Over-35s shine against Melville counterparts
Chatham Cup beckons Te Awamutu AFC premier side this weekend
The TA Waipā Aluminium Te Awamutu AFC Southern League teams, backed by Diana Manutai Property Brokers, headed to Gordon Spratt Stadium in Pāpāmoa for some late football under lights on Saturday — thanks to some outstanding work by the Pāpāmoa community on their facilities.
Under-23
Te Awamutu AFC Under-23 side played some quality football in the earlier clash with Pāpāmoa Under-23s, and the 0-0 halftime score was a clear indication of the work they had been doing.
The chances were coming; it’s just hitting the back of the net that continues to elude them.
Pāpāmoa took the lead in the 54th minute and sealed the win in the 80th.
Visiting coach Matt Houlihan debuted and Ben Grainger took out the Burgerfuel MVP.
Premier
Te Awamutu AFC Premier team had a tough start, going against the beautiful sunset and the speed at which Pāpāmoa are known to start the game.
Three early goals put the home side ahead in 15 minutes.
The visitors found some rhythm but again struggled to find the back of the net.
Te Awamutu never gave up — a testimony to the coaching staff and culture the players have set for themselves.
A 5-0 fulltime score doesn’t take into account the final piece of the puzzle Te Awamutu is yet to work out.
Nic King-McRae took out the Burgerfuel MVP.
A home game in the Chatham Cup against Unicol beckons this Saturday, after a decent run in the cup last year.
Division Two
Te Awamutu J&J Construction and Fencing Division Two men’s team, backed by Oval Bar, took on Cambridge FC at Anchor Park on Saturday.
It was a well-fought game despite the score. Both sides fought valiantly to the end, Cambridge taking the win 5-1.
The score difference didn’t do justice to how hard Te Awamutu fought.
Cambridge played well and took advantage of their corner kicks, but Te Awamutu never made it easy for them in an always contested game. In the end, it came down to the stronger team with good positioning that made it out on top.
Joe Connor took out the Burgerfuel MVP.
Over-35s
Te Awamutu AFC Storyteller Eatery & Bar Over-35 team, supported by Summit Scaffolding, continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comprehensive 6-2 win over Melville China Old Boys.
Te Awamutu made the early running, a looping Mike Rose header opening the scoring, followed by a Jono O’Sullivan through-ball allowing Dan Thorne to score a second in the eighth minute.
This contributed to a significant lowering of standards by the Te Awamutu team, allowing Melville an easy goal, then a Te Awamutu defender conceding an own goal.
Euan McLeod, with a nice finish, and Bob Aughey, benefiting from another incisive O’Sullivan pass, led to a 4-2 halftime score, as well as strong words from the indignant manager Jim Grainger.
The second half saw more open play as both teams counterattacked at will, and also as a result of a raft of changes made by Grainger to allow game time for players coming back from injury.
A leaping header from the athletic Aughey, and a fine finish inside the box from Blerim Buddla, rounded off the scoring and left Te Awamutu at the top of the league before their bye round next week.
Kihikihi Garage Women
Kihikihi Garage Te Awamutu AFC Women, backed by CACI Te Awamutu and getting accurate results for health and wellbeing from Bone and Body, returned to football last weekend at the Te Awamutu Stadium against Unicol.
The game saw a lot of wellexecuted work from both sides in a game that started with high intensity and opportunities for both teams.
Esha Fellingham, Emma Cox, Eden Ross and Sara Mallinson alongside goalkeeper Kalani Bourke kept Unicol at bay in the early stages, while at the other end, Frances Doyle and Astrid Joy were creating chances.
It was Unicol who took the lead in the 25th minute, with Helena Gail-Mckenzie unlucky not to level it up soon after, cutting through the defence with a first-time strike that hit the post.
It was Unicol who went into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead.
The tenacity of this women’s core in midfield through Amanda Carlton, Kirsten Becks and Danielle Miles, and the ability of the whole team to progress each week, is drawing in the crowds.
Some halftime insight from the Stringfellow coaching double act saw some key areas to open up Unicol.
After some great play and a through ball, captain Miles exploited the space and a cool, calm lob over the keeper saw the game levelled.
Adding in Samantha Corbett, Jordan Hearden and Tracy Symons soon after was a way of ensuring the pressure remained, with Unicol, to their credit, getting in the way of the TA barrage of attack.
Kyla Pendergast and Renee Easton came on, with Pendergast being a throw-in specialist, creating five opportunities in 10 minutes.