Women's soccer: Title wide open as Vale pip Dale | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

The floodlights weren't great but the crowd at Napier Boys' High School was buzzing with excitement.

"All you need is for a few cars to turn on their headlights," one hearty soul on the sideline said, before Cru Bar Maycenvale United Misfits pipped Taradale Baldwin Jewellers 1-0 last night during the postponed women's Knockout Cup semifinal soccer match.

"It's a bigger crowd than any we saw at the Hawke's Bay United matches last season," another said.

With a crisp wind behind them, Taradale tried to draw first blood, but the Leon Birnie-coached Vale side absorbed the pressure.

It wasn't until the 67th minute that Vale player Emma Donovan curled a ball to Aleesha Heywood, who turned, left a defender for dead and jabbed a wormburner to the bottom-left corner from just inside the 18m box to outfox a charging Kylie Sutherland coming out from the goalmouth.

Both sides played good football, although Dale didn't seem to be able to catch Vale keeper Melia Begley on the hop, as they did a fortnight ago in their 5-2 league match victory at Taradale Park.

Vale muscled up better this time. Referee Grant Fletcher's control was equally vital in a thrilling match as he played advantage and pinged those who got carried away.

Birnie told SportToday: "We might have got knocked off the ball a little bit, but we really got stuck in and those balls put us on the front foot, unlike last week when we were on the back foot most times."

Cutting out the errors, he revealed, were equally vital last night leaving keeper Begley untested on high balls, although her habitual throwing of balls at Dale players did raise chuckles.

Favourites Vale now play Napier City Rovers A, but will be aware of Eskview Blue's 4-3 demise on Sunday.

The following Sunday, it'll be another Dale versus Vale affair at Akina Park, Hastings, for the league bragging rights.

Dale's inability to pop shots from more than 20m perplexed Graeme Jones.

"We've scored goals from there all season as opposed to up front," Jones lamented, but lauded both sides for the thriller. "It's a shame one has to lose and today it's our turn.

"We could have perhaps scored one or two even before they scored theirs, but that's football," he said, adding whoever wins the league will thoroughly deserve it.