Top three continue to set the pace with narrow wins

Taupo, Matamata Swifts and Waikato Unicol all had narrower than expected WaiBop Premiership victories on Saturday but all three still picked up the points to keep the pressure on each other at the top of the table.

At Crown Park, Taupo maintained their one point lead thanks to a 2-1 victory over midtable Melville United. The fact the match was level at one apiece at the break says a lot for the battling performance of the inconsistent Melville side. But the hosts grabbed the vital winner during the second half - Finn Smith’s second goal of the game - to nab all the points and keep their superb run going.

Taupo has now won five in a row after their opening day draw with Cambridge. Dylan Blair scored again for Melville, who stay in sixth but have played more games than the teams around them.

Like their top three rivals, Taupo will have one eye on their upcoming Chatham Cup second round match, which will be played over Queen’s Birthday weekend. Titles are won, however, by sides that can grind out results when not at their best and Taupo seem capable of that at the moment.

As do both Matamata Swifts and Waikato Unicol.

The Swifts were comfortable 4-0 winners at bottom side Papamoa but weren’t as fluent as in some of their recent performances. Dayne Willemsen and captain, Scott Parsonage, netted during the first half, before goals from Logan Raynel and Brad West after the break sealed the points for the league’s top scorers.

Their victory margin allowed Matamata to jump ahead of Unicol on goal difference after the students won 2-1 at Te Awamutu. Ash Gower-Rudman scored once in each half to ensure Unicol bounced back from their first loss of the season at Taupo last time out, but Haydn Roil’s goal for the hosts kept it close.

Taupo sit on sixteen points while both Matamata and Unicol are on fifteen.

Further down the table, Rotorua United leaped over Old Blues on goal difference following their 2-0 win at home over Tauranga Boys’ College. Up 2-0 at the break, Old Blues looked like keeping up with the top three, but their opponents, Otumoetai, turned the game around during the second half to win 3-2 thanks to a Daniel Miller double and a goal from Jay Silcock. Rotorua and Old Blues both have twelve points.

In the other game, Cambridge let everyone know they’re still around with the largest win of the weekend.

Their 7-1 victory over West Hamilton United came courtesy of seven different scorers - Tom Woutersen, Josh Clarkin, Patrick Woodlock, Aaron Huesser, Jordan Silvester, Donovan Latham and Kyle Stead. Defeat left West Hamilton just two points above the relegation zone.