Waikato clubs win while Auckland City extend their lead in Northern League

posted in: News, Northern League

Waikato clubs Hamilton Wanderers and Melville United both made progress in their quest to finish in the Northern League’s top four with useful wins in round seven.

Wanderers demolished North Shore United 6-0 while Melville United beat Western Springs 3-1.

They’re among the group of clubs chasing leaders Auckland City and seeking a top four spot to qualify for National League football later in the year.

Here’s our round-up of games from round seven:

Colloty’s reputation gathers momentum as he finds the net again

Young Melville United striker Oliver Colloty furthered his reputation as a goal magnet with his sixth goal in seven outings as the Waikato side rolled Western Springs 3-1 at Gower Park.

During the week, Colloty was one of three Melville players (the others were Campbell Brown and Josh Galletly) invited to take part in a national U-20 player identification game at North Harbour Stadium.

Since moving from the South Island, where he has played for Southern United, Roslyn Wakari, Dunedin Technical and Christchurch United, the 18-year-old Colloty has settled in well at Gower Park.

Sam Wilkinson’s side are now starting to hit their straps and they always looked in control against a young Springs side that has struggled at times this season.

Springs got off to a shocking start, conceding in the fifth minute to a goal credited as an own goal against ‘keeper Joe Wallis.

But the visitors levelled in the 15th minute through Tadhg Collie.

In the 23rd minute, referee Chris Trent awarded a penalty to the home side. Colloty put it away for his sixth of the season, a record that keeps him one goal behind Auckland City’s Angus Kilkolly in the race for the Golden Boot.

The teams turned around with Melville up 2-1.

With 10 minutes to go, Luke Searle scored Melville’s third to put the result beyond the reach of the Aucklanders.

Navy Blues go four points clear at top of table

Auckland City continue to set the pace in the Northern League with another win against a highly-rated side — this time, a 3-0 win against nearest rivals Birkenhead United.

The Navy Blues are performing at both ends of the pitch, having conceded a miserly four goals in seven games, while leading the competition’s goal tally with an impressive 23.

However it took most of the first half at Kiwitea Street before Auckland City were able to start to assert themselves against Birkenhead.

City opened their scoring two minutes before the break through All White Cam Howieson.

The sides went into the interval with City 1-0 up.

In the 66th minute, leading goalscorer Angus Kilkolly scored his seventh of the season to double his side’s lead.

Birkenhead coach Paul Hobson made a triple substitution four minutes later, eager to chase the result, but City had their own reinforcements still to introduce.

With 10 minutes left, City coach Albert Riera brought on veteran striker Emiliano Tade and five minutes later, he had capped the win with a goal.

Already, City are looking like champions in waiting and it’s hard to see a drastic downturn in form anytime soon.

Main photo: City’s Emiliano Tade … another goal off the bench. File photo: Phototek.

Tieku hat-trick inspires big Wanderers win against Shore

Hamilton Wanderers’s Derek Tieku. File photo: Phototek.

Hamilton Wanderers captain Derek Tieku claimed individual honours with a second-half hat-trick in his side’s 6-0 rout of struggling North Shore United.

Despite a scrappy first half, Wanderers increasingly poured on the pressure in a second half that saw Shore capitulate, conceding three goals in the dying minutes.

The home side went ahead through Lewis Reid who fired home from 15 metres after 32 minutes.

The second goal came when Shore failed to deal with a corner and Adam Streamer put into his own net just before the break.

The second half became Tieku’s domain as he directed play from centre field and was a constant danger to a tiring Shore defence.

He played a clever one-two before scoring Wanderers’ third in the 66th minute. Then he finished a simple tap in to make it 4-0 before completing his hat-trick with a well-taken penalty in added time.

As if that wasn’t enough, Jordan Lamb added Wanderers’ sixth goal, also in added time.

The Waikato side stay in the top four with their win, while Shore have now conceded 27 goals in their seven games.

Manukau see off Suburbs to set sights on top half of table

Second-half goals helped propel Manukau United to their third win of the season while Eastern Suburbs remain the competition’s most notable underperformers.

Manukau went to Suburbs’ Madills Farm ground knowing a win would keep them in touch with those clubs in the upper half of the table.

The sides played out a scoreless first half.

Two minutes into the second spell, Manukau took the initiative, scoring through skipper Shuiab Khan.

Suburbs were always a chance to get back into the game until Manukau substitute Thomas Golding doubled the visitors’ lead with seven minutes left.

The result leaves Suburbs with only one win from their seven games.

Post-match interviews with Suburbs coach Hoani Edwards and ‘keeper Joe Knowles. Source: ESAFC TV. 

Takapuna and Bay Olympic can’t be separated in mid-table draw

Takapuna and Bay Olympic shared the points in a testy mid-table game drawn 1-1 at Taharoto Park.

The visitors took the lead in the 22nd minute through Leon Van Den Hoven and they held their lead at half-time.

Six minutes into the second spell, Nic Milicich levelled for Takapuna.

The final quarter of an hour was fraught with fouls and bookings – five names went into referee CK Kawana-Waugh’s book, including Bay Olympic coach Liam Mulrooney, to go with two earlier cautions.

Despite the tension, both sides finished with eleven on the pitch and with honours shared.

Sunday match: Auckland United miss chance to go second on table

Click here for our report of Auckland United’s 1-1 draw with Waiheke United, played on Sunday May 1 >>>>>

Results

Games played Saturday, April 30, 2022.

Auckland City 3 (Cam Howieson 43′, Angus Kilkolly 66′, Emiliano Tade 86′)
Birkenhead United 0

Takapuna 1 (Nic Milicich 51′)
Bay Olympic 1 (Leon Van Den Hoven 22′)

Hamilton Wanderers 6 (Lewis Reid 33′, own goal 44′, Derek Tieku 66′, 89′, 90+1′, Jordan Lamb 90+2′)
North Shore United 0

Eastern Suburbs 0
Manukau United 2 (Shuiab Khan 47′, Thomas Golding 83′)

Melville United 3 (own goal, Oliver Colloty 23′, Luke Searle 80′)
Western Springs 1 (Tadhg Collie 15′)

Sunday

Game played Sunday May 1, 2022

Waiheke United 1 (Eyob Tekalion 41′)
Auckland United 1 (Andrew Blake 32′)

Standings

Thanks

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