City, Suburbs set pace

Defending champions Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs have continued to set the pace at the top of the ISPS Handa Premiership while last year’s runners-up, Team Wellington, returned to winning ways in the latest bout of action this weekend. Also celebrating a victory were Southern United while Tasman United and the Wellington Phoenix Reserves fought out a draw. In the only match on Saturday, Auckland extended their remarkable winning run to 13 games by edging out fellow title contenders Canterbury United in Christchurch, substitute Maro Bonsu-Maro notching the match-winner mid-way through the second half. That put pressure on Suburbs and Wellington to respond in kind yesterday and both duly obliged, the men from the capital sweeping aside Hawke’s Bay United 6-3 in Napier while Suburbs also went goal crazy with a 5-1 triumph over 10-man Hamilton Wanderers at home.

Canterbury United Dragons 0 Auckland City 1 (Maro Bonsu-Maro 69’). HT: 0-0.

Hawke’s Bay United 3 (Sam Mason-Smith 31’, Cory Chettleburgh 74’, Maxime Oliveri 90+2’) Team Wellington 6 (Aaron Clapham 13’, 49’, Angus Kilkolly 33’, Jack-Henry Sinclair 38’, Andrew Bevin 42’, Ross Allen pen 88’). HT: 1-4.

Southern United 2 (Conor McDonald 65’, Garbhan Coughlan pen 79’) Waitakere United 1 (Andrew Abba 40’). HT: 0-1.

Wellington Phoenix Reserves 1 (Benjamin Waine 86’) Tasman United 1 (Kiernan HughesMason 45+1’). HT: 0-1.

Eastern Suburbs 5 (Callum McCowatt 42’, 45+3’, Elijah Just 50’, 87’, Andre de Jong 52’) Hamilton Wanderers 1 (Martin Bueno pen 37’). HT: 2-1.