The title race in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League is set to go to the wire this season after West Coast Rangers closed to within a point of Auckland United by beating the leaders 1-0 in a hard-fought encounter at Fred Taylor Park on July 25. Chances were at a premium throughout the top-of-the-table tussle, but once Rangers introduced Sienna Higinbotham off the bench - marking her return from a lengthy injury-enforced absence, the home side enjoyed the upper hand in midfield, particularly given the absence of United's midfield general, Danielle Canham. Higinbotham it was who grabbed the winner, latching onto a Laney Strachan cross three minutes from time to deftly lob Hannah Mitchell and clinch the points for the home team, the second time this season they've downed the reigning champions. Eastern Suburbs all but secured their National Women's League place this week with two wins over the teams occupying the lowest rungs on the league ladder. They were little troubled in humbling Hibiscus Coast 4-0 on the North Harbour Stadium Tigerturf on Wednesday evening, "The Coasters"' cause not helped by having several players backing up from having played schools football just hours earlier. (What's going on there, league management?) Vicky Neuefeind got the ball rolling with a stonking solo strike, storming through Coast's ranks with a swashbuckling run from halfway to the edge of the penalty area before battering the ball into the far corner in the tenth minute. Coast responded straight away, Watford-bound Sienna Vercauteren rattling the crossbar with a twenty-five yard chip to remind "The Lilywhites" that their hosts were up for the fight - and in truth, they acquitted themselves well throughout proceedings. But after Sasha Brett had tipped another Neuefeind effort onto the post, the scorer of the opening goal doubled her tally on the half-hour upon being set up by Sofia Garcia, who was also hugely influential where the third goal of the night was concerned, Putri Ardana the beneficiary after Brett had spilled a cross from the dynamic striker. Neuefeind wrapped up her hat-trick four minutes from time to send Suburbs into the weekend on a good note, albeit one tinged with sadness given the visit of Tauranga Moana to Madills Farm would mark the last hurrah for Garcia. The Colorado native requires surgery, so has opted to call time on her career for now, bringing to an end a four-year spell with Western Springs then Eastern Suburbs during which she made her mark both on and off the pitch with her bubbly personality and on-field deeds - 68 goals and numerous assists in that time mark Garcia as one of the best strikers to have graced the best league in the country in the last fifteen years.

inspiring an 8-0 thrashing of last season's Championship-winning side, who also succumbed to goals from Neuefeind - a thumping volley, Ella Findlay and Zoe Brazier - both scored with headers - as well as friendly fire from Caitlyn Byrne as she strove to prevent Findlay from hitting the target. Across town at Stanmore Bay Reserve, "The Hoops" were little troubled in overcoming "The Coasters" 4-0, the result never in doubt once Liz Savage's spectacular diving header found the net via both posts in the fifth minute. Twenty minutes later, Marisa Van der Meer directed a looping header into the top corner from an Arisa Takeda corner, while Jaedici Uluvili also found the net early in the second spell, Takeda's set-piece prowess again responsible for the opportunity. Having hit the post minutes earlier, Dara Mulrooney wrapped up the scoring with the last kick of the game, swooping on a defensive error to race through and fire past Morgan Herbst, who took over in goal at half-time from Sasha Brett and performed impressively twixt the sticks for the home team, whose ranks were bolstered by a number of under-sixteen players. There was a right battle royal out east between Fencibles United and Ellerslie, neither of whom could afford to lose this East Auckland derby at Riverhills Park. Come the final whistle, it was mission accomplished for both on that front, but the 2-2 draw effectively ends the top four hopes of both sides with just five rounds remaining, their prospects now mathematical at best. Hayley Miller bagged a quickfire brace for "Fencies" either side of the hour mark, her first effort cancelling out Danielle Grimmer's thirteenth minute opener for "The Ponies", for whom Maddi Ollington bagged a 73rd minute equaliser which set up a grandstand finish, one which lacked the decisive goal both teams sought as their respective National Women's League hopes slowly disappear for another season. "Fencies"' top four prospects will be done and dusted if they don't beat Springs at Riverhills Park on Friday night, while Sunday's fare sees Auckland visiting Ellerslie's Michaels Avenue home on a day the bottom two are on the road. "The Lilywhites" welcome "The Coasters" to Madills Farm, while Rangers have the welcome mat out at Fred Taylor Park for Tauranga. Details: Hibiscus Coast 0, Eastern Suburbs 4 (V. Neuefeind (10, 29, 86), P. Ardana (56))  HT 0-2 Eastern Suburbs 8 (S. Garcia (7, 27, 45 pen, 88), V. Neuefeind (20), "oggie" (29), E. Findlay (47), Z. Brazier (76)), Tauranga Moana 0  HT 5-0 Fencibles United 2 (H. Miller (59, 63)), Ellerslie 2 (D. Grimmer (13), M. Ollington (73))  HT 0-1 Hibiscus Coast 0, Western Springs 4 (L. Savage (5), M. Van der Meer (25), J. Uluvili (54), D. Mulrooney (90))  HT 0-2 West Coast Rangers 1 (S. Higinbotham (87)), Auckland United 0  HT 0-0