Hat-tricks helped keep Auckland City and Birkenhead United as the pacesetters in this year’s Northern League.
Both sides had comfortable wins while Hamilton Wanderers’ unbeaten run came to an end at Auckland United’s Keith Hay Park.
Here’s our round-up of games in round six:
Auckland City stay top of table after Kilkolly hat-trick
An Angus Kilkolly hat-trick fired Auckland City to a 4-0 win against top-four contender Bay Olympic.
The Navy Blues striker provided his side with a 2-0 half-time lead after scoring in the 20th and 26th minutes.
City all but wrapped up the win only four minutes into the second half when Ryan de Vries scored to extend the lead to 3-0.
Kilkolly completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute. He now leads the race for the Golden Boot with six goals from six rounds of competition.
After Hamilton Wanderers’ loss to Auckland United today, City remain the only unbeaten side in the competition.
Match programme: Click on cover to read Bay Olympic’s match programme.
Main photo: Alex Kilkolly (right) … has scored six goals in six rounds. File photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Mackenzie hat-trick punishes 10-man Eastern Suburbs
Birkenhead United’s freescoring form continued as Paul Hobson’s side cruised to a 4-0 win against 10-man Eastern Suburbs at Shepherds Park.
Cameron Mackenzie led the way with a hat-trick.
He opened the scoring in the sixth minute, immediately putting an out-of-form Suburbs under pressure when he finished a cross from Dylan Hobson.
The Lilywhites’ cause was then not helped by the straight red issued in the 10th minute to captain Tyler Lissette by referee Ben Norman.
It was his second sending off of the season, following his opening day dismissal against Takapuna.
Match programme: Click on cover to read Birkenhead’s match programme.
Mackenzie doubled Birkenhead’s lead in the 38th minute, giving the home side a 2-0 lead at the interval.
The game was finished off soon after the restart when Birkenhead scored twice in as many minutes.
First, Chase Taylor found the net and then Mackenzie completed his hat-trick.
To their credit, Suburbs held firm for the last half-hour but the damage had been done and the club now sits uncomfortably close to lower reaches of the table.
Zambrano double ends Wanderers’ unbeaten run
Hamilton Wanderers’ unbeaten start to the season ended at Keith Hay Park where Auckland United won 2-1.
The home side took the lead in the 17th minute through Nic Zambrano.
United’s advantage was short-lived as Wanderers’ Jordan Lamb levelled only a minute after the restart.
The matchwinner came on the half-hour when Zambrano scored his third goal of the season.
That’s how the scoreline remained till full-time.
The result keeps Auckland United in touch with pacesetters Auckland City and Birkenhead United while Wanderers will rue the dropping of points as it drops them into midtable, behind Waikato rivals Melville United on goal difference.
Match programme: Click on cover to read United’s match programme.
‘Moment of quality’ enough to win points for Springs
Western Springs beat Manukau United 1-0 in a scrappy game at Murdoch Park, leaving both sides in the bottom half of the competition table.
The result was decided by what Springs coach Chris Zoricich later called a rare ‘moment of quality’ in the game when veteran Kayne Vincent brought down a high ball and crossed it for Wade Molony to finish.
That goal gave Springs a first half lead and the sides struggled through a second spell in which they remained deadlocked.
Melville knock up six in rout of Waiheke United
Melville United ran riot against bottom-dweller Waiheke United, beating them 6-1 after an incident-packed start to their game at Onetangi.
Melville took the lead in the second minute when Waiheke’s Roshan Calustre put through his own goal.
The islanders levelled four minutes later through Elijah Timmins-Scanlon.
The Waikato visitors went ahead in the 38th minute when leading scorer Oliver Colloty scored from the penalty spot.
Liam Hayes made it 3-1 and early in the second half, Quinton Kipara extended Melville’s lead to 4-1.
Waiheke held firm for more than half an hour but Melville finished strongly, scoring through substitute Harry Christensen-Rose and then adding a goal from Stafford Dowling into added time.
Takapuna win incident-packed local derby against North Shore
Takapuna took home the Quinnell/Richards Cup as well as the three points in this local derby at Allen Hill Stadium.
Takapuna won 3-1 in a game that started and ended in a flurry of incidents.
The visitors took the lead in the third minute when referee Andy Holdsworth awarded a penalty, dispute by North Shore’s players. Daniel Gleissner-Broom scored from the spot.
In the seventh minute, Sam Robertson doubled Shore’s lead.
In the second half, Shore fought back and scored through Giovanni Peredo.
But the wheels started to come off when goalkeeper Silvio Rodic was sent off in the 73rd minute for denying Takapuna a goalscoring opportunity.
Takapuna took advantage and Ben Allan extended his side’s lead to 3-1 as the game went into added time.
Then Shore defender Jason Romero was given a straight red, also for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
The result leaves Shore in the relegation zone while Takapuna were able to take home the Quinnell/Richards Cup, a trophy contested between the clubs in memory of volunteers Joan and Don Quinnell and Alan Richards.
Click here for more about the Quinnell/Richards Cup >>>>
Results
Games played Saturday April 23, 2022
Bay Olympic 0
Auckland City 4 (Angus Kilkolly 20′, 26′, 86′, Ryan de Vries 49′)
Birkenhead United 4 (Cam Mackenzie 6′, 38′, 54′, Chase Taylor 53′)
Eastern Suburbs 0
Waiheke United1 (Elijah Timmins-Scanlon 6′)
Melville United 6 (own goal 2′, Oliver Colloty 38′ pen, Liam Hayes 44′, Quinton Kipara 48′, Harry Christensen-Rose 85′, Stafford Dowling 90+4′)
Auckland United 2 (Nic Zambrano 17′, 30′)
Hamilton Wanderers 1 (Jordan Lamb 18′)
North Shore United 1 (Giovanni Peredo 52′)
Takapuna 3 (Daniel Gleissner-Broom 3′ pen, Sam Robertson 7′, Ben Allan 90+3′)
Manukau United 0
Western Springs 1 (Wade Molony)
Standings
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