Wellington United's relentless march towards a seventh Central Region Premier Women's League title in ten seasons continued unabated on August 1, the 5-0 steamrollering of Petone leaving "The Diamonds" a win away from that title-winning feeling once again. Their third-placed opponents were on the back foot once Jemma Catherwood and Hannah Cooper scored a quickfire double inside the opening twenty minutes at Newtown Park, and by half-time Summer Laskey and Cooper had added further frustration to Petone's Friday night. It's not a "Diamonds" win without a goal from at least one of their prolific goal-getters, and Natalie Olson duly obliged in stoppage time with her 25th goal of the season, leaving United just 22 shy of amassing a century of goals in the league with three games still to play. Could they? With Wellington Phoenix's clash with Marist Palmerston North deferred for a fortnight, Waterside Karori took the opportunity to leapfrog Petone and slip into third place on the table, coming from behind to down Taradale 2-1 at Taradale Park, where Sam Waru opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time for the home team. Last season's beaten National Women's League Grand Finalists were up for the challenge, however, captain Renee Bacon levelling the scores before Kya Stewart scored what proved to be the winner for "The Magpies" on the hour. There were two hugely significant victories for the home teams in the matches involving the bottom four teams on the table, with Miramar Rangers and Palmerston North United clinching the points in proper six-pointers. Rangers routed Moturoa 5-2 at Wakefield Park to all but secure their Premier League status for another season. Jacqueline Broughton and Crystal Phillips struck either side of the first of Trinity Mairs goals for the home team, with Hayley Hicks rounding out the nap hand after Anna Hinton bagged a second half brace for the travelling team, who slipped to ninth on the table. Below them, some five points adrift with four games to play, are Victoria University, whose relegation fears increased significantly after Palmerston North United sunk the students 3-1 at Memorial Park. Jorja Horn struck either side of a Carmen Su effort for United in a seventeen-minute spell either side of half-time, with Mia Parker's stoppage time strike of consolation value only to Victoria, who have netted just four goals this season. All five sixteenth round fixtures take place on Saturday, with "The Diamonds"' trip to Arena Manawatu to take on Marist offering them the chance to win the league with two games to spare. Moturoa entertain Wellington Phoenix at Onuku Taipari Domain in the other game outside the capital, which hosts three matches. "The Magpies" and Miramar meet at Karori Park, while Petone and PNU draw swords at Petone Memorial Park on a day Taradale travels to Boyd Wilson Park to take on the students. Details: Miramar Rangers 5 (J. Broughton (23), T. Mairs (37, 85), C. Phillips (47), H. Hicks (74)), Moturoa 2 (A. Hinton (65, 87))  HT 3-0 Palmerston North United 3 (J. Horn (38, 55), C. Su (51)), Victoria University 1 (M. Parker (90))  HT 1-0 Taradale 1 (S. Waru (44)), Waterside Karori 2 (R. Bacon (52), K. Stewart (59))  HT 1-0 Wellington Phoenix v. Marist Palmerston North, postponed Wellington United 5 (J. Catherwood (17), H. Cooper (20, 45), S. Laskey (37), N. Olson (90)), Petone 0  HT 4-0

There hasn't yet been a Dunedin City Royals Premier Women's team photo taken without at least one piece of silverware taking centre stage, and the tradition looks likely to continue in 2025 after the South Island Women's League champions-elect eased to a 2-0 win over Canterbury Universities on the first weekend in August. First half goals from Hannah Mackay-Wright and Amy Hislop, the league's leading markswoman, proved suffice at Tahuna Park to leave "The Royals" two points shy of their first SIWL title on a weekend which saw no wins for any of the Christchurch-based teams - it's an awful long time since that happened, if ever! 2-0 was also the outcome in the game of the round at Logan Park, where Otago University overcame Coastal Spirit thanks to second half goals from Jemma McCormick and substitute Georgina McEwan. Roslyn Wakari made it a clean sweep for the Dunedin teams as they handed Halswell United a 5-0 hiding at Halswell Domain, where Amelie East-Giles and second half substitute Hannah Park both struck twice for "The Ponies" on a day Zara Pratley also found the net for the travelling team to leave "The Hawks" staring aghast at the relegation trapdoor. That's because Nelson Suburbs did themselves a huge favour by overpowering Nomads-Waimakariri United 3-0 at Kendall Park, where Katie Beuker's fourth minute goal gave the visitors the ideal start. It wasn't until the last eleven minutes that Nelson made the points safe, a quickfire double from Sola Tsuruta - the second from the penalty spot - clinching a hugely significant victory for a team which finished last in the 2023 and 2024 versions of this league. "The Royals" can clinch the title when they visit Nelson's Saxton Fields home this Saturday, a day on which "The Ponies" welcome NWU to Logan Park. Sunday's fare sees the clash of the students at English Park, while for the first time in a long time, pride only will be at stake as Coastal Spirit and Cashmere Technical, two teams for whom battles with silverware at stake are de rigeur, locks horns at Tane Norton Park. Details: Dunedin City Royals 2 (H. Mackay-Wright (10), A. Hislop (24)), Canterbury Universities 0  HT 2-0 Halswell United 0, Roslyn Wakari 5 (A. East-Giles (40, 78), Z. Pratley (58), H. Park (63, 90))  HT 0-1 Nomads-Waimakariri United 0, Nelson Suburbs 3 (K. Beuker (4), S. Tsuruta (79, 82 pen))  HT 0-1 Otago University 2 (J. McCormick (47), G. McEwan (90)), Coastal Spirit 0  HT 0-0