Eastern Suburbs joined Auckland United and West Coast Rangers in this season's National Women's League as the top three teams all recorded wins in seventeenth round action in the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League on August 3. "The Lilywhites" were made to work hard for their 4-0 win over Hibiscus Coast at Madills Farm, where a long-range strike from Vicky Neuefeind was all that separated the teams at the interval. Taylor "TJ" Anderson doubled their advantage ten minutes into the second spell following a corner, while Jess Innes made the game safe for the home team halfway through the half. It was left to Neuefeind to ice the cake in stoppage time with another thunderbolt into the top corner and add Eastern Suburbs' name to the NWL contenders in 2025. The teams which have preceded them both recorded convincing wins, but only after being pegged back inside the opening half-hour of play. Auckland overpowered Ellerslie 6-1 at Michaels Avenue, where Tui Dugan opened the scoring just seven minutes into the contest. Their advantage lasted just eleven minutes, Hollie Leona bringing about parity for "The Ponies" a week after clocking up a century of first team appearances for Ryan Shiffman's charges. Rene Wasi restored United's lead in the 25th minute, and when Chloe Knott increased it three minutes after half-time, there was no way back for Ellerslie, particularly with the firepower Auckland unleashed from the bench. Pia Vlok entered the fray on the hour, and within seventeen minutes had scored a hat-trick - a quickfire double within six minutes of coming on, then a top corner special to wrap up the scoring thirteen minutes from time. West Coast almost mirrored their title rivals' feats at home to a spirited Tauranga Moana, who succumbed 7-1 at Fred Taylor Park, where Maisy Dewell picked out the top corner in the ninth minute, having earlier lobbed Jess Benge, only to see the ball bounce over the bar. Benge made a fine save to deny Taylor Vujnovich halfway through the half, a denial which spurred on her team-mates, Grace Duncan in particular. She it was who dragged the travelling team back on level terms in the 28th minute, but straight from the kick-off, Rangers restored their advantage, Dewell's placed finish in the bottom corner rewarding the industry of the well-performed Ella Dorward and Vujnovich straight from the kick-off. The game was up for Tauranga eight minutes before half-time when Benge was unable to keep out Lorna Selby's tantalising cross-shot - Shannon Henson nipped in to make sure, but the ball was already over the line, and when Tessa Berger powered home her first headed goal in eight years from Dewell's corner on the stroke of half-time, you feared the worst for the visitors. Accuracy was Rangers' downfall in the second half, however, with numerous opportunities spurned, the worst of them by Minji Yun, who skied one from four yards into the middle of next week, never mind the next pitch! A brace of Vujnovich goals in a seven-minute spell halfway through the half extended Rangers'

advantage, with the scoring capped off in stoppage time. Dewell went for goal with a free-kick in a bid to complete her hat-trick, and while replacement goalkeeper Loralei Feist kept out the shot, she then made a pig's ear of regathering the ball and fumbled it into her net for an "oggie" she won't forget in a hurry! The round kicked off on Friday evening with an absorbing encounter between Fencibles United and Western Springs at Riverhills Park, where the home team snatched a 2-2 draw thanks to a late equaliser. "Fencies" opened the scoring just 73 seconds into the contest, Freya Harris heading home a gem of a Mila Clark corner to put "The Hoops" on the back foot from the outset. Caelan Tremain made a tremendous fingertip save at full stretch to deny Jaedici Uluvili's hopes of restoring parity, while the crossbar was all that stood between Taylah Byers and a second United goal seven minutes before half-time. Springs responded to that by restoring parity three minutes later, Rina Hirano scrambling the ball home from close range after a Cleo Carmichael cross caused chaos in the goalmouth, one of those deliveries through the corridor of uncertainty which goalkeepers dread. Anna McPhie thundered home a twenty-five yarder to give the visitors the lead ten minutes into the second spell, and it looked like being the match-winner until Fencibles substitute Mischa Marais smashed the ball home on the far post after fellow replacements Charlize Kerr and Grace Eng had combined on the right. That result effectively ends Fencibles' season, and leaves Springs needing one win from their last four matches to join the top three in the National Women's League, which kicks off on the last weekend in September. "The Hoops"' latest tussle with "The Lilywhites" at Seddon Fields is one of two matches taking place on Friday evening, the other a top-against-bottom affair twixt Auckland and "The Coasters" at Keith Hay Park. Sunday's fare sees "The Ponies" welcoming Rangers to Michaels Avenue, while Fencibles are on the road to Gordon Spratt Reserve where Tauranga will be looking for a win which would go a long way to securing their spot in next season's Lotto Northern Premier Women's League. Lastly, on behalf of the women's football fraternity, I take this opportunity to acknowledge the passing this week of a referee who was a great friend of the women's game during his days in the middle, with the 2002 Kate Sheppard Cup Final being the pinnacle of his whistle-blowing career. Requiescat In Pace, Graham "Butch" Whitford. Details: Eastern Suburbs 4 (V. Neuefeind (23, 90), T. Anderson (55), J. Innes (67)), Hibiscus Coast 0  HT 1-0 Ellerslie 1 (H. Leona (18)), Auckland United 6 (T. Dugan (7), R. Wasi (25), C. Knott (48), P. Vlok (65, 67, 78))  HT 1-2 Fencibles United 2 (F. Harris (2), M. Marais (89)), Western Springs 2 (R. Hirano (42), A. McPhie (55))  HT 1-1 West Coast Rangers 7 (M. Dewell (9, 29), L. Selby (37), T. Berger (45), T. Vujnovich (63, 70), "oggie" (90)), Tauranga Moana 1 (G. Duncan (28))  HT 4-1