A brilliant strike has helped Southern United finish its season with a win.
Macey Fraser delivered a stunning goal to give the side its decisive 3-2 lead, an advantage it held as it beat Central in Palmerston North yesterday.
It was Southern’s second win in as many weeks, after losing its opening four games.
That allowed it to finish the national women’s premiership in fourth place on six points.
Fraser’s 66th-minute goal proved the ultimate moment.
She found the ball at her feet just outside the box and delivered a strike which curled in high over Central keeper Brooke Bennett, before dipping in under the cross bar.
Earlier, it was Southern that took the initial lead.
However, that came deep into added time in the first half, a 15-minute break coming as Central’s Georgie Furnell suffered a suspected broken ankle.
While both teams sought to create early, it was Renee Bacon’s 53rd-minute strike that put Southern ahead.
She received a ball over the top from Rose Morton, before calmly slotting it past Bennett from the right on the angle.
Central hit back immediately through Mikaela Boxall.
The home team’s captain was played into space by Aniela Jensen, leaving her one on one with Southern keeper Tessa Nicol and she made no mistake in finishing
Boxall nearly made it 2-1 just after halftime too. However, this time Nicol pulled off a fantastic save.
Jensen ensured Central took the lead in the 56th minute, this time finishing from the right-hand side, putting a superb strike past a diving Nicol.
Southern responded two minutes later.
Amy Hislop, another to become prominent throughout the second half, showed a nice piece of skill to score her third goal in two weeks.
She showed great poise to control the ball, turn and calmly finish with her left foot through the defence.
It laid the platform for Fraser to then slot home Southern third goal, giving it a lead it held to the end.
- Canterbury United will host Capital in next week’s final.
That came after Auckland was deducted nine points due to fielding an unregistered player in its first three games.
Initially, New Zealand Football had decided to not penalise Auckland but, after an appeal, the points were deducted, taking Auckland out of the final race.
