By David Larkin
Fencibles United are nine points ahead and can all but confirm the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship title this weekend if they dispatch Hibiscus Coast.
Manukau United’s hold on the promotion play-off position has tightened after Ngaruawahia United’s shock loss to North Shore United in the last round.
League leaders Fencibles had to again come from behind to grab the three points last weekend, as a brace from club top scorer Daniel Bunch overturned the deficit and handed them a 2-1 victory over Onehunga Mangere United.
North Shore recorded a huge upset over third-placed Ngaruawahia, the 5-2 away victory over the Waikato side shoving them out of the play-off spot.
The loss all but ends any title aspirations for Ngaruawahia, and they are at risk of not getting the promotion play-off spot either as Manukau are three points in front with a game in hand.
Manukau have the chance to further increase the gap this week as they have two fixtures against teams down the ladder.
The South Auckland side will fancy their chances at picking up all six points as both of their opponents have struggled for recent form.
Mt Albert Ponsonby registered their biggest win of the season at home against Takapuna last weekend with Sam Tutton bagging a four-goal haul.
They are unbeaten in their last four matches and have a golden opportunity to extend that streak when they play Onehunga Mangere on Friday, as their opponent have slid down the table after some poor performances in recent weeks.
Onehunga Mangere have lost six in a row with their latest a narrow loss to Fencibles.
They now have a tough schedule against some difficult opposition this week, facing the in-form Mt Albert Ponsonby on Friday, before a Tuesday night fixture against second-place Manukau.
Hibiscus Coast have a tough schedule too, playing league leaders Fencibles this weekend, but they will go into the match with confidence as they handed Fencibles one of their two defeats this season in the reverse fixture
Rovers are back to winning ways after failing to put away North Shore the previous week, and will now back themselves to claim third place from Ngaruawahia as they enter a favourable run of fixtures to wind up their season.
Takapuna need to address some defensive issues as they went down 5-0 to Mt Albert Ponsonby on the weekend, making it the third match in a row they’ve conceded four goals or more.
The side have failed to record a win in their last five matches and will need to confirm their place in the league for next season with the gap to the relegation zone now only five points.
North Shore United have made significant improvements over the last few weeks, with some big results against some of the top clubs driving them to escape the bottom two.
After snatching some crucial points against both Mt Albert Ponsonby and Rovers, they put on a masterclass performance against Ngaruawahia, going ahead early and winning comprehensively 5-2.
North Shore have the opportunity to secure safety heading into the end of season, as their next two fixtures are against Franklin and Takapuna, both of whom have struggled lately.
Franklin United’s relegation has been confirmed as they can no longer catch 10th-placed North Shore.
They will be bitterly disappointed with their performance in their first season in the league, managing a single win in the 18 matches they’ve played so far.
They now have four games left to improve their record and end their season on a high note.
Game of the week
Ellerslie host Ngaruawahia United at Michaels Ave Reserve on Saturday in what could be a defining match in the race for the coveted promotion play-off position.
Ngaruawahia will have to turn around their recent form as they have lost two of their last three, and have ceded second place on the the table to Manukau United.
With only four matches left for the Waikato side, they’ll have to go on a winning run to have any hope of reclaiming the play-off spot.
Ellerslie may prove a challenge though as they have put together some solid performances recently with only one loss in their last five matches.
While the reverse fixture between these teams looked one-sided on paper (3-0 to Ngaruawahia), that result was affected by Ellerslie having a player sent off in the first half, so expect this match to be closer than the previous result suggests.
Player to watch
Mt Albert Ponsonby winger Sam Tutton is now the top scorer for his club after slotting four goals in their emphatic win against Takapuna last week.
Tutton (30) has scored nine goals this season in only 12 starts for his club after spending a large chunk of the mid-season on the sidelines.
The English born right winger previously played for Northern Rovers and Northern League club Bay Olympic before transferring to Mt Albert at the start of last season.
With his club neither fighting for promotion or guarding against relegation, you’d expect the freedom this offers to lead to more goals for the prolific forward.
Bold prediction
I predict Manukau United will grab a couple of wins this week against Metro (Saturday) and Onehunga Mangere United (Tuesday).
I’ll also predict Northern Rovers and Mt Albert Ponsonby will beat Takapuna and Onehunga Mangere in their away matches this week.
Last week, I predicted Mt Albert Ponsonby and Ngaruawahia United would pick up wins. Mt Albert Ponsonby resoundingly beat Takapuna 5-0 but North Shore United upset Ngaruawahia 5-2.
Golden Boot
20 — Darius Palma (Ngaruawahia United)
16 — Daniel Bunch (Fencibles United)
15 — Kodie Nicol (Fencibles United)
10 — Adam Creaney (Metro), Aston Burns (Fencibles United), Dylan Horgan (Manukau United), Joao Moreira (Takapuna)
9 — Reuben Henderson (Ngaruawahia United), Sam Tutton (Mt Albert Ponsonby), Tinotenda Mupemhena (Franklin United)
7 — Brodie Putt (North Shore United), Meysum Shafahi (Manukau United), Nick Petherick (North Shore United), Sam Freeman (Metro)
6 — Hamsa Moosvi (Manukau United), Levi Clark (Ngaruawahia United), Max Adamson (Fencibles United), Daniel Cyra (Hibiscus Coast), Tom Durkin (Ellerslie)
5 — Astor Perez Baldoni (Ellerslie), Rowan Corbett (Ellerslie), Ryan Cain (Northern Rovers), Scott Sellar (Mt Albert Ponsonby), Will Litchfield (Ellerslie)
Fixtures
Game to be played on Friday August 9, 2024
Onehunga Mangere United v Mt Albert Ponsonby
Mangere Centre Park, Mangere, 7.30pm
Games to be played on Saturday August 10, 2024
Hibiscus Coast v Fencibles United
Stanmore Bay Park, Whangaparaoa, 3pm
Takapuna v Northern Rovers
Taharoto Park, Takapuna, 3pm
Metro v Manukau United
Phyllis St, Mt Albert, 3pm
Franklin United v North Shore United
Drury Sports Complex, Drury, 5pm
Ellerslie v Ngaruawahia United
Michaels Ave, Ellerslie, 5pm
Game to be played on Tuesday August 13, 2024
Manukau United v Onehunga Mangere United
McLennan Park, Papakura, 7.30pm
David Larkin
Friends of Football writer David Larkin plays community football for Auckland club Manurewa.
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