New Zealand Football Championship
2-1 losses to Otago and Fsouth Women
Rab Smith
Waitakere player coach Neil Emblen praised both sides’ attacking approach at Carisbrook where his team beat Otago United 2-1 in the NZFC match played on Saturday.
‘ So often we play against sides that keep lots of bodies behind the ball, to frustrate attacks, but Otago went for it, and after scoring in the third minute, they had their tails up,’ he said.
Certainly Dave Dugdale’s third minute goal from a left wing cross had the parochial crowd at Carisbrook on its collective feet.
And in a bright period of play, the locals pushed forward and were unlucky not to increase their lead as Stu Kelly masterminded attacks and running well off the ball Dan Ede, Ryan Faichnie and Dugdale created space in front of goal.
And Otago had its chances....
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But defender Emblen marshaled his forces, steadied the ship and began to get passing movement going that harnessed the pacey Waitakere attack.
Roy Krishna’s quicksilver pace threatened but it was Solomon Island striker Benjamin Totori who carved through the middle at speed and calmly equalized after 13 minutes.
Otago captain and centreback Tim Horner was absent overseas, Mike Abbot joined the squad this week, and during the match Tom Sadd was injured and replaced by Robbie Deeley.
Going forward, Otago created many clever attacking moves, but sometimes when ball possession was lost, there was some confusion as 
to who was marking whom at the breakdown.
Yet more scampering attacks by Dugdale, Ede and Faichnie raised cheers, as did several shots and running attacks from deep by Nathan Knox.
Emblen missed little in the Waitakere defence, and Jason Rowley also astutely plugged gaps in the backline as the experienced campaigners absorbed Otago’s best efforts.
For all that, spectators still got their moneysworth as both defences had to make last ditch tackles, and several aerial challenges were of the ‘no surrender’ variety.
Referee Mirko Benische attracted the ire of visitors and locals alike as he failed to take into account the wet slippy conditions, and punished many challenges that were more enthusiastic than dangerous.
He issued six yellow cards. Bad enough that, but there was also confusion regarding some other decisions, and his free kick against keeper James Waggett for holding the ball for more that six seconds – had spectators offering the official their watches. 
Despite Benische’s early delivery of Christmas cards, the match continued to entertain, and when Waitakere’s Man of the Match Krishna snaffled a mis-hit clearance and whipped over a low cross for Brent Fisher to score the winner – the party was all but over.
Against fading legs, Waitakere pressured with a string of freekicks and corners that had Otago buckling, yet still mounting breakaway attacks that might have stolen a point.
Otago coach Fleming, clearly disappointed would not discuss the referee, and focused instead on the goalscoring chances missed, and also identified a possible fitness problem in the final quarter.
Still steaming with effort, player-coach Emblen commended Otago’s attacking play. ‘ After that early goal, they got their tails up and we knew we were in for a battle. It was a good game to win,’ he said.
At the Caledonian ground Footballsouth Women
conceded a goal in the opening minutes, and spurned a good chance to equalise when a penalty kick ( pic right ) was awarded.
Canterbury keeper Neran Albaza did not have to move as the kick was 
trundled towards her, and a golden opportunity to score their first goal this season was denied Fsouth.
Substitutions were made at half time: Carena Oosterbaan for Amelia Currier Una Madden for Kate Stafford and they took the game to Mainland right from the kickoff.
Kushla and Elise continued to play as they had in the first half and played a dominant role in the central midfield. 
On the hour an angled through ball to the right wing saw Una gather turn and deliver a good low cross towards the penalty spot where Elise Mamanu-Gray arrived to drive the ball into the roof of the net.
At 1-1
Mainland struggled with the different personnel and the game ebbed and flowed end to end with both teams failing to take advantage of the chances created. 
Amber Mulhall-Larsen replaced Kushla with 10 to go.
Mainland upped the anti for the final 10 and Football South thwarted everything that Mainland threw at them with good scrambling defence.
The back four of Daytona Helm, Bianca Roy, Laura Wallis and Annie 
Gilchrist did themselves proud.
Just as it looked as if the game would end 1-1,
in injury time, the ball was cleared only to the edge of the box, not shut down, and the ball was hammered into the goal from 20yards.
Playing referees time there was no chance to pull the goal back so the final score was 2-1 to Mainland.
| Auckland | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 10 |
| Waitakere | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 9 |
| Manawatu | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| Canterbury | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Otago | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| H. Bay | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 4 |
| Wellington | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 3 |
| Waikato | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
NWLeague tables
| Northern Conference | ||||||||
| Name | P | W | D | L | For | Ag | GD | Pts |
| Auckland | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 3 | 19 | 12 |
| Waikato-BOP F | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 3 |
| NZ U-17 s | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 19 | -12 | 3 |
| Southern Conference | ||||||||
| Name | P | W | D | L | For | Ag | GD | Pts |
| Capital Football | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 11 | 10 |
| Mainland Football | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 7 |
| Footballsouth | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 16 | -15 | 0 |