Northern Rovers have taken a four-point lead in the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premier League after beating title holders Eastern Suburbs 3-2.
The defeat means Suburbs are nine points adrift of the leaders and now have little hope of a third championship in a row.
Flying start key to Rovers’ win
Northern Rovers effectively won this game in its opening minutes when the competition leaders raced to a 2-0 lead.
Estelle Harrison opened the scoring after only four minutes.
And in the 8th minute, Danielle Canham doubled her side’s lead, a margin they retained when the sides went into half-time at McFetridge Park.
Suburbs gave themselves hope — briefly — when striker Tayla O’Brien reduced the deficit with a goal four minutes into the second spell.
But the hopes of a revival withered when Canham scored her second goal only two minutes later.
With almost 10 minutes to go, O’Brien pulled back another goal and Rovers had to carefully manage the remainder of the game, ensuring there were no late slip-ups.
Rovers remain the only unbeaten side in the competition.
Main photo: Suburbs’ Olivia Page (left) and Northern Rovers’ Danielle Canham tangle when the sides last met in April. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Trudgen and Fa’afua get Ellerslie home against Wanderers
A goal in each half was sufficient for Ellerslie to beat Hamilton Wanderers 2-0 at Michaels Ave.
Anita Trudgen gave Ellerslie the lead after 28 minutes and her goal was all that separated the teams at half-time.
Ellerslie made sure of the win with a second goal, scored by 15-year-old substitute Cilla Fa’afua, her second of the campaign.
The result leaves Hamilton Wanderers and Tauranga City alone at the bottom of the table and they will fight out the wooden spoon.
Both the WaiBOP sides have had difficulty scoring this season, amassing only 13 goals between them so far.
Click here for Saturday’s match report of Auckland United v Tauranga City >>>>
Click here for Friday’s match report of Western Springs v West Coast Rangers >>>>
Results
Games played weekend of May 20-22, 2022
Friday
Western Springs 1 (Sofia Garcia 17′)
West Coast Rangers 2 (Emily Lyon 47′, 84′)
Saturday
Auckland United 8 (Ruby Nathan14′, 43′, Alosi Bloomfield 17′, Prue Catton 18′, 37′, 41′, Sophie Williams 24′, own goal 75′)
Tauranga City 1 (Abi Whitney-Collins 69′)
Sunday
Northern Rovers 3 (Estelle Harrison 4′, Danielle Canham 8′, 51′)
Eastern Suburbs 2 (Tayla O’Brien 49′, 79′)
Ellerslie 2 (Anita Trudgen 28′, Cilla Fa’afua 73′)
Hamilton Wanderers 0
Standings
Thanks
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