Powershift atop football premiership
There was a slight power shift at the top of the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership table.
The Flying Mullet Papamoa edged past previous leaders West Hamilton United on Saturday.
It meant the Mullets reclaim the top spot they held for several weeks at the start of the season, while Taupo also laid bare their title aspirations with another impressive home win.
Former All White Cole Peverley’s 25th minute penalty proved the difference in a tight encounter at Papamoa’s Gordon Spratt Reserve.
While the hosts did enough to record a 1-0 victory, coach Duncan Lowry wasn’t overly impressed with his team’s performance, labelling it their worst of the season.
Equally, though, Lowry was more than happy to take another important three points ahead of this weekend’s glamour ISPS Handa Chatham Cup 3rd round tie at Birkenhead United.
With Papamoa’s defensive shape and experience, coupled with their constant goal threat, they are better set up than most to mount a sustained run this season.
West Hamilton’s fourth defeat of the season saw them drop just one spot on the table, but with teams like Taupo and Waikato Unicol circling just below, both with games in hand, they can’t afford too many more slip ups if they plan on staying in the race.
Taupo ran away with their match against Comag Matamata Swifts during the second half to record an ultimately dominant 4-0 victory as Fin Smith was again the goal scoring star.
Smith’s neat finish separated the sides at the break, but the first half was marred by a season ending injury to Swifts captain, Dayne Willemsen.
Rob Williams doubled Taupo’s lead on the hour before Smith completed another hat trick with two goals midway through the half.
Taupo’s defensive showing squeezed the life out of Matamata and looks like being the platform on which their title challenge will be maintained.
Melville United edged their way past Otumoetai at Gower Park as goals from Josh Nooijen and Harry Coulson gave United a 2-1 victory that saw them move level on points with West Hamilton.
Waikato Unicol did enough to secure three points at Tauranga Blue Rovers.
Riku Soejima’s double helped the students to a 3-1 victory in which Kieran Payton also scored.
Reuben Wood’s goal had Rovers level at half time but the hosts couldn’t maintain parity against one of the league’s most free scoring sides.
Tauranga Boys’ College broke their winless run as Hamilton Wanderers defaulted.
Ngaruawahia United made it eight wins from eight in the WaiBOP Championship after a 2-0 win over Waikato Unicol’s reserves and they now sit six points clear at the top.
Noor Mire scored from a penalty, while Khalid Omar also found the back of the net for the green machine.
Taupo’s reserves moved into second as Nick Field’s goal saw them squeeze past Otumoetai’s reserves 1-0, while Te Puke United grabbed their fourth win of the season – 2-1 at Cambridge.
The most entertaining match of the round saw Tauranga Blue Rovers’ reserves beat Waharoa Transport Matamata Reserves 4-3 at Pemberton Park.