Cambridge dominate against Papamoa

Cambridge scored its biggest first team win in recent memory with a crushing 15-0 victory against Papamoa in the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership.

Three goals in the game’s opening five minutes put Cambridge on track for its win at Papamoa’s Gordon Spratt Park.

Donovan ‘‘DJ’’ Latham scored in the first and fifth minutes with Aaron Huesser grabbing another in the fourth.

Defender Matt Wheeler, back in New Zealand on leave from his US college side, found the net in the 10th minute.

Remaining goals in the first half came from Callum MacLeod, Josh Clarkin, Jordan Silvester before Latham finished his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.

Latham’s goalscoring touch continued after the interval with three more goals in succession, taking the score to 11-0.

MacLeod then scored his second of the game.

Cambridge ended the match with three goals in the last three minutes. Substitute Andrew Taylor got the first, midfielder Theo Petropolous the second and Latham completed the rout in added time with his seventh of the game, and his 15th of the season.

It was the second time this season that Cambridge have inflicted a big win against Papamoa.

In April, Cambridge beat the Bay of Plenty side 7-0 at John Kerkhof Park with Latham scoring a hat-trick.

The result leaves Cambridge fourth on the premiership table, 11 points behind runaway leaders Waikato Unicol.

However Cambridge have a game in hand over Unicol and the two teams still have to meet again so Cambridge have the chance to reduce the gap to five points.

In the WaiBOP Championship, Cambridge extended their unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 2-2 draw against Hamilton Wanderers at Porritt Stadium.

Cambridge took a 2-1 lead by half-time with goals from Mason Woodall and James Cakebread and despite a Wanderers comeback, held on for a draw.

Earning that league point sees the team remain top of the competition, two points clear of nearest challenger Waikato Unicol who have played one more game.

In the Soccer Shop Waikato Cup, Cambridge B are through to the quarter finals after beating the higher-ranked Te Awamutu A side 2-1 at John Kerkhof Park.

Cambridge took the lead after only two minutes through Danny Styles and held their lead at the break.

The ever-enterprising Jason Szabo scored Cambridge’s second goal on the hour and despite a goal from the visitors, the home side held on for its win.

The Cambridge A team joins the B team in the last eight, having beaten Claudelands Rovers B1 team 4-2 in the knockout competition.

Scorers for Cambridge were Mauro Pereira (2), Matias Prokopio and teenager Arlo Stedman, playing his first season of senior football.

In the Soccer Shop Waikato Plate, Cambridge’s D1s go into the final 16 thanks to a bye while the D2 team progresses after a 3-1 win against Te Aroha Cobras.

The Cambridge women’s first team are out of the Waikato Women’s Cup after a surprise 4-2 loss at home to Matamata Swifts.

It was the first loss of the season for the team which had gone through the Waikato Women’s League undefeated to qualify for the WaiBOP Women’s Premier League.

The womens B team lost 4-2 at home to Te Aroha Cobras in the Waikato B Bowl.

Caitlyn Varcoe scored both her team’s goals.