West Coast Rangers and Manurewa can start planning Northern League campaigns next season after latest results as good as assured them of promotion from the Lotto NRFL first division.
Rangers’ promotion is now certain, despite not having a game on Saturday, while Manurewa are all but certain of going up after being nearest rivals East Coast Bays 3-2 in a crucial game.
The Manurewa result means Bays’ hopes of promotion are dead in the water and only a mathematical miracle would see third-placed Tauranga City overhaul the South Aucklanders with two games remaining.
Regardless of their result against Albany United on Sunday, Rangers are promoted.
Main photo: Manurewa celebrate victory at East Coast Bays. Source: Manurewa AFC.
Here’s our round-up of latest games:
Late Bobadilla double gets Rewa home
Nicolas Bobadilla is the toast of Manurewa after his two late goals turned defeat into victory, giving his side a vital 3-2 win at the home of promotion rivals East Coast Bays.
Late in the game, it looked as though Manurewa had blown their chance of beating Bays and earning a return to the Northern League.
But Bobadilla had other ideas, scoring in the 89th minute and again, five minutes into stoppage time at Bay City Park.
Earlier, the home side had clawed their way back from a first-half deficit, created when Manurewa captain Jere Perez scored in the 11th minute.
In the 64th minute, Bays levelled through their leading goalscorer, Keegan Kelly.
Nicolai Berry then gave Bays the lead in the 84th minute.
If Bays had been able to hold that score, they would have moved to within a point of second-placed Manurewa.
That’s when Bobadilla delivered his six minutes of magic and gave Rewa their classic ‘six-pointer’.
Onehunga Mangere rescue point in stoppage time at Rovers
Northern Rovers and Onehunga Mangere United shared the points at McFetridge Park with a 3-3 draw.
Rovers were never behind in the game but the men from Mangere Mountain refused to give in.
The home side took the lead through a Rory Turner penalty after 14 minutes.
In the 27th minute, David Brown doubled Rovers’ lead.
But three minutes later, United began their fightback.
Osman Rastagar reduced the deficit to 2-1 and then in the 37th minute, Gilberto Souza scored from the penalty spot to level things up.
In the second spell, both coaches went to their subs bench for fresh legs.
Substitute Paul Rhodes put Rovers ahead in the 84th minute and as the clock wound down, it looked as though the home side were going to get their win.
But United had other ideas and substitute Abraham Khalil found an equaliser four minutes into added time.
Tauranga end Mt Albert Ponsonby’s unbeaten run
Tauranga City beat in-form Mt Albert Ponsonby 3-1 at Links Ave to end the Auckland club’s unbeaten run.
The home side took the lead in the 38th minute through Adam Davidson, and took the 1-0 lead into half-time.
In the second half, Braxton Fisher-Vanderveen doubled the Tauranga lead after 62 minutes, and Liam Molloy put the result beyond reach of MAP with his side’s third goal in the 78th minute.
Nicholas Hindson scored a consolation goal for the visitors with a few minutes to go.
Tauranga’s win gives them a theoretical but most unlikely chance of promotion — they would need to win their two remaining games by healthy margins and see Manurewa lose badly in their remaining fixtures.
Fencibles power to 5-1 win against Waitemata
Fencibles United overpowered lowly Waitemata with four goals in the second half to win 5-1 at Riverhills Park.
The home side took an early lead through Kees Tweed and went into half-time with that 1-0 advantage.
Waitemata drew level in the 56th minute through Arnold Kochasira, despite losing Jordan O’Neill to a second yellow card two minutes before. It was Kochasira’s 100th goal for the club.
But that signalled a change of gear for the home side and Fencibles scored three goals in a four-minute burst.
Captain Sione Fa’apoi got the first in the 65th minute; two minutes later, Josh Harford made it 3-0; and then Peter Garofalakis found the net in the 69th minute.
The result was in the bag but Fencibles still got up for one more, a minute from the end, through substitute Brennen Priestley.
Results
Game played Friday August 19, 2022
Click here for match report >>>>
Metro 5 (Tristan Prattley 25′, 39′, Honggyu Han 34′, Jaydyn Englefield 78′, Joe Minto 83′)
Ellerslie 2 (Christopher Kessell 7′, Rowan Corbett 17′)
Games played Saturday August 20, 2022
East Coast Bays 2 (Keegan Kelly 64′, Nicolai Berry 84′)
Manurewa 3 (Jeremias Perez 11′, Nicolas Bobadilla 89′, 90’+5′
Northern Rovers 3 (Rory Turner 14′ pen, David Brown 27′, Paul Rhodes 84′)
Onehunga Mangere United 3 (Osman Rastagar 30′, Gilberto Souza 37′ pen, Abraham Khalil 90’+4′)
Fencibles United 5 (Kees Tweed 8′, Sione Fa’apoi 65′, Josh Harford 67′, Peter Garofalakis 69′, Brennen Priestley 89′)
Waitemata 1 (Arnold Kochasira 56′)
Tauranga City 3 (Adam Davidson 38′, Braxton Fisher-Vanderveen 62′, Liam Molloy 78′)
Mount Albert Ponsonby 1 (Nicholas Hindson 86′)
Fixture
Game to be played on Sunday August 21, 2022
Albany United
West Coast Rangers
Standings
Thanks
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