Campion College beat defending champions Gisborne United 2-1 in women’s Eastern League football on Sunday.
Heavy Equipment Services United won the league by six points last year, 20 ahead of Campion, who finished fourth in the seven-team league.
Wainui have dropped one of their teams this year, so it’s back to six.
United had only nine players for the game against Campion until coach Molly Adams beat the clock with some last-gasp registrations.
Campion’s playing strength has been boosted this season. Former United player Grace Levy is now playing for the school and opened the scoring for them on Sunday with a “pearler”.
Sophia Zame scored the other for Campion, while United’s goal came from Jamie Gedye, back on the field after a year off.
United’s player of the day was
Brea Low.
Campion impressed with their teamwork and skill. Skipper Lucy Allan had a strong game in central midfield, Dara Mulrooney marshalled the defence well, and Jasmine Sparks and Kat Vanderbilt put in good shifts to keep the United attack at bay.
Campion’s next game is against Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina on April 24.
Riverina beat Bohemians 11-1 at Wainui on Sunday.
Larisa Mahns and player-coach Lizzie Hall scored five goals each and Katerina Ngarimu scored one.
Riverina led 9-1 at halftime. Hall, having come off the bench to score a first-half hat-trick, scored the two second-half goals. She described her team’s performance as “awesome”.
Just before halftime, Morgan Andrews scored for Bohemians — a reward for her tireless work.
Riverina were strong at the back, where centrebacks Michelle Knubley and skipper Lily Auckram, rightback Maria Waide and leftback Tori Burt gave nothing away.
Midfielders Manaia Mill, Renae Lolohea and Grace McIldowie linked defence and attack smoothly.
Up front, Mahns was rewarded for her unselfish running and support play with five first-half goals.
Bohemians coach Graham Maclean said it was a tough first game of the season, especially for the new players. Wainui played good football, and he believed Bohemians would improve as the season progressed.
Gisborne Girls’ High School beat Tatapouri Marist Thistle 4-0.
After heavy early pressure from Girls’ High, Jade McVey cut in from the right and shot into the bottom right corner in the 15th minute.
In the 32nd, McVey played the ball through to Steph Collier, who guided it smartly under the advancing keeper.
Girls’ High started the second half brightly but struggled to find a way past Mandy Owen in the Marist Thistle goal, despite good work out wide from Mara Dehn and McVey.
In the 64th minute, Dehn played in Collier, who finished clinically for her second goal.
Marist then had a spell of sustained pressure, with Eden Schollum to the fore. The Girls’ High defence came through that test, with player of the day Kim Hayes outstanding in breaking down attacks and setting up play.
In the 85th, central midfielder Leah Dando won the ball 20 metres out and fired a shot over the keeper into the goal to make it 4-0.