These are halcyon days for Melville women, as they sit top of the northern league championship after four rounds. The club has never registered so high in female football previously.

And they're doing it primarily with kids who have come through their own ranks.

So it would be hard not to enjoy the moment being top of the women's northern league championship on goal differential after a come-from-behind 3-1 home win over Central United on Good Friday.

Melville's 16-year-old goalscoring star Laura Bennett scored two and set up a third at Gower Park to earn a league lead by a differential of +1 ahead of Onehunga Sports. 

But it was not all plain sailing, with the outcome in the balance for most of the match, as Melville trailed 0-1 until the 69th minute.

Bennett then capitalised on some fine ball-winning work from sub Stevie-Lee Tiller to curl home a magnificent equaliser from outside the area.

Stevie-Lee Tiller, right, is very happy with Laura Bennett's (seated) efforts

Her next effort, nine minutes later, rebounded off the post but Tiller was there to smash the ball high into the next from two metres.

And Bennett then sealed victory with a burst through the middle and a confident finish in the 84th minute against an older, more physical Central team that were a more difficult proposition than their lowly league position suggested.

Laura Bennett does it again

Bennett has now scored scored six goals in four northern league matches.

Earlier Melville conceded a seventh minute goal following an underhit backpass that gave keeper Emma Meadows little chance on an otherwise quite day between the sticks.

Everybody was very happy at full time

Sub Lola Williams had some bright moments and Tiller added much-needed steel when she came on, while another sub, Erin Orchard had a good cameo at fullback when she came on.

Melville are away to Cambridge, 1pm, on Sunday April 27.

Article added: Saturday 19 April 2025