We’re now in Round 5 of the women’s National League Championship – a third of the way into the season.

Eastern Suburbs will be looking to consolidate their place at the top of the table. On pure points they’re level with Western Springs, but with a superior goal difference. Essentially these two are waiting for the other to blink first, before their first NLC meeting in Round 7.

But who else is fighting to stay in touching distance of those two trailblazers? With just three points separating third from sixth, and five between second and third, this weekend’s games will give fans a good sense of who is keeping pace with the top two.

Let’s start in Canterbury, where this weekend’s action kicks off at English Park.

There’s a back to the future feeling in the South Island’s only women’s National League Championship game this weekend, as Canterbury United Pride welcome Northern Rovers to English Park. Historically Northern Lights was made up players from the North Shore’s two dominant sides Glenfield Rovers and Forrest Hill Milford, who merged at the end of 2020 to become Northern Rovers. You’d have to turn back to the 2010-11 season of national league football to find a final that did not feature either of these sides, and they contested four finals in the last nine years.

And in recent years, too, Canterbury United Pride have started their season slower than they would have liked, but have come to the boil at just the right time to nick a place in the final. After being the first federation side to beat an Auckland team in this year’s National League Championship, the Pride would love to prove they have another title challenge in them by beating their old foes on home turf.

Last week Northern Rovers endured their first league defeat against league leaders Eastern Suburbs all year. Being a point ahead of the Pride, and with a point to prove this weekend, they could still be getting their season back on track with a win over the Pride.

Auckland United will be looking to pick themselves up after going down to the Pride last week. They’ll hope that taking on a winless Capital Football at Petone Memorial Park could well prove the platform for them to do so.

They’re now two points behind a resurgent Southern United who, after a challenging start to the National League Championship season, are now seeking a third win on the bounce. They secured victory over Central Football last weekend, with a goal of the week contender as new recruit Kennedy Bryant scoring a goal that capped off a passing move reminiscent of a sharp knife slicing through a Southland cheese roll.

But you wouldn’t blame Southern United for wishing they weren’t having to take on league leaders Eastern Suburbs on Sunday. The Lilywhites, after all, have the competition’s most ruthless attack and second most stingy defence. But in football we play the hand we’re dealt.

Article added: Friday 14 October 2022