Manawatu Weekly Football review – Round 5

July 4^th  and 5^th July

Its July and we haven’t had to postpone or cancel a round, first time in five seasons this has happened. Pity COVID stuffed it all up. The sun shone over the weekend and here’s my version of what went on around our competitions.

PS – please send in photos and/or videos of your action, we would love to post them.

YORB Horizons Premiership

City snatch victory from the clutches of defeat! Latham Berry equalized in the 88” and Connor Piercy snatched all three points in the 89”. Michael Whitmore opened the scoring for the hosts and the game was played with high intensity and passion throughout. City doing enough to show they were genuine contenders for the title. PNBHS were triumphant in a 7 goal thriller at Skoglund Park. Athletic were out the gates quickest with a Jordan Gilmore brace within 25” and when Zach Farmer scored after 33” to make it 3-1 must have almost counted on all three points. Ben Mori oh he just keeps on scoring and his brace on 85” set up a hectic final seven minutes. Mason Charlton banging in the winner with 90” on the clock. PNBHS keep themselves in contention early on, do they aspire to go up? Do they have the quality? Drew Gaskin proved the difference in the Marist v Hokowhitu match. A goal in either half secured all three points. Marist released 1^st team player Melvin Rumere to the reserves and got a goal in the 30”. Hokowhitu remain in touch with the top half of the table. Massey Reserves got up over Red Sox reserves, Thomas Pearce scoring after 5”, Pearce played for RSM in the 2019 season. Massey were largely untroubled and have looked to find some form, Breakers season stuttering after a really good start. A Matt Borren brace after 18” (yes you read that right!) set the “peoples club” of on a flyer! But, the Takaro side coached by Brian McMillan was able to weather the storm and take all three points with a solid team effort.

Round 5 key match: OneStaff Marist reserves v Versatile Wanganui City. If Marist aim to be contenders they’ll need to stop the juggernaut that is City. 

360 Logistics Championship.

PNBHS 2^nd Xi got up over Levin AFC reserves 5-2 in an intense battle at Skoglund. The score line doesn’t reflect how close the match was. Young Jacob Dredge with a brace inside 10” set the “kids” on their way, a Alex McConnell brace took the game away from Levin. Are we on the verge of a new golden age at PNBHS? Massey couldn’t field a team due to semester break so the A’s had their feet up and nursed sore legs (wink). Jokers taste defeat for the first time this season! A Dan “Bomber” Brown screamer from 35 meters set the tone of the match. In a hotly contested match the ebbed and flowed Feilding were deserved winners come the final whistle. North End Veterans hit six against Takaro. Matt Wallace hero in goal one week, scoring a brace the next week! Scott Gillespie also netting a brace.

Round 5 key match: North End Veterans v Levin Reserves. PNBHS could push Jokers hard this weekend so this game could see North End go top, do they have the metal?

Manawatu Division 2

In a first for 2020 there was a derby in Levin with Sports playing the 3rds, 3rds taking bragging rights with a two goal win. Ben Vickers with the brace. Greenies were pushed all the way by a valiant Massey side, however the experience of the Greenies prevailed. Carl Roberts scoring again. DnB couldn’t quite sink the Wrinklies and the teams played out an entertaining 3-3 match. Linton 1^st kept up their good start to the season with a comfortable 3-1 over Resonant Masters. David Spencer chipping in with a brace.

Manawatu Division 3

Inter were too strong for Linton reserves. Inter’s best on the day Ricki Samuel le Mar-walker slipped a delightful ball through for the opening goal and Maxence Plouview profited and slotted it home. Inter comfortable for the win. Saints just edged Vikings with a Fabian Miranda goal all that separated the sides. Massey Athletic finally got the “Celts Curse” off their back with a hard fought 3-1. North End Socials showed little mercy for struggling Fury taking the game 3-1.

Manawatu Division 4 

Jesters held off a determined Plunderers side and a magic spell by Craig Porter took the game away and preserved Jesters unbeaten run. Ritchie Nielsen returning to scoring ways also. Dannevirke Rangers were too strong for the young Feilding development side and took the game 5-0. In a 7 goal thriller at Donnelly Park Takaro Glory came away with the spoils. 

Masters

RSM Old Boys travelled to Levin and recorded an away win. Legends got one up over Feilding to go top of the table of goal difference and In the Marist Derby Rovers were to strong for the Banshees.

Manawatu Women’s Premiership

Paige Charlton again takes centre stage for Mayhem as they held off a very competitive Evergreenz side. Mayhem continue their unbeaten run moving into round 2. Massey University broke Levin hearts with a goal coming right at the death. Elizabeth Dombroski with a hat-trick including the 94^th minute winner. North End Women continue to keep Mayhem honest and didn’t have it all their own way against Feilding. Can anyone take points off Mayhem??

Manawatu Women’s Championship

Laura Maber scores for Clovers!! Ultimately Avengers were too strong but the Clovers form is on the up. “T-Spoon”with a brace to secure the points for Avengers. Hawks held off a much improved Massey Golden Girls side to take the game 3-1. Misfits beat Mysteries with Brooke Argyle netting a brace.

Lotto Central Federation League

GJ Gardner Homes Whanganui Athletic make it four from four wins and sit at the top of the table on 12 points with a game in hand to boot. Joshua Smith led the way with a double as Whanganui won 0-6 away to Isles Construction Massey University. Two heavy weights collided on the Arena Turf Manawatu on Saturday when Watsons PN Marist hosted Building King Havelock North Wanderers. A brace from Bjorn Christensen in the first half got the victory for Havelock which now sees them sit tied with PN Marist and Whanganui on 12 points at the summit. Peggy Gordons NP Rangers failed to join the top three sides on 12 points after an ill-disciplined match saw the side only just sneak away with the draw when they hosted Alexander Electric Napier Marist in Taranaki on Sunday. Former Team Taranaki player Mustafa Can got the early lead for Napier but this was cancelled out just after the break by Alfie Luque. Two Rangers players were sent to the sin bin for dissent in the second half which made it very difficult for the home side, one was Devan Leggett who gave Napier the lead with an own goal and the other Domenico Squatriti who saved a point for Rangers with an 82nd minute strike. The final match was a Manawatu derby at Memorial Park which also ended in a 2-2- draw between North End and Red Sox. This was North End’s first point of the season but they were unlucky not to grab all three points as Lee Rufer scored two late goals to pull the score back for Red Sox, his second in injury time to steal a point. Levin AFC had the Bye and are back in action this weekend against Massey at Donnelly Park in Round 6.

Women's Federation League

2-1,2-1. It was the score of the weekend for teams in the Women's Federation league, with the home sides showing that home ground advantage can play a big part in results.

Taradale hosted Football Whanganui, and took an early 2 goal lead into the break with Holly Barclay and Aleesha Heywood both finding the net for the home side. However the visitors were not done, and managed to close ranks on the attacking Taradale, while youngster Lana O'Connor picked up a 74th minute goal for Football Whanganui, spurring the counterattack in the team, however they were not able to do enough, with the scoreline remaining 2-1 at the final whistle.

Back in Palmerston North, Massey hosted league leaders Moturoa, and created their own upset over the high flying Taranaki team. Two goals to Melissa McKenna of Massey gave the home side a 2-0 lead, until a 52nd minute penalty was converted by the prolific goalscorer Fernanda Toscani for Moturoa. The visitors were unable to break down Massey again for the rest of the match, with Massey extremely excited to have been able to claim the 3 points, and lift themselves up to second on the table, now 5 points adrift of Moturoa with plenty of games to go.

Photo Credit – Marist Inter (via FB Page)

Article added: Tuesday 07 July 2020