How about that for a turnaround?
Southern United slumped to a 7-0 loss to Auckland United earlier in the season.
Yesterday, it took its revenge.
Forward Kennedy Bryant banged in a hat-trick and Chelsea Whittaker lobbed in a late goal to seal a 4-1 win at Keith Hay Park in Auckland.
Bryant was menacing up front for the visiting team. Her first was a well-executed shot into the corner past the sprawling figure of Rivalina Fuimaono.
Bryant got on the end of a pinpoint cross for her second and the third was a cracking effort from deep.
Fuimaono’s lack of agility and line speed was exposed by the Southerners, who completely dominated the second half.
The first spell was a different story. Auckland United had the better of the territory battle but took half an hour to break down Southern’s much-improved defence.
The visiting team gave up 13 goals in its first two games of the season. But the defence has shown a lot more starch since round three.
Captain Rose Morton snuffed out any play that came her way. The holding midfielder has been a big part of the gains made at that end of the field.
Southern used its defence as a platform for its offence and looked at its most dangerous on the counterattack.
Rookie winger Jasmine Prince used her pace to create some problems.
It was her last game for the team this season. She has travel plans for the summer, while classy defender Hannah Mackay-Wright has surgery planned for her troublesome ankle and will miss the remainder of the season as well.
Out of nowhere, Bree Johnson slotted the opener.
Auckland United had a free kick deep its own territory and sent the ball forward.
The breeze picked it up and carried it a little further than expected.
Mackay-Wright got caught out and her header went backwards to the waiting Johnson, whose initial shot was parried away and appeared to cannon into her elbow and probably should been blown up for hand ball.
Regardless, she hit the rebound past Kate Hannay who nearly got back to save it on the line.
Southern responded brilliantly. Whittaker found herself in space on the left and hit the ball across field to Bryant, who smacked it in to make it 1-1 at halftime.
Southern should have gone 2-1 up when Bryant threaded through wonderful pass to Whittaker, who pushed off a shot.
It was saved but the deflection fell perfectly for Prince, who drilled the shot straight into the keeper’s midriff.
Prince made up for that disappointing effort with a pin-point cross to Bryant who deflected in her second.
Moments later, she punched in a third from distance.
Whittaker made it 4-1 when she drifted in from the left and lobbed the keeper from close range.
Ruby Nathan was the best of the Auckland United players and hit the crossbar in the second half with a bullet.
In the other results, competition leader Eastern Suburbs crushed Central 9-1, Northern Rovers beat Capital 4-0 and Western Springs edged Canterbury United 3-2.
Southern’s win took it to fourth in the competition standings with four rounds remaining.
National league
The scores
Southern United 4
Kennedy Bryant 44’, 56’, 58’, Chelsea Whittaker 76’
Auckland United 1
Bree Johnson 33’
Halftime: 1-1.
