United back in winning form
TFOOTBALL
e Puke United men’s team got back to winning ways after heading over the Kaimais for the second successive week. After finding goals hard to come by they scored four to beat Te Awamutu 4-3.
The game kicked off with both teams playing well, passing the ball around, with chances created by both sides. Te Puke were first to score with a perfectly timed header from Jed Melton in the opening five minutes, with Agustin Fernandez quickly adding a second.
The hosts then fired up and took control of the game, putting Te Puke on the back foot and evening things up before a formation change saw Te Puke regain some control with the teams evenly matched for the rest of the half.
A little too much fire from Te Puke at the start of the second half saw a straight red for Kyne Ritson which forced another formation change. Despite going down to 10, Te Puke gave as good as they got with both teams creating chances.
A Te Awamutu red saw player numbers back even, and Te Puke took the ascendancy with Fernandez second goal from a well placed shot, with Jindrich Hahn making it four shortly afterwards.
Te Awamutu were awarded a penalty right on fulltime.
Fernandez was named player of the day.
Next Saturday it’s a derby game with Pa¯pa¯moa FC the visitors to Litt Park with the game starting at 12.30pm.
The club’s women’s team made it two wins from two games with their first home encounter of the season a 5-1 win over O¯ tumoetai.
Both teams started strongly with good passing plays and movement, but with Te Puke having the lion’s share of the chances. The pressure finally told with Jessica Pepperell opening the scoring in the 30th minute.
Both teams continued to press, but it was Te Puke who extended their lead with Ashley Weld scoring after beating several players and the goalkeeper, Pepperell getting her second before the break after a cross from Chynna Davie.
The home side started the second half as they had finished the first with Pepperell completing her hat-trick with a simple tap in after a Sammi Parish shot.
O¯ tumoetai pulled a goal back from a corner, but Davie got on the scoresheet from a Weld cross in the 57th minute to complete the scoring. Jamie Filmer’s solid defending saw her named player of the day.
Next Sunday the women’s team have Waikato Cup game against West Hamilton in Hamilton at 1pm.