Defending champion Capital, of Wellington, beat Footballsouth 4-2 in a national women's league match at Logan Park on Saturday.
The Footballsouth women used a colander defence: capable of producing tasty morsels but full of holes which allowed Capital to punch through gaps, and Renee Leota to whack in a hat trick.
It was not that the home side was without class and skill, and could easily have snatched a draw.
But anything more would have been a travesty against a compact Capital side which was well organised by coach Peter Royle.
Footballsouth moved forward well, used the wings, and delivered telling balls into the Capital penalty box. But too often, players relaxed when attacking moves broke down, then failed to track back and exposed keeper Tessa Nicol, who had another brave game.
The hard comparison was when one Capital goal came from a three-on-one counter-attacking break against a near non-existent home defence.
There were lots of exciting Footballsouth breaks, with Mary Fraser and Sam Muirhead dashing like cavalry, and Muirhead's astute 25m lob was a model of awareness and good technique.
But it is a hard game if you give the ball away too often.
However, coach Nick Rzepecky is keen to try again next season with what he regards as a team that is full of potential.
"Ideally, we need to get organised earlier next year, put in place a firm foundation of fitness and stamina and work hard on team shape and organisation," he said.
• The Otago United youth side lost 4-3 to Manawatu in Palmerston North on Saturday, with the home side gaining revenge for Otago's first round 3-0 win.
Otago was well in the game with a 2-1 halftime scoreline after Andrew Ridden scored just before the break. Coach Tony Martin's side was reduced to 10 men after 78 minutes when Ross Howard was sent off.
However, Otago never gave up, and a late goal by Joel Stevens gave a glimmer of hope, but Manawatu rode out Otago's late pressure and earned the win.
