Runaway Central Region Premier Women's League leaders Wellington United qualified for this year's National Women's League in style on the penultimate weekend in July, thrashing Victoria University 8-0 to guarantee themselves a top-three finish in a league they're on couse to win for the sixth time in eight years. The "Queen of Diamonds" carried on her goalscoring ways, Natalie Olson notching yet another hat-trick as she led "The Diamonds" to victory at Boyd Wilson Park, ably assisted by the efforts of Summer Laskey, Georgie Furnell, and second half substitutes Jasmine Burnard-Leppinus, Jemma Catherwood and Farina Anchico. The match of the round lived up to its billing, with second-placed Wellington Phoenix coming from behind to edge third-placed Petone 2-1 at Petone Memorial Park, where Jazz Shailer gave the home team the lead halfway through the first half. Phoenix, the only club in the country guaranteed a place in the National Women's League before a ball is kicked in anger each season, levelled matters through an Olivia Goodwin penalty as the hour mark approached, with Mackenzie Bryant netting a stoppage time winner to all but secure a top-two finish in their maiden campaign at this level. Petone's loss allowed Waterside Karori to close to within a point of the third-placed side, and last season's beaten NWL Grand Finalists did so in style, mauling Moturoa 7-0 at Karori Park, where substitute Aimee Cherry struck twice in the dying minutes to lead the goalscoring accolades. "The Magpies" inflicted punishment at regular intervals before the hour mark, with Taylor Cooper, Rhianna Houghton, Kya Stewart, Renee Bacon and Jess Drysdale all bolstering their personal goal tallies for the season in this one-sided affair. Taradale and Marist Palmerston North also closed the gap in the race for a top-three finish with convincing home wins. "Dale" put Palmerston North United to the sword 3-0 at Taradale Park, thanks to a hat-trick from "Captain Fantastic", Maddi Hughes. Marist, meanwhile, mauled Miramar Rangers 5-1 at Arena Manawatu, captain Grace Smith leading the way with a double. Chardonnay Ross-Elvin got the ball rolling, while Charlotte Noakes and substitute Hannah Marginson also chimed in on a day when Rangers replacement, Iris Reweti-Gould, scored a consolation goal ten minutes from time. The title is effectively at stake at Fraser Park this Sunday with Phoenix hosting the unbeaten "Diamonds", for whom victory will secure an eight-point lead with four rounds remaining - they won't be overhauled if that happens. Third and fourth - Petone and "The Magpies" - meet at Karori Park on Saturday morning, a day on which Marist welcome the students to Arena Manawatu while Taradale make the cross-country trek to Moturoa's Onuku Taipari Domain home. The other Sunday fixture sees Miramar welcoming PNU to Dave Farrington Park. Details: Marist Palmerston North 5 (C. Ross-Elvin (16), G. Smith (33, 62), C. Noakes (49), H. Marginson (87)), Miramar Rangers 1 (I. Reweti-Gould (80))  HT 2-0 Petone 1 (J. Shailer (22)), Wellington Phoenix 2 (O. Goodwin (58 pen), M. Bryant (90))  HT 1-0 Taradale 3 (M. Hughes (26, 71, 87)), Palmerston North United 0  HT 1-0 Victoria University 0, Wellington United 8 (S. Laskey (6), N. Olson (24, 35, 90), G. Furnell (42), J. Burnard-Leppinus (68), J. Catherwood (70), F. Anchico (80))  HT 0-4 Waterside Karori 7 (T. Cooper (12), R. Houghton (16), K. Stewart (24), R. Bacon (43), J. Drysdale (59), A. Cherry (84, 90)), Moturoa 0  HT 4-0

South Island Women's League leaders Dunedin City Royals enjoyed a week off this week, allowing Otago University, Cashmere Technical and Coastal Spirit to close the gap on the unbeaten leaders by recording wins contrasting in nature. The students were made to work hard for their 2-0 win over cross-town rivals Roslyn Wakari at Logan Park, Ashley Guesebroek's early goal not supplemented by substitute Charlotte Grey's clincher deep in second half stoppage time. It required the introduction of substitute Annalie Longo - not a bad trump card to have up your sleeve - twenty minutes from time to break the stubborn resistance of Nomads-Waimakariri United and earn Cashmere Technical a 7-0 win at Garrick Memorial Park. First half goals from Katie Brugh and Petra Buyck had Tech on top by the interval, but it wasn't until the Football Fern's introduction to the fray twenty minutes from time that the reigning champions cut loose, with Longo netting before Anya Stephan and substitute Tessa Toombs both struck braces. Laura Newman was another two-goal markswoman as she led Coastal Spirit to a 4-1 win over Canterbury Universities at English Park, where Margi Dias and Holly Lyon also netted for the victors, who came from behind in response to Lola Van der Sluis opening the scoring for the students in the 27th minute. 4-1 was also the outcome on Sunday at the United Sports Centre, where Nelson Suburbs climbed off the bottom of the table by beating Halswell United, for whom Jemimah O'Donnell put through her own net five minutes after half-time to halve the half-time deficit. First half goals from Samantha Crawford and Anise Bazley were supplemented by Abigail Platt's second half double as Nelson notched up their second win of the season having had a bit of a point to prove. The return fixture, on Easter weekend, was called off due to inclement weather, with "The Hawks" having made the journey north and both teams having named starting line-ups. Earlier this month, the powers-that-be declared that match a scoreless draw, something which clearly struck a nerve with Nelson, who, particularly after this win, will be thinking they should be two points better off in their quest to avoid relegation. Midweek action down south this week sees Canterbury Universities and Nomads-Waimakariri United clashing at English Park on Wednesday in the first semi-final of the Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup, while twenty-four hours later, Logan Park hosts the top-of-the-table showdown as the students and "The Royals" get it on. Next weekend's action sees a crucial relegation zone clash at Kendall Park on Saturday as NWU and "The Hawks" draw swords, while Sunday's fare sees Spirit and "The Royals" locking horns at Tane Norton Park. Cashmere travel to Logan Park to take on "The Ponies", while Nelson welcome Canterbury's students to Saxton Fields. Details: Canterbury Universities 1 (L. Van der Sluis (27)), Coastal Spirit 4 (M. Dias (35), L. Newman (40, 52), H. Lyon (49))  HT 1-2 Cashmere Technical 7 (K. Brugh (24), P. Buyck (44), A. Longo (72), A. Stephan (74, 87), T. Toombs (90, 90)), Nomads-Waimakariri United 0  HT 2-0 Halswell United 1 ("oggie" (50)), Nelson Suburbs 4 (S. Crawford (28), A. Bazley (40), A. Platt (47, 80))  HT 0-2 Otago University 2 (A. Guesebroek (14), C. Grey (90)), Roslyn Wakari 0  HT 1-0