PREVIEW: Northern League strugglers have key fixtures at weekend

posted in: News, Northern League |

By David Larkin

Chatham Cup commitments for the Northern League’s leading sides mean this weekend’s focus reverts to sides lower down the table.

Auckland City and Birkenhead United have cup quarter-finals to contend with, while third-placed Eastern Suburbs have a bye due to Manurewa’s involvement in the cup.

Fifth-placed Auckland United have reduced the gap on the top four national league qualification spots, and are now five points adrift after a close win over West Coast Rangers, thanks to a late goal from sub Ishveer Singh.

Auckland United host Melville United at Keith Hay Park on Saturday, having claimed victory in the previous fixture 2-1.

Tauranga City have lost four in a row since their seven-game early season unbeaten run ended.

It doesn’t get any easier for them as they host a Western Springs side desperate for more points in their quest to catch Auckland City after a draw with the defending champions last weekend.

Tauranga suffered their worst defeat of the season in the reverse fixture against Springs, an embarrassing 7-1 defeat at Seddon Fields.

An important fixture goes ahead under lights next Wednesday when Birkenhead and Bay Olympic meet at Shepherds Park.

Bay Olympic carry some decent form, having been unbeaten in their last four matches, including a win over Springs.

*Hamilton Wanderers’ Brock Messenger (22) is thwarted by the Auckland City defence in June’s Chatham Cup tie. Wanderers have a crucial league game on Saturday. Photo: Regan Dewar / Phototek.*

Game of the week

It’s getting to the business end of the season, and the threat of relegation hovers over the teams perched at the bottom end of the table.

This weekend’s crunch match between Hamilton Wanderers and East Coast Bays at Porritt Stadium in Hamilton could prove decisive in both team’s quests to stay in the top flight.

Wanderers kept up their streak of draws with another against Bay Olympic in the last round. They’ll be frustrated not to come away with more, though, as they threw away a comfortable two-goal lead when they allowed Olympic to score twice deep in stoppage time.

They’ll need all three points this weekend against Bays if they are to have much hope of staying up in the league, as not only do they remain stranded in the relegation zone — seven points from safety — but four of their remaining six matches are against the top four sides.

Bays have overhauled West Coast Rangers and Manurewa on the table after an impressive comeback victory against Tauranga last weekend. They were 2-0 down early but managed to turn things around and win 4-2.

They’ll be fighting to stay above those rivals.

The reverse fixture finished 2-2 between these sides after Bays’ goalkeeper Louie Caunter scored a goal in the 99th minute to rescue a point for his side.

Player to watch

Birkenhead United striker Sam Philip’s hat-trick against Manurewa last week fired his side to their 4-1 victory.

He has risen to second on his club’s top scorer table and is sixth on the overall Golden Boot table with 10 goals for the season.

Philip (25) joined Birkenhead after departing Christchurch United at the end of last year.

He has previously played for the Phoenix Reserves and for United States university side, the Great Danes.

Philip will need to be on top of his form this week as his team have two matches to contend with.

United travel to Napier City Rovers for their Chatham Cup quarter-final on Sunday before hosting Bay Olympic on Wednesday.

Bold prediction

I predict Western Springs and Auckland United will beat Tauranga and Melville respectively. I’ll also predict that Birkenhead United will win their midweek fixture against Bay Olympic at Shepherds Park next Wednesday.

Last round, I predicted Manurewa would lose to Birkenhead United. They lost 4-1.

Golden Boot

14 — Jake Mechell (Eastern Suburbs), Emiliano Tade (Western Springs)
12 — Jonty Bidois (Tauranga City)
11 — Eber Ramirez (Manurewa), Monty Patterson (Birkenhead United)
10 — Sam Philip (Birkenhead United)
9 — Allan Pearce (West Coast Rangers), Liam Gillion (Auckland City)
8 — Ronaldo Munoz (Bay Olympic, now Hamilton Wanderers)
7 — Corban Piper (Birkenhead United), Josh Tollervey (Auckland United, now Miramar Rangers), Reid Drake (Western Springs), Derek Tieku (Hamilton Wanderers, now Auckland City), Liam Molloy (Tauranga City)
6 — Jerson Lagos Giraldo (Manurewa, now Auckland City), Ibrahim Nadir (Bay Olympic), Ryan de Vries (Auckland City), Kofi Dwamena (West Coast Rangers)