Football: Hughes dazzles snoozy Waiuku

Jerahl Hughes scored four goals in Tauranga City United's 5-0 win over Waiuku on Sunday.

Belvedere Group Tauranga City United thumped Waiuku AFC 5-0 at Links Ave on Sunday to go clear at the top of the Northern League first division table.

The Duncan Lowry-coached side are undefeated from their opening four games and sit two points ahead of second-placed Ellerslie.

If the other teams have not taken notice of Tauranga yet, the 5-0 scoreline against Waiuku will do the trick. The opening 15 minutes produced some of the most creative attacking football seen at Links Ave for years, with Jerahl Hughes at the centre of it all.

He had a hat-trick within 10 minutes and played a part from a corner in the fourth goal, headed home by the impressive Campbell Higgins.

Tauranga City could not quite produce the same fluency in the second spell, running into a stiffening breeze, and lacked the formation that worked so well, before Jordan Culpepper received a straight red card from referee Rajesh Kumar for studs up in a strong challenge.

Hughes produced some more trickery in the box to win a penalty late in the match, which the former Crystal Palace youth player had no problem slotting home for his fourth goal.

Hughes was surprised he scored three goals so quickly while the Waiuku defence looked as if they were still snoozing on the bus trip down from South Auckland.

"The first two were pretty easy, they were tap-ins, but I was over the moon to score a hat-trick in the first half."

The 25-year-old winger made an impression in his first season at the club last year but after a summer playing for WaiBOP United, he is looking even sharper on the ball and is settled living at Mount Maunganui.

He puts the great start to the season down to the ability and unity within the squad.

"We knew we had to step up in this league and that is exactly what we've done," Hughes said.

"We just have to work hard for one another. I think we have the depth in the squad.

"You see the players that come off the bench show it is a good, strong squad. We don't look out of shape at all and every player knows their job.

"That is what is so good about it."