Massey among unbeaten quartet
Massey University’s golden run in the men’s Federation League competition continued on Saturday when they edged North End 2-1 at Skoglund Park.
But Palmerston North Marist kept pace with the students at the top of the table when they won 3-0 at lowly Levin.
And stalking both are alsounbeaten Gisborne Thistle, who beat last-placed Napier Marist 5-2 to lie in third spot a point behind the leading pair with a game in hand.
For the moment the competition has divided into two halves, with a leading quartet of Massey, Palmerston North Marist, Thistle and Havelock North Wanderers all unbeaten.
The Massey-north End clash was a typical see-saw derby battle in which the two sides largely cancelled each other out, separated only by a second goal to the students after the ball came off North End’s Michael Sheridan in a goalmouth melee.
Striker Joe Freeman shot Massey into the lead in the first half after Massey finished off a period of dominance to score from a neatly linked-up move down the left flank.
Lucian Armstrong equalised for North End after the break after a length-of-the-field move saw the ball cut into the middle from the left for Armstrong to finish. North End applied plenty of pressure after Massey took the lead but their execution in the area saw the ball going over the top and the goal they needed didn’t come.
Massey coach Donald Piper said the win, the students’ third from four games, was important to keep up their early-season momentum.
‘‘On another day North End could have drawn or won.’’
At Levin, Palmerston North Marist won courtesy of two goals from winger Fletcher Leslie and one from midfielder Jordan Joblin-hall.
Coach Juliano Schmeling said they could have been up by three by half-time such was Marist’s domination.
But they were only one goal ahead after 45 minutes then had to sustain a period of pressure from the home side before scoring two more to put the outcome beyond doubt.
‘‘I think we could have won by four or five but I was pleased at how we managed the pressure from them in the first 20 minutes of the second half,’’ said Schmeling.
‘‘It was very important we came away with the three points.’’
In the other game at the weekend, fourth-placed Wanderers accounted for New Plymouth Rangers 6-1, to plunge last year’s title-winners third from bottom on the league ladder, ahead only of North End and Napier Marist.
■ The two top teams in the Horizons Premiership both lost for the first time this season on Saturday–but still lead the competition.
Takaro were defeated 4-3 by Palmerston North Boys’ High School, the schoolboys’ second win of the season, and Feilding United went down 2-1 at Whanganui Athletic reserves.
They share the lead two points ahead of a group of three, Athletic reserves, Hokowhitu and Marist reserves.
Massey University reserves are at the foot of the ladder with a solitary point from a draw after four games.
North End reserves notched their first points with a 3-2 victory over last year’s titlewinners Wanganui City.
Other results: Marist reserves 3, Red Sox 1; Hokowhitu 3, Massey reserves 1.