Amy Hislop scored twice as Southern United beat WaiBOP 2-1 at Logan Park Turf yesterday.
The win was Southern’s first of the season, while the goals were the first it had scored since October 31.
However, it showed plenty of quality yesterday, as it extended its winning streak against WaiBOP to five matches.
It could easily have been a bigger margin.
Chelsea Whittaker had a goal harshly disallowed, being called back for a foul as she followed in a deflected shot.
Macey Fraser went close on the hour mark, too, putting a shot just over the bar.
WaiBOP had the better opening, before Southern began to work its way into the game.
It created chances down the wings, getting in behind the WaiBOP defence and finding space on the counterattack.
Hislop gave Southern the lead in the 14th minute, following in a free kick from Fraser.
Fraser had her strike was deflected by WaiBOP keeper Rylee Godbold, but the ball spilt free.
Both Hislop and Whittaker chased it in and Hislop pounced from close range.
However, the lead only lasted 10 minutes.
WaiBOP hit back after Southern failed to clear and was left under pressure.
Grace Wisnewski and Kate McConnell both closed in on an awkward, curling cross in the goal mouth from the right.
Southern’s Renee Bacon got there first, but the ball deflected off her into the goal.
From there WaiBOP went close to making it two.
Chelsea Elliott put a nice ball through for Shannon Trebes to get in behind the defence, but Southern defender Kelsey Kennard did enough to quell the threat.
Kennard picked up a yellow card, but crucially WaiBOP was unable to score from the passage that followed.
Whittaker went close to making it 2-1 on the half-hour mark, in similar manner to the first goal.
Hislop had her shot from the right deflected by Godbold, before Whittaker followed in and buried the goal from close range.
However, it was deemed she had fouled Godbold in the act of scoring and the goal was waved off.
That was how the score remained at halftime, but it was Southern that dominated after the break.
It pinned WaiBOP in its half for the first 20 minutes, a goal coming halfway through that period.
Hislop had to do a little more this time, though.
She was played into space behind the defence by Fraser, leaving her one-on-one with Godbold.
She beat the WaiBOP keeper, before finishing with her left foot past the scrambling WaiBOP defenders.
Southern created a handful of other chances from there and Fraser’s shot over the bar was the most prominent.
However, more important was Southern’s ability to shut down the WaiBOP attack and ensure it did not let the visitors back into the game.
The win lifts Southern off the bottom of the table and puts one point behind WaiBOP.
Canterbury United, Auckland and the Northern Lights all remain in contention for the final with one round to go.
