Report by Jonathan Coles
Thames braved the wet conditions for their longest away trip of the season, heading to Taupō in search of another key result in their title charge. Their only defeat of the campaign had come at the hands of Taupō, who edged a 5-4 thriller in the reverse
fixture at Rhodes Park.
This was a chance to settle the score and move to the top of the league with a win.
It was a somewhat messy opening period as Thames struggled to find their rhythm, with Taupō dominating possession, setting an impressive early tempo and taking the early lead following a defensive mix-up.
At the thirty-minute mark, Thames responded aggressively. Ceyda Nemburt capped off an impressive team move by confidently slotting the ball home, thanks to a perfectly placed assist from Megan Jamieson.
Nemburt remained a constant threat, coming close to scoring again just minutes later as Thames continued to apply pressure. Samantha Chamberlain then linked up
effectively with Jessica Rendall, whose shot was expertly saved by Makayla Thorley in the Taupō goal.
Chamberlain kept troubling the hosts’ defence, almost putting Thames ahead with a brilliant solo run and strike. With Thames turning the screw, a dangerous Taupō free kick was expertly cleared by Emma Hinds-Senior, who charged down the pitch to counter-attack.
The captain carried the ball confidently and unleashed a powerful shot that was brilliantly saved again by Thorley. That attack marked the final action of the half, with the game finely poised at 1-1.
Thames came out with renewed purpose after the break, knowing they had to be more clinical. A corner combination involving Jamieson eventually found Brooke Douglas on the edge of the box, whose effort was turned in by Hinds-Senior to put Thames
ahead 2–1 – the perfect start to the second half.
Jamieson continued to be a key provider, delivering another well-weighted ball to
Douglas, who forced another save from the tireless Thorley. With Taupō looking dangerous on the break, Taimania Hinds stepped up, anchoring the Thames backline and calmly repelling wave after wave of counterattacks.
Then came a moment of real quality: a free kick from Douglas deep in her own half found Jess Rendall, who flicked it on to Chamberlain. Chamberlain swiveled and rifled a shot into the net to make it 3-1, giving Thames crucial breathing room.
Thames ended the game with a flurry of chances, refusing to relent. Chamberlain nearly added a fourth after Tanuja Edvalson threaded a clever ball into the box, but her effort drifted just wide. Douglas came close again with a thunderous free kick that
rattled the crossbar before Nemburt was denied from close range.
Thames managed the closing stages with composure, determined not to let Taupō back into the contest, with the referee calling an end to a brilliant second-half display.
It was a long but rewarding trip for Thames Women FC, who claimed all three points and climbed to the top of the table.
They now sit one point ahead of both Melville Epics and Northern United – the latter were held to a 2-2 draw by Cambridge Rubies earlier in the afternoon.
“I thought the team were brilliant today, Taupo came out strong in the first half but we were able to react,” said manager Xavier Brown.
“The aim now is to keep up this momentum and hold that number 1 spot for the rest of the season
