Melville United are just four points away from winning the Lotto Northern Women's Championship and securing promotion to the Lotto Northern Premier Women's League after easing to a 5-0 win over Onehunga-Mangere United at Gower Park on August 10. Stevie-Lee Tiller led the way with a hat-trick for Tarena Ranui's side, her treble supplemented by strikes from Hayley Bennett and Erin Orchard as the champions-elect extended their advantage atop the table to nine points. Franklin United, who won by default at OMU's expense in midweek, now leads the pursuit of the league leaders, Sarah Carpenter scoring twice and Chloe Marthe once as they won 3-1 at Cambridge, with Rachel Major providing the lone moment of joy for the natives at John Kerkhof Park. Previous incumbents Onehunga Sports came a cropper at Shepherds Park on Friday evening, where goals in each half from Jaime Govind and Grace Chitty were responsible for Birkenhead United's 2-0 win, a result that helped ease the pain caused by a change in last weekend's scoreline. United downed "The Scarlets" 3-0 last Sunday thanks to a Chitty hat-trick, but that result was reversed in midweek due to the fielding of an unregistered player by Birkenhead, meaning OMU were awarded the points to significantly change the picture at the bottom of the table. Going into the round, OMU were alone in seventh place on ten points, three clear of Central United, and two behind Northern Rovers, whose visit to Kiwitea Street saw Craig Alexander's charges get off to the ideal start, with Lauren Smyth and Orla Chambers establishing a two-goal lead for Rovers inside the first eighteen minutes.

Anita Gross wasted little time in pulling one back for Central, however, and they grew in confidence as the game went on, particularly when Phoebe Donaldson scored twice in five minutes around the hour mark to turn the game on its head and set up a grandstand finish. Much to Northern's frustration, there was no further scoring, Central's 3-2 win dragging them level on points with OMU - "The Scarlets" have a slightly better goal difference - with Rovers now reluctantly part of the relegation conversation, being just two points ahead of both. The clash between Birkenhead and Franklin at Shepherds Park is the stand-out fixture in next Sunday's eighteenth round of action. Melville welcome Central to Gower Park, and could potentially win the league should they win and Franklin drop points. "The Green Machine" and "The Scarlets" do battle at Waikaraka Park, while at McFetridge Park Northern will be targeting three points from the visit of Cambridge - a home win will virtually guarantee safety. Details: Franklin United 3 ("oggies"), Onehunga-Mangere United 0 Birkenhead United 2 (J. Govind (45), G. Chitty (88)), Onehunga Sports 0  HT 1-0 Cambridge 1 (R. Major (55)), Franklin United 3 (S. Carpenter (39, 45), C. Marthe (73))  HT 0-2 Central United 3 (A. Gross (21), P. Donaldson (58, 63)), Northern Rovers 2 (L. Smyth (10), O. Chambers (19))  HT 1-2 Melville United 5 (S. Tiller (23, 45, 90), H. Bennett (32), E. Orchard (71)), Onehunga-Mangere United 0  HT 3-0