Visiting teams secure Saturday victory
All five of Saturday’s Loaded WaiBOP Premiership fixtures resulted in victories to visiting teams as the leading sides kept pace with each other.
West Hamilton United left it late to secure a tough 2-1 victory at Otumoetai, but the three points they gained maintained their position at the Premiership’s summit.
John Cameron was the hero for the Hamiltonians as he struck with only a few minutes left on the clock. Only moments before the hosts had looked like stealing a point after equalising from the penalty spot.
Hashim Noorzai had earlier given West Hamilton a slender half time lead with a goal of his own from the spot.
Victory was important for West Hamilton in many ways.
Most obviously, it kept their good recent run going, and the confidence that flows with it, ahead of this weekend’s second consecutive trip across the Kaimais to play Flying Mullet Papamoa.
Papamoa, for their part, eased to a 5-0 victory at rapidly sinking Mercury Tokoroa.
Two Campbell Higgins goals had the visitors in control by half time, then Alex Wilson extended the lead.
Teenage substitute, Liam Malloy, grabbed a late double to secure a tidy looking margin for the men from the Bay.
Buoyed by their recent ISPS Handa Chatham Cup success, Papamoa looks to be back in the groove, and their match against West Hamilton promises to be a real mid-season classic.
The competition just below the top two is equally as intense.
Both Melville United, in third, and Taupo, now up to fourth, secured large wins at grounds no more than a couple of kilometres apart.
Melville saw their goals spread around as they beat Tau- ranga Blue Rovers Pemberton Park.
Michael Kapa, David Brennan, Harry Coulson, Jordi Ditfort with two, and Ben Wheatley all found the back of the net as Melville comfortably claimed their first win since early May. 6-2 at
Just up the road at Southy Field Taupo was, if anything, even more impressive as they turned a narrow half time lead into a 5-2 win over a Tauranga Boys’ side that sat at the top of the Premiership only two weeks ago.
Serial goal scorer, Finlay Smith, led the way with a second half hat trick for the Lakesiders, while Byron Thessman’s early goal had given the visitors a one goal lead at the break.
Matt Lewis also got in on the goal scoring act for Taupo, while Kody Gorst and Stan Rust gave the students something to take away from the match.
In the other match, Comag Matamata Swifts made it a perfect weekend for the visiting teams with a 4-0 win at Te Awamutu.
The hosts were unlucky to be behind to Dayne Willemsen’s goal at half time, but Matamata ran away with things after the break.
Bjorn Vossen, Jamie Baxter and Willemsen all scored to give the Swifts their second successive win by that margin.
Waikato Unicol’s match at rock bottom Hamilton Wanderers was postponed as Unicol were otherwise occupied.
Their 3-2 ISPS Handa Chatham Cup victory at Franklin United saw them join Papamoa in round 3 of the cup.