Wanderers seal second spot with derby victory
League tables at the end of a season rarely lie.
Neither did Saturday’s local derby fixture that saw Hamilton Wanderers defeat Melville United 3-1 at Gower Park.
The result saw Wanderers end their Northern Region Premier Division campaign in second place – due reward for another improved season under long-term coach Mark Cossey. His side have rightly become a staple of the top half of the table in recent seasons and should be seen as obvious title contenders next year.
Tenth-placed Melville – who have a game remaining – avoided dropping immediately back Division One this season through a combination of relegation rivals Three Kings United being punished for using an ineligible player over a string of matches and a late surge in form after a horror start.
The stability of another season in the top flight will give the club a chance to build the talent and depth of their first team, as Wanderers were clearly the better side in 2015 and confirmed that on Saturday.It’s not a gulf between the two rivals, but it is a gap. Wanderers have had a number of standouts all season – Alexi Varela, Mark Jones, Johnny Konings among them – and the likes of Federico Marquez (when fit), Alfie Rogers, Wade Molony, Adam Luque and Bailey Webster have given the Blues a base of talent.
Club stalwart Aaron Scott has again been excellent for Melville, Welsh import Marc Evans give them goals and a presence up front, but they haven’t had as many consist- ently effective performers as their crosstown rivals.
That showed on Saturday, with neither side at their best as the season wound down.
Wanderers killed the contest off with three goals in the opening half-hour and while Melville were combative and not out-classed, there was a sense that despite some close calls the outcome wasn’t going to be in doubt.
United keeper Jason Mann is a fine shot-stopper but his lack of presence at set-pieces has been a Melville weakness this year. Twice Wanderers exploited that to set up victory.
After a string of early corners whipped in danger- ously by Marquez were narrowly repelled, Wanderers finally made a breakthrough after 18 minutes when Sam Redwood climbed at the back post to head home.
Soon after, long-throw specialist Luque was utilised for his aerial prowess instead and his flick-on was smuggled home from close range by Jama Boss.
The Wanderers striker netted his second from almost point-blank range – albeit with the assistance of the underside of the crossbar – after Rogers had again showed his prowess going forward to gift-wrap the goal.
Melville had
far
fewer opportunities but Matt Oliver pulled off a sharp save to deny defender Eric Frei’s header from arrowing into the bottom corner.
He made another impressive block soon after but this time Jacob Robb was on hand to knock in the loose ball and give the hosts a wee boost.
The second half was a flat one however despite both sides coming within a whisker of increasing the goal tally.
Jones shot wide after a wonderful turn and was then denied another opportunity when Frei cynically brought him down and was issued a yellow card, while Wanderers called on some desperate last-ditch lunges to stop the hosts drawing close as they also posed some problems at set-piece time.
Ngaruawahia United have already been relegated from Division One but looked capable of snatching just their third win of the season at Centennial Park on Saturday.
Goals from Donovan Latham and Matt Williams put the hosts 2-1 up over Manurewa at halftime but the visitors netted twice in the second spell to claim all three points.
In Division Two, Claudelands Rovers finished their season with a 3-0 away defeat to champions Papakura City to finish in eighth spot.