Football: Cambridge bounce right back

Sam Haywood scored one of Tauranga Boys' College's two goals in their win over Rotorua United. Photo / File

The WaiBOP Premiership's top three sides all won at the weekend to keep the title race interesting for another week.

Leaders Cambridge bounced back from the previous week's defeat by Ngongotaha with a clinical 4-0 victory at Waikato Unicol.

Kieran Hill's goal separated the sides after a tight first half in which Unicol also missed a penalty. The visitors put the game to bed within the first quarter hour of the second half as goals from Matt Wheeler and Jason Szabo pushed their lead out to three. Captain Patrick Woodlock completed the demolition job with Cambridge's fourth goal in the 78th minute.

Ngongotaha made hard work of their win over lowly Otumoetai, with the game locked at 2-2 until quite late before a controversial penalty allowed them to hit the lead. Eamon O'Donoghue converted from the spot, then the Villagers added a fourth to keep the heat on Cambridge. Mitch Miller, Luke Barker and Josh O'Sullivan scored the other goals for Ngongotaha, while strikes from Adam Proverbs and an own goal had the visitors 2-1 up at half time.

Melville United eased to a 3-1 win over Katikati to maintain third ahead of next week's clash at Cambridge. Dave Stewart struck twice from the penalty spot and Blair Cowley added a third for Melville.

Further down the table, Old Blues drew level on points with Papamoa after a 1-0 home victory over Waikato Stud Matamata Swifts. Dion Bartosh's goal a couple of minutes before half time was the difference.

Tauranga Boys' College snatched only their second win of the season with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Rotorua United. United were a goal up at the break but the students struck back through second-half goals from Connor Smith and Sam Haywood. Tauranga Boys' are still last, but have pulled to within two points of second last Tauranga City United.

For their part, Tauranga held SGS Papamoa to a 0-0 draw at Links Ave to inch closer to potential survival.

In the WaiBOP Championship, West Hamilton United and Kawerau Sports moved ominously closer to leaders, Claudelands Rovers, who had the weekend's bye, after similar narrow wins.

West Hamilton stayed in second after a 2-1 win over Richardson Racing Stables Matamata reserves at Weka Street. They went ahead from the penalty spot during the first half, before doubling their lead after the break. The goals came from Glen Brown and Nikalai Finlay. Ronan Costello set up a nervous finish when he scored with 12 minutes remaining, but the hosts held on for another three points.

Kawerau replicated West Hamilton's scoreline with a 2-1 win at home over Cambridge reserves. The hosts were ahead at the break in this one too, before the sides traded second half goals. Sean Henderson and Brendon Mitchell again hit the target for Kawerau, while Dylan Brown netted Cambridge's reply. Kawerau are now in third and, with games in hand, both they and West Hamilton will be eyeing top spot.

Te Puke returned to form in emphatic fashion with a 6-0 thumping of Ngongotaha reserves at Stembridge Road and moved to within a point of fourth placed Cambridge. Ngongotaha's defeat saw them drop to last after both Old Blues reserves and Whakatane Town pulled off 1-0 victories.