Manurewa players face 10-match bans after three sent off in Northern League game

posted in: News, Northern League

Two Manurewa players face 10-game suspensions after being sent off late in their side’s 3-3 draw with Hamilton Wanderers in the Northern League.

Nico Bobadilla (24), who had scored all three Manurewa goals, and team captain Agustin Contratti (30) will be stood down for 10 games each after copping straight reds for protesting referee Andy Holdsworth’s decision to send off teammate James Hoyt.

Main photo: Hat-trick scorer Nico Bobadilla faces a lengthy suspension.File photo: Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.

Hoyt (32) will be suspended for three matches.

The incident happened in the 88th minute of Saturday’s match at Hamilton’s Porritt Stadium.

Referee Holdsworth was in the process of dealing with Hoyt’s foul on a Wanderers player when Bobadilla challenged him in a way that led to his sending-off.

Contratti, who was playing against his former club, then protested the Bobadilla dismissal in a way that saw him given his marching orders as well.

Bobadilla is the Northern League’s second-leading goalscorer this season with seven goals in as many rounds, trailing only Wanderers’ Derek Tieku, who also scored a hat-trick in the 3-3 draw.

Bobadilla was Manurewa’s Player of the Year after the club’s promotion-winning season in 2022. His former clubs include Racing De Trelew (Argentina), Coastal Spirit, Manukau United, Bay Olympic, Waiheke United and Deportivo Deportes Valdivia (Chile).

Contratti has previously played for Racing Club (Argentina), Manukau United, Hamilton Wanderers and Club Americo Tesorieri (Argentina).

Manurewa’s next scheduled game is under the lights at Western Springs’ Seddon Fields on Friday May 5.

Result

Game played on Saturday April 30, 2023

Hamilton Wanderers 3 (Derek Tieku 3′, 28′ pen, 86′)
Manurewa 3 (Nico Bobadilla 36′, 46′, 67′)

READ MORE: The winners, scorers and tables from Saturday’s top matches >>>>

More football stories