Goals aplenty in NRFL double-headers
Dylan Stansfield nearly singlehandedly led East Coast Bays to victory against Manurewa in the Northern Region Football League premiership.
Stansfield scored all of East Coast Bays’ goals in the 4-2 win.
Despite Manurewa opening the scoring in the opening minutes of the matchon Monday, Stansfield netted three times before halftime. The win was a turnaround from Bays’ 3-2 loss against Three Kings United in the previous round played on Good Friday.
Birkenhead United had an even greater change in fortune in their second match of the long weekend. On the back of a strong second half, Birkenhead beat Central United 6-2 at Shepherds Park on Monday afternoon.
However, Birkenhead’s opening game of the double-header against Onehunga Sports on Friday ended with a very different result. In a 10-minute period around the hour mark in the match, three players - including Birkenhead’s Roussin Nkoy and Emmanuel Darkwa - were shown red cards. Birkenhead lost 3-0.
Eastern Suburbs shot out to a 4-0 lead over Forrest Hill Milford in their round four fixture. But the home side struck back straight after the break to get back to a 4-3 final scoreline. In round five, a brace from Forrest Hill’s Blair Whitlock was met by a double from Hamilton Wanderers’ Jama Boss for a 2-2 draw.
Glenfield Rovers couldn’t claim a win over the weekend, but they didn’t lose either. A come from behind 2-2 draw with Waitakere City was followed by a 1-1 scoreline against Three Kings.
North Shore United’s 4-1 win over Franklin United in the first division on Friday was followed by their first loss, 6-1 against Western Springs, on Tuesday night.
A second half surge by Takapuna saw them sneak past Te Atatu in the second division on April 14 for a 3-2 win. In a local derby on Monday, Takapuna and Albany couldn’t be separated as they finished 1-1.
Albany’s first game of the weekend, 4-1 defeat of Mangere United, was their biggest win of the campaign so far.
Forrest Hill Milford beat Northland 5-1 for their first win of the women’s premiership, whereas Glenfield Rovers had their first loss, going down 2-1 to Three Kings.