City and Lights grab big wins

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.

The loss makes it very hard for Capital to make the top two. They are fourth, seven points behind Northern with four rounds to go, albeit with a game in hand.

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

Auckland kept the pressure on Northern with their come-from-behind 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-on-one 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 15thminute penalty saved by City goalkeeper Enaut Zubikarai. Tim Payne also had a secondhalf header appear to cross the line as Zubikarai saved, but the linesman adjudged that it had not crossed the line.

Team Wellington secured their fourth-straight win when easing past Southern United in Wellington. Mario Ilich got the pick of the goals in the 29th minute when beating Southern goalkeeper Liam Little from almost halfway.

Hamilton Wanderers continued their good earlyseason form with a 2-0 away win over Hawke’s Bay United. Jordan Shaw and Tommy Semmy got the goals in the second half, while Hawke’s Bay’s cause was not helped by the sending off of Cameron Lindsay for a lastman foul midway through the second spell.

Other results saw Waitakere United beat Tasman United 3-0, while Canterbury United came from two goals down to beat the Wellington Phoenix’s reserves 3-2.