Waikato Bay of Plenty have booked a place in the ASB women's youth league playoffs with a game to spare.
However, it's the attacking message they've given their rivals after yesterday's six-goal drubbing of title favourites Northern Football that's most pleasing to coach Simon Mead.
Waikato Bay of Plenty lashed six goals past Nothern, who scored two of their own, to move to within two points of the lead in the Northern Conference with one round-robin game against Auckland to play this weekend in Hamilton.
Star Tauranga Girls' College striker Olivia Chance, a full international with the Football Ferns, was in devastating scoring form with four of her side's goals.
Ahead 1-0 at halftime on the back of a left-footed drive by Chance from close range, Waikato Bay of Plenty went on the rampage in a one-sided second half.
Chance, 18, had her hat-trick within 20 minute of the restart, with Tessa Teong and Opal Shaw also scoring before the best goal of the game when Chance created something from nothing as she wriggled between two defenders, pushed past another before launching a curling left-footed shot from outside the penalty area that sailed over the top of Northern 'keeper Erin Nayler.
Claudia Crasborn and Football Fern Hannah Wilkson scored Northern's goals, which had more than a look of consolation about them.
Mead was full of praise for his side with the attacking, entertaining brand of football they produced against the Conference heavyweights. "We went with a point to prove, still feeling a little bit hard done by the last time we played them (a 4-2 loss), but more importantly we've been working hard on putting a total performance together and it was good today to see that when it all works out we're capable of doing that."
Mead was expecting a hard-fought first half to be replicated in the second spell on a hard and fast Links Ave pitch and was surprised it developed into a goal-fest favouring his side.
"All we're aiming for is a good brand of football. It was Olivia's day there today on the left and she took what chances that came her way pretty well, but any of our senior girls when they're on fire are hard to stop. Today has allowed us to build some momentum."
Mead was also full of praise for defender Kate Carlton, another former Tauranga Girls' College product who was given the tricky task of shutting down Wilkinson and largely succeeded. "Kate stuck close to Hannah, who we'd obviously identified as a danger player for them. She's been playing great football for us and today was no exception."
Scorers:
Waikato Bay of Plenty 6 (Olivia Chance 4, Opal Shaw, Tessa Leong) Northern Football 2 (Claudia Crasborn, Hannah Wilkinson). Halftime: 1-0 Wai-Bop