Students hand out a lesson

North End have copped a footballing lesson from the students in the men’s Federation League at Skoglund Park in Palmerston North.

After a stalemated first 45 minutes on Saturday, Massey University front-runner Joe Freeman broke the deadlock when he latched on to a deep cross that flatfooted the North End defence to score.

Two more goals from him during the second spell completed Freemen’s hat-trick and saw Massey run out 3-0 winners.

Massey are in fifth place on the ladder, five points ahead of both North End and Red Sox.

Saturday’s result was a far cry from the first time the two sides met this year, when North End put five goals past the students.

The game started at a frantic pace with a one-on-one between the North End goalie and Massey attacker at one end, followed by a North End shot that hit the Massey woodwork in the first five minutes.

After the early excitement the game settled into an end-to-end duel, but with neither side able to finish off.

In the second half though, Massey got their tail up after Freeman’s first goal, the others coming to cap off a sweeping upfield move, then a driving shot outside the North End box.

North End’s cause wasn’t helped when Nathan Cooksley was sin-binned for 10 minutes, but try as they might North End couldn’t get on the scoresheet.

Massey coach Donald Piper said he was ‘‘really pleased’’ not just with the win, but the way it came.

North End coach Garry Hodge said his side’s failure to take their chances amounted to ‘‘the same old story’’ for most of the season.

Napier Marist leapfrogged North End and Red Sox after their 6-3 home win over bottom side Levin. In the other game, table-toppers Whanganui Athletic beat fourth-placed Havelock North Wanderers 4-0.

The Palmerston North Marist-red Sox fixture was postponed because of a flooded pitch.