Low scoring games in premiership
Four of the top five sides played out low scoring draws during another intriguing round of matches in the 2018 Loaded WaiBOP Premiership.
Only West Hamilton, who picked up a regulation three points against bottom side Hamilton Wanderers, was able to bag the full three points and they were the big movers over the weekend.
Top side Tauranga Boys’ College were within five minutes of tasting their second defeat of the season, but coach Danny Warrilow came off the bench to rescue a point from a 1-1 draw against Comag Matamata Swifts at Southey Field.
Earlier, the Swifts had nullified the normally vibrant Boys’ College outfit during a cagey first half, before a Jamie Baxter free-kick on the hour mark gave the visitors the lead.
What may initially have seemed like disappointingly dropped points, however, turned out to be not so bad for the students as the other results came in.
Two of the other top sides, Melville United and Taupo, couldn’t find a goal between them at Gower Park, while Papamoa was held to the same 0-0 scoreline at tenth-placed Tauranga Blue Rovers.
These results illustrated both the unpredictability and tightness of this season’s Premiership.
West Hamilton United expectedly scored their fourth win of the season to vault themselves into second on the table, two points behind Boys’ College, after a 7-0 demolition job of Hamilton Wanderers.
Nathan Holten and Alex Whitehead gave West Ham a comfortable half time lead, before Whitehead went on to complete his hat trick after the break.
Carlo Patena bagged a second half brace while John Cameron also got on the score sheet for a West Hamilton side that has bobbed in and out of the top bracket all season.
Waikato Unicol matched their ISPS Handa Chatham Cup result against Mercury Tokoroa as they recorded the largest victory of the weekend.
Unicol’s 8-0 win was built around the goal scoring exploits of two players, Riku Soejima, who got four, and Luke Goodwin, who snaffled a hat trick.
Tokoroa have at times this season been tricky opponents, but had no real answer for the pace and movement of a Unicol side that has moved themselves ominously into the top half of the table.
After a slow start to 2018, preseason favourites Unicol now look set to be contenders once more and sit only four points off top spot.
In the other game, Te Awamutu completed a comfortable 3-0 home victory against Otumoetai.
A Steffan Foulkes goal had Te Awamutu in front by half time, before strikes from Joel and Haydn Roil completed a second consecutive home win for their side.
Te Awamutu are now nicely tucked in mid-table and will head to West Hamilton next Saturday full of confidence.
Other games of note next weekend include Boys’ College’s visit to Waikato Unicol and Melville United’s trip across the Kaimais to play Papamoa.
Ngaruawahia United continued their run to the WaiBOP Championship title with a spicy 4-0 win at Otumoetai’s Reserves, while Waikato Unicol’s Reserves stayed in second following a 5-1 victory at Cambridge.
Both sides are level on 15 points, but Unicol have played three more games.
Te Puke United nabbed their third win of the season, 4-1 at home over Taupo’s Reserves, while Tauranga Blue Rovers’ Reserves and Kawerau Sports fought out an entertaining 2-2 draw at Pemberton Park.
The WaiBOP Women’s Premier League will be added to the fixture calendar after Queen’s Birthday weekend as the top three sides from both the Waikato and Bay of Plenty women’s leagues combine to form a crossFederation competition.