Athletic lack spark but find win

GO FOR GOAL: Wanganui Athletic's Rose Lockett curls her strike which will just elude North End keeper Alex Gray for the opening goal at Wembley Park on Sunday. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 180813WCSMWOMENS SOCCER2

A long season which could stretch to 30 games started catching up with unbeaten Wanganui Athletic Women at Wembley Park on Sunday afternoon.

However, despite a few tired bodies the girls scored a 4-1 win over Manawatu's North End 1sts.

Their victory almost wrapped up the Top 4 club title with two away games remaining.

But at times, the girls appeared to be going through the motions in their last Top 4 home fixture given the big matches lying ahead such as the Federation Cup final with Taranaki's Moturoa on September 8, not to mention a home and away series with Wellington's Stop Out club for a possible Central League berth.

"We were flat, we talked about it after the game," said coach Dave Downes. "There just wasn't the spark."

He will consider a lighter training regime ahead of playing PN Marist this Sunday, although if victory could be assured it would wrap up the championship with a round to play.

"There's still a chance [we'd finish runner-up]. Massey Reserves won on the weekend and they're five points behind us. There's still six points up for grabs."

Being such a good passing team, Athletic tended to "bobble" the ball at times on Sunday and that gave their opponents some turnovers.

Getting it right for maybe 10 out of the opening 45 minutes, Athletic put it together for Rose Lockett to curl one past the goalkeeper's outstretched hands, then Tanja Grunworld finished off after Ella Wiebe recovered the lost ball from a promising breakaway, scoring right on half time. Wiebe went on to add two second half goals to her ever-expanding tally.

Victory next weekend would allow Downes to rest key players for the last game against Massey, so they could be fresh for Moturoa in September. That game will be held at Hawera's Turuturu Park after the venue was considered a fair compromise as neither side had met this year. "It's just over an hour's travel for both teams, which I can understand," said Downes.