Football: Promotion still possible despite draw

Jerahl Hughes has scored 15 goals for Tauranga City United this season and was on target again on Saturday leaders at Forrest Hill Milford.

North Shore United have emerged as the fly in the ointment as far as Belvedere Tauranga City United's promotion hopes are concerned.

With two promotion places up for grabs, City are fourth, a couple of points behind third-placed Hibiscus Coast but with two games in hand, and five behind second placed North Shore United, who have played one game more.

North Shore accounted for bottom-placed Ngaruawahia United 5-1 at the weekend and Coast beat Takapuna 2-0.

On Saturday, City came away from league leaders Forrest Hill Milford's North Shore home with a point after a 2-all draw, something most would regard as a good result.

But City's coach Duncan Lowry is realistic about the impact the draw with the pacesetters will have on their prospects of moving up a division at season's end.

"It's disappointing because it's two points lost," he said.

"We were never in front in the game and we had rain and hail and wind - everything you wouldn't want for a game.

"It was a shame for two of the best teams. Before the game there was talk it may be at North Harbour on Astroturf, and that would probably have been better for both teams. The dugout got blown over just before the game - that's how strong the wind was."

He said his team were poor for the game's first 20 minutes, when the hosts took the lead after a defensive mistake.

After that City seized the initiative, with Jerahl Hughes scoring from the penalty spot after he had beaten his defender and his cross had been handled in the area.

"After that we bossed it," said Lowry.

Half time came at exactly the wrong time.

"The last thing you want when you are on top of things is for the referee to blow the whistle - you want to play through half time."

The second half started like the first, with the home side on top, scoring an early goal to retake the lead.

Again, the goal galvanised City and Colm Kenny headed in a cross to restore parity.

"After that we had our tails up," said Lowry.

City hit the woodwork twice and City goalkeeper Tom Pamment pulled off a fine save at the near post as both teams tried to break the deadlock, but it was City who finished the game stronger, said Lowry, with Forrest Hill shutting up shop.

With six games to play, one of which is away to North Shore, there is no room for slip-ups.

"We have to win everything now," said Lowry. "We have to beat North Shore and they still have to drop points."

He is heartened by the fact that North Shore recently lost three young players, who have travelled to the United States on football scholarships, as has Tauranga City's George Tighe, and Lowry has also recently picked up left-sided French player Simon Millet and centre forward Van Ewert, who have both made scoring debuts in recent weeks.

But he can see the bigger picture and knows how far the team have come after winning promotion from the second division.

"If you told me three years ago, when I first started, that in two and a half years time we would be pushing for promotion [into the Northern Premier League] I would have laughed. But we need a little bit of luck now."