No longer taking Pride of place

Southern United’s fairytale season in the National Women’s Football League has continued, with a 2-1 win on the road against the defending champions Canterbury United Pride.

Lara Wall had a brace for the southerners, who weren’t daunted at English Park in Christchurch, scoring both their goals inside the first 20 minutes.

Wall beat the offside trap, then finished neatly for her first, in the seventh minute, but her second was a thing of beauty – she cut inside at the top of the box in the 18th minute, then rifled the ball into the top-right corner.

The Pride fought back in the second half, and Macey Fraser, on as a substitute, scored a goal in the 65th minute that rivalled Wall’s second, but they couldn’t find another, and so lost for the first time this season.

They have also fallen down to fifth on the table, after four rounds, but have already had their bye. Southern United have now won two games in a season for the first time in a decade, and are up to second on the table.

After winning away, they have announced themselves as a genuine contender to make the top three and the finals, and they now return home to face a Northern side who are top of the table, but only on goal difference, and are coming off their bye. In the other games on Sunday, Auckland and Capital both picked up three points, as was expected.