Momona nearly got a goal in the first minute before the game settled into a pattern of both teams playing long back and arounds and looking for a gap to send the ball through to a high player.
Alex Irwin won a penalty corner for City Highlanders but Momona rapidly counterattacked and got into the opposing circle with a deft touch from midfielder Courtney Ross.
Momona continued trying to get a long ball up the right side and with lots of space on the field, both teams were looking to exploit a gap.
Seemingly out of the blue, Dayna Holland dribbled into the circle and beat the goalie to give Momona the lead.
City went back to well drilled back passes, trying to show patience, and cleverly sent the ball up into the circle to win a penalty corner. A simple triangle, misread by the Momona goalie and put in by Tory Dougherty, levelled the scores.
However, not long after, Momona put pressure on in the attacking circle and nearly scored with an air shot. A penalty corner followed and Maddi McLean cracked in a goal to give Momona a 2-1 lead.
Sarah Thomas stepped up in the second half, trying single handedly to get a goal. She appeared to have scored at one stage but the goal was ruled out.
Momona went up a notch collectively with its organised structure and passion, put pressure on City and nearly scored several times.
Hard working Claudia Peyroux's efforts finally paid off when she broke into the circle and passed off to Holland on the left to make it 3-1. It was looking like a fourth goal for Momona when Dougherty got her stick on the shot at the top of the circle to disrupt it.
In the other premier 1 game, University A beat Taieri A 7-0. In premier 2, City Highlanders B beat West Taieri A 2-1, and St Hilda's beat University B 3-2.
By Shirley Gillett.
