City, Lights grab crucial victories

The Northern Lights and Auckland City scored important wins in their respective national league matches yesterday.

In the National Women’s League, it looks to be a threehorse race for the two places in the final.

Northern claimed a crucial three points when beating Capital 4-2. Ava Pritchard scored a second-half double to keep her side in second place on 20 points, four behind leaders Canterbury United.

Canterbury sit top on 24 points after their 8-0 demolition of Central yesterday. Cody Taylor scored a hat-trick in the win.

Auckland kept the pressure on Northern with their come-frombehind 3-2 win over Southern United. Emily Morison scored a first-half brace to have the southerners leading 2-1 at halftime, but two goals from Grace Jale were followed by the winner from Nicole Mettam 15 minutes from time.

Auckland sit three points behind Northern with a game in hand.

In the men’s ISPS Handa Premiership, Dylan Manickum scored the only goal for Auckland City in their 1-0 win over Eastern Suburbs, riding a challenge well before running clear of the Suburbs defence to finish one-onone in the 54th minute.

Manickum had a shot cleared off the line in the 72nd minute, but it mattered little as his side closed out the win.

Earlier, Suburbs striker Andre de Jong had a 15th-minute penalty saved by City goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai. Tim Payne also had a second-half header appear to cross the line as Zubikarai saved, but the linesman adjudged that it had not crossed the line.

At a glance