Whanganui Local League – Week 6

Plenty of action and exciting matches over at Wembley Park this Saturday as the Roly Taylor Championship and Kelly Hiroa Premiership both rolled into week 6 of competition.

In the men's championship, the first of 3 Marist derbies this season between Celtic and the Casuals ended with Celtic picking up 3 points with a 6-0 win over their club mates, while the Hammers Old Boys recorded a solid 5-3 win over Rivercity Chiefs, who have started to get the wobbles after a strong start to the season.

The City Hammers continued to show their dominance, and secure their foothold on the top of the table with an emphatic 5-0 win over the Athletic Cosmos, while the Athletic Thirds ground out a 3-2 win over the Marist Shamrocks.

In the women's premiership, the Castlecliff Saints picked up their first win of the season with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Treadwell Gordon Athletic, while Chefs Choice Athletic picked up a valuable 3 points themselves with a 3-1 victory over table contenders City Women's. While the win brought them closer to the top position, the Rivercity Scrapper kept the top spot with a narrow 3-2 win over the Marist Ladies, but going into this weekend on the bye, Rivercity will have the chasing teams nipping at their heels, and looking to take advantage.

Yorb Horizon Premiership:

The match of the round did deliver one thing, goals! Wanganui City netting 5 times without any answer from the hosts on the turf. Kyle Graham-Luke of the bench to score a brace. In a seven goal thriller PNBHS edged out student rivals Massey University 4-3. Cant tell you who scored from PNBHS as their team sheet must still be coming….. However for Massey Tom Pearce took the match ball home with a hat-trick. Pearce very hard on himself saying he should’ve converted more of the opportunities afforded to him. Chillmax Takaro played hosted Feilding and Michael Whitmore continues to showcase his scoring ability getting four on the day! A James Robinson brace did little more than keep the score-line respectable. In the battle of the reserve side Athletic put the heat on North End with Talisman Scott Burney brace in the first half setting the tone, 7-1 at half-time to the visitors. A lesser team would have turned tail and headed to the showers but full credit to North End for not conceding in the second half. A Khalid Eitayed brace took the game away from RSM Breakers reserves in the 1st half and a resurgent Hokowhitu looked to have found some mid-round form, 3-1 to Hokowhitu.

Ants Bell tops the league scoring stats with 11 and is being chased hard by Ben Mori (PNBHS) and Michael Whitmore (Feilding United AFC) who are both on 7.

Round 7 key match: Feilding United AFC v PNBHS. Feilding are a tough prospect at home and with Whitmore in good form will be difficult to beat. If PNBHS want to keep pressure on league leaders City this is a must win.

Lotto Central Federation League:

GJ Gardner Homes Whanganui Athletic remain at the summit and keep their 100% record after Martyn Freestone scored a late winner over Alexander Electric Napier Marist to win 0-1 on Sunday over at Park Island in the Hawke’s Bay. Watsons PN Marist got the derby win over North End 0-2 at Skoglund Park to stay equal with Wanganui on the ladder but have played the extra match. Domenico Squatriti rocketed home a hat-trick for Peggy Gordons NP Rangers to see them get the away victory 0-3 over Breakers Red Sox which moves Rangers up into third on the table. The final match completed the round with all four away teams winning when Isles Construction Massey University got their first three points of the season after they travelled to take on Levin and returned a 0-5 victory, Joseph Freeman with the brace for Massey. This moved Massey from the end of the table up into fifth which shows how important each win can be in this league. Building King Havelock North Wanderers hang onto fourth spot after having the Bye and with the two sides above them having played the extra match they could move higher after this weekend’s match but it’ll be a tough task against Athletic the unbeaten the front runners.

Women's Federation League:

Due to Moturoa picking up a default win against Taradale, meaning Football Whanganui hosted Massey in the only game played on the weekend in the Women's Federation League.It was yet again a tightly fought battle between two adventurous attacking teams, described aptly as an "arm wrestle" by Massey coach Terry Wood. Football Whanganui opened the scoring in the 21st minute through youngster Lana O'Connor, who is quickly becoming a talent to watch in Whanganui, only for Massey to profit from a failed headed clearance during an attacking corner, with Whanganui's Danja Grunwald finding the back of her own net to bring the visitors level.However, O'Connor was again leading the way for the home side when she netted a brilliant long range effort just 10 minutes later to give Whanganui a 2-1 lead going in for the break.The second half saw more see-sawing between the two sides as they looked to exploit each other’s defensives, with the pressure finally paying off for Massey's Kate More in the 51st minute, bringing the scoreline back level.As time ticked away towards the final whistle, it looked as if the game may end in a deadlock before the visitors capitalised on a well-executed counter attacking opportunity in the 82nd minute, with Micaela Reyes being the final link in the chain to slot the winner away for Massey.The visitors managed to soak up a tonne of pressure in the closing minutes as Football Whanganui looked to salvage at least one point from the game, however they were unable to get the gaol they desperately pushed for, and the 3 points travelled back to Palmerston North with Massey, leaving Football Whanganui the uphill battle of looking to find a result when they host Moturoa next weekend.

Article added: Tuesday 14 July 2020