come-from-behind triumph. Westward-ho to begin with, and all appeared in order for the locals when Shannon Henson opened the scoring with her tenth goal of the season in the 25th minute. But Maddi Ollington had "The Ponies" back on level terms within eight minutes, rounding Sophie Campbell before rolling the ball home into an empty net. That goal gave Ellerslie a real sense of belief, and they never looked like losing thereafter. And when Hollie Leona tucked the ball home after Ollington's 52nd minute effort had been spilled by Campbell, a shock was well and truly on the cards. The former Hamilton Wanderers star made it 3-1 soon after, and Rangers' goose was cooked. The absent Ella Dorward and Sienna Higinbotham were both missed by the home team on a night Ellerslie avenged their 5-1 first round drubbing in some style - a well deserved win for Ryan Shiffman's charges, one which fires them right back into top four contention, with one point covering third, fourth, fifth and sixth places at the conclusion of this match. Across town on the North Harbour Stadium Tigerturf, "The Coasters" were facing Auckland for the second time in six days - isn't it bonkers how often random cup draws mirror scheduled league fixtures at this time of year? After ninety minutes in that tie, it was 1-1, and that was the score at half-time in this encounter, Zoe Benson's superlative free-kick levelling the scores for Auckland five minutes before the break, Miya Stott having opened the scoring against the run of play on the half-hour after capitalising on Jess Philpot's error. Auckland had a dead-set penalty denied them just before the half-time whistle, Aneka Mittendorff's ball 'n' all challenge on Yume Harashima deemed legal by referee Steve Merriman. But when Talisha Green headed United in front seven minutes into the second half, it looked odds on that the recently recrowned OFC Women's Champions League winners would go on to record a routine win. Not so. Quite what Alaina Granger was thinking when she played a pass beyond Hannah Mitchell in the 76th minute Lord alone knows, but Azaria Greenway wasn't complaining, and duly rammed the equaliser into the gaping goal to set up a grandstand finish, albeit one which saw all traffic heading towards the goal defended by Sasha Brett. A second Auckland penalty claim, this time for handball, was rebuffed by Mr Merriman, who was forced to stop play in the ninetieth minute with Mittendorff having suffered a head knock while defending a corner. At the time he did so, United was in possession just outside Coast's penalty area, so when play eventually resumed, 'twas with an uncontested drop ball, which Coast management and fans were anticipating would be played back to them in the time-honoured manner of fair play, given the nature of the enforced stoppage. Benson had other ideas, however, and while she fulfilled the "playing back" aspects of fair play, it wasn't in the recognised fashion. Instead, a ferocious shot was directed at Brett, which the 'keeper failed to hold onto. Penny Brill slid in to turn home the loose ball and clinch a controversial 3-2 win for United, midst much ire from Coast's management and fans, with some justification, albeit misdirected.

"Not in the spirit of the game", said the more reasonably minded among those of a green persuasion, after the referee, having awarded the goal, spent nearly two minutes explaining the whys and wherefores of the situation to Caleb Ward and his coaching team, who were still remonstrating at length with the official after the final whistle. The thing was, the referee was correct in every aspect of his adjudication of this incident. It was the fair play element of proceedings which wasn't strictly abided by, and when competitive instincts take over, what follows is beyond anyone's control, match officials included. Something which was was the behaviour of United's coaching staff in the immediate aftermath of the goal - immature, inappropriate, inexcusable. Not the actions one associates with champion teams. What Roy Cox, the founding father of NZ women's football, said to me years ago - "It's all about standards" - applies every bit as much to those in the dugouts as it does to those on the pitch. Do and be better, gentlemen, please. Sunday's fare saw the telling teams enjoying a good day at the office - all four results in this round saw away wins recorded. Rivalling Ellerslie for top billing in the upset stakes was the 3-1 win recorded by Tauranga Moana at Fencibles United, a result which lifted the victors off the bottom of the table as they scored their first league win of the campaign. Miah Smith gave the visitors the perfect start at Riverhills Park, and while Mischa Marais scored with her first touch after coming off the bench as a half-time substitute, a brace of Grace Duncan goals put Tauranga firmly in the driving seat - theirs was a happy trip home for the first time this season, as United suffered a setback in their quest for a top-four finish. As did Eastern Suburbs at Madills Farm, where Western Springs prevailed 2-1 in a hard-fought affair as "The Hoops" new coach, Katie Duncan, made a swift return to the club with which she started the season in the same capacity. Nanami Omasa hit the post for Springs in the tenth minute, while Arisa Takeda saw her penalty splendidly saved by Nikki Whyte ten minutes before half-time, only for "The Hoops" to open the scoring from the resulting corner. Sarah Morton's far post header was of the blunderbuss variety - unstoppable! Within four minutes, "The Lilywhites" were level, Vicky Neuefeind thundering home a top quality leveller, which should have been built upon by Sammi Tawharu just after the hour mark. Instead, Springs struck again soon after, Indigo Kirk's unerring twenty-five yarder settling the contest in splendid fashion. Katie Rood spurned a glorious chance to make the game safe for the visitors twenty minutes from time, but they had done enough, and are now four points clear of their rivals in the race for a top-four finish, with the competition now at the halfway mark. After Wednesday's top-of-the-table tussle, league action takes a break for another week as the Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup quarter-finalists are discovered. Rangers should be a shoe-in for the last eight - they take on Lakes at Fred Taylor Park, one of four northern region ties scheduled next Sunday. Suburbs and Springs do it all again at Madills Farm, this time in the Cup, while Auckland make the first of three trips in six weeks to Links Avenue to take on Tauranga on a day Britney Cunningham-Lee returns to her old stamping ground as Franklin United take on Ellerslie at Michaels Avenue. Details: Eastern Suburbs 1 (V. Neuefeind (40)), Western Springs 2 (S. Morton (36), I. Kirk (65))  HT 1-1 Fencibles United 1 (M. Marais (46)), Tauranga Moana 3 (M. Smith (3), G. Duncan (51, 76))  HT 0-1 Hibiscus Coast 2 (M. Stott (30), A. Greenway (76)), Auckland United 3 (Z. Benson (40), T. Green (52), P. Brill (90))  HT 1-1 West Coast Rangers 1 (S. Henson (25)), Ellerslie 3 (M. Ollington (33, 57), H. Leona (52))  HT 1-1