And it was Capital that copped Southern United's backlash.
A three-goal blitz in the first 30 minutes set Southern on its way to a 4-2 win at Logan Park on Saturday.
It moves to 10 points, just three off top spot, on a tight national women's league table.
Southern was completely dominant early.
Every time the Capital attack threatened, the Southern defence responded.
Captain Mikaela Hunt constantly quelled any threat down Capital's left wing, while goal keeper Jade Middleditch pulled off a handful of impressive saves.
One of those saves was needed in the first minute.
Middleditch showed slick reflexes to deny Capital an opener off a corner.
Southern soon responded and Shontelle Smith was taken down in the box six minutes in.
She sprayed the ensuing penalty right, before going close from long range a minute later.
Capital threatened again on the break, but Gray showed tremendous pace and effort to track back 50m.
She pulled off a fantastic tackle to deny the visitors their best chance of the half.
Anderson netted her first shortly afterwards, sneaking one past Capital keeper Molly Simons' near post from outside the box.
Anderson had a big hand in the second goal eight minutes later.
She took the ball deep in the box and crossed to Amy Hislop, who poked the ball in to double the lead.
That duo swapped roles five minutes later.
Hislop put a ball through and Anderson did well to toe it through, as Simons came out to make an awkward shot.
The ball trickled into the goal and Southern took a 3-0 lead.
Capital began to come back into the game
but the Southern defence remained solid and it took until after halftime for Capital to do damage.
Southern had a handful of half-chances early in the second half, but Capital was more clinical.
After rattling the cross bar from close range in the 49th minute, the visitors finally got on the scoresheet seven minutes later.
Emma Rolston finished a cross on the back post to draw back one.
Southern did not buckle, though.
Both sides had chances, which neither could take, through the middle of the half, before Southern made it four in the 82nd minute.
That came courtesy of Erin Roxburgh, finishing from the right after getting on the end of a Gray pass just four minutes after entering the game.
The win was safe at that point, although Jayden Watts headed home in the dying stages to reduce the deficit for the visitors.
In Christchurch, Canterbury United, which had not conceded a goal before this week, was beaten 3-1 by the Northern Lights.
That leaves Northern top of the table, having dropped its only points against Southern in a draw.
A 2-0 win over the Wellington Phoenix in the national youth league made it a good weekend all round for Southern United.
