There was no shortage of entertainment in the National Women’s League this afternoon with a remarkable 23 goals flying into the net in just three games across the country.

Defending champions Canterbury United Pride were sitting out the action with a bye but none of their title rivals were able to fully capitalise as Southern United and Northern Lights fought out a thrilling 5-all draw while Auckland were also forced to share the spoils on their trip to Capital, the sides settling for 3-3.

WaiBOP meanwhile emerged triumphant in a battle involving two teams yet to get out of the mark as they took three points from their visit to Central with a 5-2 triumph.

Given the high-scoring nature of all three matches, no spectators were short-changed but those in Invercargill were treated to the most excitement as Southern swapped goal after goal with the Lights. Both sides took perfect records into the contest – although Northern had only played once – and are still yet to be beaten but will each be disappointed not to have picked up another win after scoring so many times.

The referee’s notebook was needed after just three minutes when Helena Kelderman gave Northern the lead but it lasted for only a few moments as a rapid-fire pair of strikes to Shontelle Smith and Mikayla Gray swiftly had Southern 2-1 up. Smith’s goal was particularly memorable as it was curled directly in from a corner.

The hosts looked well in control when Kirsty Hayr notched a third just past the half-hour mark but Northern responded shortly before the break through Kelli Brown to make it 3-2 and set up a grandstand second half.

The prolific Brown – who finished as the tournament’s golden boot for New Zealand at the recent FIFA U-20 World Cup qualifiers – was on target again soon after the restart to get Northern back on level terms but the goals just kept coming.

Amy Hislop got Southern’s noses back in front from the penalty spot around the hour but Northern again found an equaliser, this time from Lily Jervis. Southern then thought they had won it again late on when Hislop struck her second but the Lights just wouldn’t go away and earned a dramatic point when Chloe Knott hit her third goal of the season with one of the last kicks of the game.

There weren’t quite as many goals in Wellington but no less drama in another contest that constantly see-sawed either way. There was only one goal in a comparatively quiet first half, Michaela Robertson giving Capital an early lead, but the match sprung into life in stunning style in the second stanza.

Firstly, Britney Cunningham-Lee squared the game up but it only stayed that way for a few minutes as Jemma Robertson joined her sister on the scoresheet for Capital. Auckland then turned things around to lead 3-2 going into the closing stages after goals to Chloe Marthe and Lucy Carter, leaving Capital facing the prospect of going three games without picking up a point.

But they were handed a lifeline with a late penalty and Football Ferns striker Emma Rolston kept her cool to slot home.

“We’ve come off the back of a couple of really tough away games so getting some goals and a point is definitely something for us to build on,” Capital coach Natalie Lawrence said.

“I’ve asked the girls to play a certain style of football and they’re getting better and better with it every week. I think you can see from how they played today that they’re enjoying it as well.”

There was also plenty of net-bulging in Palmerston North, where WaiBOP became the day’s only side to earn a win. While the 5-2 scoreline suggests it was comfortable in the end, the visitors were certainly made to work hard to get there.

WaiBOP’s Grace Wisnewski and Central’s Natalie Olson swapped early goals before Annaliese Heuvel pounced on the stroke of half-time for the visitors to alter the team talks of both coaches.

WaiBOP responded well to whatever Nico Girard had said, Wisnewski striking again to give her side a two-goal cushion. But, in keeping with the dramatic nature of the day, Central got themselves back into the game when Torijan Lyne-Lewis tucked away a penalty with around a quarter of an hour remaining.

Any hopes Central had of completing a stirring comeback soon faded though as a second to Heuvel and a late effort from Shannon Trebes made sure of WaiBOP’s first points of the campaign.

National Women’s League Match Week Three

Southern United 5 (Shontelle Smith 6’, Mikayla Gray 9’, Kirsty Hayr 33’, Amy Hislop pen 61’, 85’)
Northern Lights 5 (Helena Kelderman 3’, Kelli Brown 44’, 50’, Lily Jervis 81’, Chloe Knott 90 + 3’)
HT: 3-2

Capital Football 3 (Michaela Robertson 5’, Jemma Robertson 58’, Emma Rolston pen 90’)
Auckland Football 3 (Britney Cunningham-Lee 55’, Chloe Marthe 79’, Lucy Carter 84’)
HT: 1-0

Central Football 2 (Natalie Olson 11’, Torijan Lyne-Lewis pen 76’)
WaiBOP Football 5 (Grace Wisnewski 5’, 60’, Annaliese Heuvel 45 + 1’, 81’, Shannon Trebes 88’)
HT: 1-2

BYE – Canterbury United Pride

For the table and more information on the National Women’s League please click here

Article added: Sunday 29 September 2019