Ferns fire for Mainland Pride

Football Ferns were to the fore as Canterbury United Pride kicked off their national women’s football league title defence with a 4-1 win over Waikato-Bay of Plenty.

New Zealand internationals Aimee Phillips (2), Meikayla Moore and Annalie Longo shared the Pride’s goals at English Park on Saturday.

Phillips’ finishing was top quality as she collected goals either side of halftime to give Mike De Bono’s team a perfect start to the campaign.

The Pride had started to assert some territorial dominance when Moore slotted their opening goal in the 32nd minute.

Waikato-Bay of Plenty struck back, however, when Sarah Krystman caught Canterbury napping

after a long throw near the team dugouts on English Park’s western touchline.

It looked like the interval score would be 1-1, but Longo, the Pride captain, and Phillips were having none of that.

Longo – who chalked up her

100th Football Ferns cap this season – set off on a mazy run through midfield and played a great ball into Phillips, who made no mistake to put the Pride ahead

2-1 on the stroke of halftime. Phillips gave Canterbury a twogoal buffer when she netted expertly after a solo run in the 59th minute. Waikato-Bay of Plenty never gave up, but Longo killed the game with a cracking drive deep in injury time.

Meanwhile, Canterbury United started the National Youth League with a 4-1 over Waitakere United at English Park on Sunday.

FC Twenty 11’s Michael White scored for Canterbury in the 18th and 40th minutes and Byron Heath and Haris Zeb added final quarter goals for a 4-0 lead.