By Joan Grey
Tough matchups this weekend could shake up the Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship.
Tauranga Moana, now leading the Women’s Championship by six points, are pitted against fifth-placed Birkenhead United.
Tauranga appear to hold the upper hand but their last encounter with Birkenhead ended in an unexpected 3-3 draw.
A slip against Birkenhead would send Tauranga back into unsafe territory.
Onehunga Sports, sitting in second place, will line up against Central United in Sandringham.
Past meetings between these sides have been nail-biters, with Onehunga scraping one-goal wins on both occasions.
Central might well complicate Onehunga’s hopes of catching Tauranga.
Third-placed Franklin United will go head-to-head with Manukau United. Franklin are fresh from a 4-4 thriller with Onehunga and have two games in hand.
Manukau United have had a tough season, and remain without a competition win after 14 rounds.
A positive result this weekend could set them up for a serious push towards the top in coming weeks.
In the Tron, Melville United host Northern Rovers in a fixture that promises to be closely contested.
Golden Boot
16 — Britney Cunningham-Lee (Franklin United)
13 — Grace Duncan (Tauranga Moana)
12 — Briana Osborne (Tauranga Moana), Sarah Carpenter (Franklin United)
10 — Annie Byrne (Onehunga Sports), Laura Bennett (Melville United)
9 — Ivy Calonne (Northern Rovers)
8 — Holly Patterson (Onehunga Sports)
7 — Kerri-Ann Jones (Tauranga Moana), Abi-Witney Collins (Tauranga Moana), Pip Meo (Onehunga Sports)
6 — Sylvia McDougall (Central United)
5 — Jaime Govind (Birkenhead United), Kate Mori (Tauranga Moana), Mia Humphrey (Melville United)
Fixtures
Games to be played on Sunday July 28, 2024
Tauranga Moana v Birkenhead United
Links Ave, Mt Maunganui 1pm
Melville United v Northern Rovers
Gower Park Hamilton, 1pm
Franklin United v Manukau United
Drury Sports Complex, Drury, 1pm
Central United v Onehunga Sports
Kiwitea St, Sandringham, 1pm
Joan Grey
Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football.
The story was first published on July 27, 2024.
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