Cool Cobbin takes match with final minute strike

A last-minute goal from Northland's Emma Cobbin "saved the women's bacon" during their playoff for fifth against Central on the finals day of the National Hockey League.
With the game locked at 2-all, the New South Wales striker made a great tackle in the Central backfield before calmly slotting the ball to the bottom right of the 2009 champions' goalkeeper in the final minute, seeing Northland to a 3-2 victory and fifth place overall.
Fifth is an improvement on last year's seventh place, in a NHL tournament that was closer than usual, Mark Cromie Holden Northland women's coach Alan Lints said.
"But we are a bit disappointed with fifth.
"The girls are hurting. Historically we would have been happy with it, but we played well and did everything right ... we only lost two games and we still came fifth," Lints said.
After making a flying start to the tournament with a win against Auckland, Northland lost to North Harbour and Midlands, and then drew their next three matches which kept them out of the top four.
Northland hammered Southern 5-0 with a hat-trick from Cobbin, and a goal apiece from Laura Douglas and Jodie Nicol in Saturday's semifinal to progress to yesterday's final match against Central.
It was frustrating for the side, who started every game "exquisitely", created many excellent scoring opportunities in every game with the whole team contributing, only to be unable to convert their attempts at goal.
"I was impressed with the girls' on-field game and their off-field composure, I can't fault the players or the management and if you have to blame someone, it would have to be me, the coach," he said. Yesterday the women once again started the game well and had plenty of chances to score in the opening minutes.
Cobbin delivered the first goal for Northland after 15 minutes, before Central's Georgie Blackwood equalised.
Hikurangi's Jo McQueen found the back of the goal for Northland, giving them control of the match at halftime, but Central's Victoria Avison found her way through the defence to equalise again with only 10 minutes in the match remaining.
Just when Lints was planning for a 9 on 9 drop-off, Cobbin scored her second goal of the match, and her seventh of the tournament - allowing a tense coach on the sidelines to breathe again.
North Harbour were eventually crowned the new women's national champions, after defeating Auckland 3-1 yesterday afternoon.