By Joan Grey
Results from round one of the Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship suggest the eight teams in the competition are evenly matched, with two draws and tight wins for Fencibles United and Tauranga City.
The other six teams are yet to claim their first three-pointers of the season and will be eager to get wins this weekend.
Game of the week
Tauranga City and Fencibles United were the two winning teams in the Women’s Championship last weekend.
Fencibles secured a 1-0 victory against Te Atatu. Te Atatu defended determinedly, but a sixth-minute left-corner goal from Fencible’s Millee Loxton separated the two teams at the final whistle.
Fencibles have a new head coach, Simon Motie, who previously coached at London City Lionesses. He leads an exciting squad bolstered by young talent.
Key Fencibles midfielder Rosie Missen, who suffered an ACL injury during pre-season, will be missing from the team’s line-up this season.
On Sunday, Fencibles travel to the Bay of Plenty to face Tauranga City.
Tauranga City battled it out in the Women’s Premier League last year and brought that experience to bear with a 2-0 victory against Central United last weekend.
Player to watch
Young Fencibles midfielder Millee ‘Road Runner’ Loxton adds pace and explosiveness to the counter-attack. She will have been thrilled to score in her Championship debut last weekend.
Loxton has built experience playing in the U-17 National Tournament for Hamilton Wanderers and added firepower to the U-18 Eastern Suburbs National Youth League midfield last season.
Boosted by shooting training with former All White and Manurewa striker Monty Patterson, Loxton has developed a clinical finishing ability.
Fixtures
Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship
Tauranga City v Fencibles United
Links Ave, Mt Maunganui, 1pm
Onehunga Sports v Manukau United
Waikaraka Park, Onehunga, 1pm
Te Atatu v Otumoetai
Te Atatu Peninsula Park, Te Atatu, 1pm
Central United v Franklin United
Nixon Park, Kingsland, 1pm
Joan Grey
Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football. She attends ACG Strathallan College and plays football for Franklin United.
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