The Lotto Northern Women's Championship trophy looks set to be gracing Melville United's Gower Park clubrooms this summer after early goals from Laura Bennett and Stevie-Lee Tiller earned Tarena Ranui's team a 2-0 home win over nearest challengers Onehunga Sports on July 20. That win has restored Melville's eight-point advantage atop the standings, and with seven rounds remaining, it's hard to see them being pegged back, particularly given the form they've displayed this season, the recent loss to Birkenhead United notwithstanding. It also means there's a ding-dong go on for second place now, with "The Green Machine" just a point ahead of Franklin United and Birkenhead, both of whom enjoyed wins on the road on Sunday. The South Aucklanders swept aside Northern Rovers 5-1 at McFetridge Park, Chloe Marthe leading the way with a brace of second half goals after Breanna Findlay and Michelle Oostdam had established a two-goal buffer before the interval, an advantage which was halved soon after play resumed by Lauren Smyth. Sarah Carpenter rounded out the nap hand on a day Rovers lost skipper Michele Hogg to injury halfway through the first spell in a match which saw Georgia Irvine donning the gloves for United. Birkenhead, too, were comfortable winners, their 3-0 win over Central United at Kiwitea Street kick-started by Danielle Holly just ninety seconds into the contest - a cracking headed goal, but alas for the home team's defensive lynchpin, 'twas into her own net that she sent it, while attempting to head a Summer Carkeek corner to safety.

Anita Gross went close to levelling the scores prior to the thirty minute mark, but the visitors made sure of the points in the 56th minute, Carkeek thundering home a twenty-five yarder after Rose Meleisea had pawed out another defensive header, this time from a Grace Chitty free-kick. Chitty herself smashed home a snorter soon after to wrap up the scoring, soon after Emily Gillion had hit the crossbar. Central went close through Phoebe Donaldson fifteen minutes from time, Hannah Halpin's save denying the home team a consolation goal as the threat of relegation lingers for the beaten side. Central are three points ahead of bottom-placed Onehunga-Mangere United, who led through an Aimee Archibald "oggie" at Mangere Domain before Cambridge scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win thanks to second half goals from Bella Stark and Sophie Harries. Fifteenth round action this Sunday sees the spotlight on Franklin's visit to Gower Park to take on Melville. Birkenhead visit Cambridge's John Kerkhof Park home, while Central and Sports lock horns at Kiwitea Street on a day Northern entertain OMU at McFetridge Park. Details: Central United 0, Birkenhead United 3 ("oggie" (2), S. Carkeek (56), G. Chitty (63))  HT 0-1 Melville United 2 (L. Bennett (9), S. Tiller (12)), Onehunga Sports 0  HT 2-0 Northern Rovers 1 (L. Smyth (48)), Franklin United 5 (B. Findlay (15), M. Oostdam (30), C. Marthe (52, 82), S. Carpenter (77))  HT 0-2 Onehunga-Mangere United 1 ("oggie" (5)), Cambridge (B. Stark (46), S. Harries (61))  HT 1-0