PREVIEW: Auckland City close to clinching another Northern League title

By David Larkin

Auckland City are sitting pretty with a five-point lead in the Northern League and, they can claim a fourth consecutive title if they dispatch Manurewa on Saturday.

Frontrunners City and nearest rivals Birkenhead United had byes last week as they competed in the semi-finals of the Chatham Cup.

Eastern Suburbs’ loss to Western Springs last time out has provided City with the chance to wrap up the title a round early.

Second place will still be hotly contested as Birkenhead travel to take on a Tauranga City side that has failed to claim victory in their last eight matches.

Suburbs travel to Porritt Stadium to play a Hamilton Wanderers team who have only lost one of their last seven matches as the last-placed side stage a late revival to dodge relegation.

Spring’s victory over Suburbs has not only secured them National League qualification but has also provided a chance to improve their current fourth position on the table.

The west Auckland side will play away West Coast Rangers this week. Their opponents could make it tough, based on recent form, as they have won their last two matches.

The relegation battle has tightened after last week’s results, with both teams in the relegation zone picking up vital wins to keep them in the fight for survival.

Hamilton Wanderers scored their first victory since early June, ending an eight-match winless streak that they came close to breaking on a few occasions with five draws in that run.

The win has taken them closer to safety — they sit three points away from 10th-placed Manurewa — but to avoid relegation, they’ll now have to win at least one of their last two remaining fixtures, which are both against top-four sides.

Melville United, languishing in 11th place, also claimed a crucial victory last week, a clinical 5-0 thumping of Bay Olympic.

The win puts them only one point off 10th place, but they’ll need to pick up points this weekend as they won’t want to count on picking up points against top-of-the-table City in next weekend’s final round.

East Coast Bays failed to secure their safety in the division after a loss to Rangers last week, the loss leaving them four points away from relegation and only three points away from the relegation play-off position.

Their match against Melville this week is huge for both sides as they’ll be wanting to pick up all three points to help their campaigns for survival in the league.

Rangers have seemingly escaped the relegation battle with six points in the last two weeks, helping them clamber up the table into 7th spot.

Their safety in the league could be confirmed this weekend with a win against Western Springs or if other results go their way.

Auckland United have confirmed fifth place with two rounds to go, and while this is a solid effort for them, they’ll be disappointed not to have repeated last season’s feat of National League qualification.

Bay Olympic is another side that can’t improve their position on the table, but they could confirm sixth place on the table with a win against United this weekend.

Game of the week

The match between City and Manuewa at War Memorial Park on Saturday isn’t just crucial for City, as they attempt to wrap up their fourth consecutive Northern League title a week early, but it’s also vitally important for their opponents as they try to avoid slipping into the relegation zone for the first time this season.

City have remained dominant through the vast majority of the season, but faltered upon their return from the OFC Champions League, the fixture congestion appearing to take a toll on the squad as they dropped a few points.

They have been clinical in recent weeks with a nine-game unbeaten streak in the league as well as progressing to the final of the Chatham Cup.

Manurewa’s season has taken a nosedive since the departure of head coach Brett McMurdoch, and they have failed to win a match since the experienced manager left the club in May, having now gone on a 13-game winless run.

The south Auckland side are now in serious danger of relegation only a season after achieving National League qualification, as they have slipped down to 10th on the table with only a point separating them from the relegation zone.

With both sides desperate for all three points to service their respective campaigns, this match is set to be a hard-fought battle for survival and title glory.

Player to watch

Hamilton Wanderers midfielder Ronaldo Lopez Munoz added another goal to his tally in his club’s victory over Tauranga last weekend, his 10th goal of his season helping his side to only their second win of the campaign.

The Chilean-born player has proved to be a vital part of the Hamilton side since transferring there from Bay Olympic halfway through the season and has gone a long way to fill the void left by club stalwart Derek Tieku.

With two rounds to go, and Wanderers teetering on the brink of being relegated, it’s up to players like Munoz and teammate Aston Hurd to find the back of the net and help secure their side’s safety in the league.

Lopez Munoz (24) strike rate of six goals in 10 appearances for the Hamilton club this season will surely have gained attention from other clubs though, and could help to solidify his future in the league regardless of Wanderers’ fate.

Bold prediction

I predict Auckland United will beat Bay Olympic at Keith Hay Park on Saturday.

And I’ll also predict that Hamilton Wanderers can clinch at least a point against Eastern Suburbs when they host them at Porritt Stadium this weekend.

Last round, I predicted Suburbs, Bays and Wanderers would all win. Suburbs lost 1-2 to Springs, Bays lost 1-2 to Rangers and Wanderers won 2-0 against Tauranga.

Golden Boot

18 — Jake Mechell (Eastern Suburbs)
14 — Emiliano Tade (Western Springs)
13 — Monty Patterson (Birkenhead United)
12 — Jonty Bidois (Tauranga City), Eber Ramirez (Manurewa)
10 — Sam Philip (Birkenhead United)
9 — Allan Pearce (West Coast Rangers), Liam Gillion (Auckland City), Dawson Straffon (West Coast Rangers, now Western Springs), Sean Leadley (Manurewa, now Melville United), Ronaldo Munoz (Bay Olympic, now Hamilton Wanderers)
8 — Ryan de Vries (Auckland City), Liam Molloy (Tauranga City), Malcolm Young (East Coast Bays)
7 — Corban Piper (Birkenhead United), Josh Tollervey (Auckland United, now Miramar Rangers), Reid Drake (Western Springs), Derek Tieku (Hamilton Wanderers, now Auckland City), Jerson Lagos Giraldo (Manurewa, now Auckland City), Aston Hurd (Hamilton Wanderers)
6 — Ibrahim Nadir (Bay Olympic), Kofi Dwamena (West Coast Rangers), Daniel Atkinson (Auckland United)
5 — Regont Murati (Auckland City), Oliver Fay (Auckland United), Hideto Takahashi (Auckland United)