Bringing back the women's game

Football Whanganui's Emily Mayhead takes the ball up, being challenged by Moturoa AFC's Emma Crewe at Wembley Park yesterday.

They have come together from a handful of teams in the local club leagues, and the Football Whanganui squad are trying to bring the women's game back to prominence in Central Football.

The combined side of the best locals available play in the new-look 2017 GR Engineering Women's Federation League - a six team competition consisting of two squads from Napier, two from Taranaki and one each from Palmerston North and Whanganui.

There is a lot of travel involved for the 20-strong squad, so yesterday represented the chance for a welcome home game as Football Whanganui went down narrowly 1-0 to third placed Moturoa AFC.

"We lost to these guys 5-1 up at their place," said coach Symon King.

"If we could have just sneaked one, it would have been brilliant."

While the side are winless in their eight matches, the five-goal hammerings of their earlier games are now in the past - Football Whanganui gave another spirited effort the weekend before in a 3-2 loss to undefeated Taradale AFC in Napier.

"It's a brand new team, never played together before [this season]," said King.

"Massive improvements, now we just need the 'w' [win]."

The side has scored nine goals so far, with Vanya Hodgkinson, Candice Armstrong and Aimee Ashworth the leaders with two each.