Smashed Them! Northern Lights v Auckland Football Federation -Women’s #ISPSHandaPrem — Round 4
The match of the round in the New Zealand Football Women’s #ISPSHandaPrem was Northern Lights versus Auckland Football Federation women, played on a carpet-like surface at North Harbour Stadium’s Outer Oval. Conditions were fantastic and a crowd of around 325 watched a superb afternoon of football featuring many of New Zealand’s top and upcoming female footballers.
Yesterday at 2p.m. Sammi Tawharu kicked off what was to be a dramatic Auckland derby that could turn out to be THE seminal moment of this years Women’s #ISPSHandaPrem.
Auckland came into the the derby in red-hot form. The started the competition ripping NINE goals past Central (9–1) at Riverhills Park.
And, if that was not impressive enough, they then traveled to English Park in Christchurch and put four unanswered goals past defending champions the Canterbury United Pride before conceding a late consolation goal when the three points were safely in their pockets.
Last week they stormed to an early three goal lead over Capital Football at Madills Farm, but then arguably went off the boil, again conceding a consolation goal to the Girls In Yellow, to win their third game on the trot, 3–1.
So that’s 3 games, 3 wins, 16 goals for and 3 against, and an eye-popping 1–4 victory away at the defending champions. Confidence was high in the red, white and blue camp.
Northern on the other hand have somewhat stuttered out of the starting blocks. They dominated Capital Football in round 1 at McFetridge Park, seemingly out-shooting the Girls In Yellow eleventy-billion to one, but only coming away with a 1–1 draw, due to wasteful finishing and a brilliant goalkeeping display by Georgia Candy.
A bye followed in round 2, while Auckland were demolishing the Pride in Christchurch. Then last week in Dunedin at Logan Park, after a tight goalless first half,the Lights much vaunted attacking unit finally clicked, putting three goals past Southern United. Although, had Arabella Maynard had her shooting boots on, or even a modicum of luck, it could well have been a couple more.
So, both sides were undefeated, stacked full of Football Ferns, Junior Ferns, and Football Ferns Development Programme players. A mouth watering prospect loomed.
You can watch the full replay on Sky Sports Next’s YouTube page here:
The teams walked out, shook hands, and went into their pre-game huddles in warm but pleasant conditions.
Concerns about the quality of the pitch at McFetridge Park in week one had seen the game moved to North Harbour Outer Oval, and it was a move well made. The pitch was in superb condition.
Northern Lights’ Twitter account has been using the hashtag #LightItUp2020 and they very nearly did so in the first minute of play. Captain Chloe Knott took a corner short to Arabella Maynard, who laid it back to her and Knott crossed to the near post. The ball wasn’t dealt with initially by the Auckland defence and Nicole Statford reacted quickly, got her foot to it but could only hit the post!
But it was Auckland who opened the scoring in the 6th minute. Daisy Cleverly took the corner low past the decoy short corner run of Hirano and Tayla O’Brien back heeled it in at the near post to give Auckland the lead.
In the 16th minute Northern Lights exploded in transition. A series of crisp, first-time passes down the right hand flank ended with Tawharu sending Ava Pritchard in behind the defence. Pritchard crossed to the near post and Arabella Maynard got between two defenders and finished beautifully to level the scores. And after last week’s frustration of not scoring Maynard was literally bouncing with joy in the celebrations.
Tawharu was again the creator of the opening in 25th minute when her lofted ball put Chloe Knot in on goal. Jess Philpot tried to deal with the danger but her swinging leg was adjudged to have felled Knott, and a penalty and a yellow card for denying a goal scoring opportunity were awarded. There was contact, however I was knott entirely convinced about the call, but there was no doubt at all about Knott’s calm finish which Lily Alfeld was just knott able to stop.
The notable feature for me of the remainder of the first half was how comfortably the Lights’ back four of Stratford, Jervis, Mittendorf, & Vosper were able to keep the Auckland front line at arms’ length.
This was in no small measure due to the efforts of the Northern Lights’ midfield trio of Knott, Stienmetz and Savage who laid the foundation for this win, gradually choking the life out of Auckland’s midfield, which with the absence of Emma Fletcher, was not the dominant machine it had been in previous weeks. Liz Savage, in particular, had a very good game, constantly having an influential impact of the game.
Ava Collins was leading the Auckland attack but was largely reduced to chasing long balls or trying to carve out passing lanes 25 yards out from goal.
The crowd was growing in confidence as the Lights increased their grip on the game.
One of the unexpected bonuses of the Covid19 era is that players like Daisy Cleverly are home in New Zealand and playing in the Women’s #ISPSHandaPrem. She has been a stand-out in the midfield for Auckland.
The half time break saw Northern Lights 2–1 up, and really starting to control the tempo of the game for extended periods.
Collins got the second half underway, but the second half was not set to bring Auckland much joy.
In the 55th minute Ava Collins received the ball at the edge of the box, controlled and turned well and drove into the 18 yard box between Stratford and Jervis. She went down, and the penalty was awarded. Auckland had a gilt-edged chance to level the game and change the nature of the contest, but Erin Hughes saved Collins’ shot and then got to her feet quickly to gather Jess Philpot’s attempt to put the rebound in, sinking to the turf with the ball clutched tightly to her chest at the feet of a group of players.
Captain Chloe Knott was the first to pat her on the back as the Lights’ players sensed what a huge moment this was.
The second half was a hard fought, physical affair, in which Auckland tried to assert some dominance, but the Lights absorbed their efforts, and slowly turned the screws.
Long balls from the full backs became Auckland’s most effective way of penetrating the Lights as their short passing game was very effectively shut down by the girls in the black and white stripes.
The third penalty of the game, in the 70th minute, went Northern’s way after Ava Pritchard was bundled to the ground after Liz Savage had headed a Saskia Vosper long throw skywards. Savage stepped up and the classy and experienced stalwart buried it in the lower left hand corner. 3–1 to the Lights then, and it seemed an awful long way back for Auckland from there.
They say, if you don’t travel, you don’t get to see the miracles. And in the 88th my travels were rewarded. Aneka Mittendorf unleashed a free kick from 35 yards out that will stick in my mind for a long long time.
Free kicks from that range rarely leave a keeper stranded, but Lily Alfeld’s flailing full length dive was really just decoration as the ball whistled into the net. Mittendorf just stood, Catona-esque it seemed, before clasping her hands to her face, perhaps in disbelief that she’d just done what she had.
Here is another angle:
The entire Lights team exploded with ecstatic exuberance and mobbed Mittendorf, and who can blame them? Not only was it a goal of exceptional quality, it made it 4–1 over their city rivals in a result that will surely be one of the most important of the season.
Walking out of the ground groups of spectators were marveling at the goal they had just seen. People were making hand gestures tracing the rising ball’s trajectory and there were smiles and wide eyes everywhere.
FT: Northern Lights 4 (Maynard 16, Knott (pen) 26, Savage(pen) 70, Mittendorf 88) Auckland Football Federation 1 (O’Brien 6)