Football: Sala double helps Keri keep rolling

Argentine import Rodrigo Sala scored a double for Kerikeri as they maintained their 100 per cent record in the Northland Premier Football League with a 4-1 win over Tikipunga.

Sala scored the opening goal of the match before Robbie Kingman extended the lead with a penalty before halftime.

Sala added his second shortly into the second spell before Max Mackrel scored the goal of the day to complete Kerikeri's total. The visitors were well outgunned at Waipapa and although they had their moments. It was Kerikeri who scored their goal - with centre back Aaron Turner marking his debut for the premier team by heading the ball into his own net.

"It was really a cracking own goal ... but it really wasn't a great performance by us today against a young Tikipunga side," Kerikeri coach Mark Roberts said. "We were still hurting from the kicking we got on Monday against Lynn Avon in the Chatham Cup."

Roberts said the 0-5 defeat in Auckland was the worst showing he could remember in eight years playing in Kerikeri colours and it would take a little time to put it behind them.

"But at least we got a win today and now we've got a top-of-the-table clash against Kamo to build up for this week," he said.

FC Whangarei pulled off the upset of the round with a 2-0 win over Central Brown at Otaika. It was the first points of the campaign for the young side, who stuck to their guns and defended well in the second spell after Liam Wynn's strike had dented CB's complacency in the first half.

FC's assistant coach Phil Tunstall said a fine penalty save by stand-in keeper Scott Triplow motivated the team.

"Scott had already played a game for the reserves and agreed to fill in for us and then pulled off a great penalty save to keep us in the lead," he said.

The home side came back with a vengeance to dominate the second half but it wasn't to be their day, with Anthony Gilbert doubling FC's lead midway through the spell after a goalmouth scramble.

In Taipa, Kaitaia pushed league leaders Kamo for the entire match but were left empty-handed after a late winner by Owen Liiv. The home side took an early lead before the league's top scorer, Keegan Baddeley, equalised from a corner. The match seemed headed for a draw until Liiv struck a long-range effort into the top of the net with less than five minutes left.

Onerahi were the big movers of the round, with an important 2-0 win over Bream Bay seeing them rise from sixth to third in the league. Coach Dave Badham said the win should have been more pronounced but the Bream Bay goalkeeper pulled off a number of fantastic saves to stem the scoring.

"Our midfield was really good today with Ian Page and Tom Brayshaw running the show ... it was a good result for us and completes a solid start to the season with two wins, two losses and a draw," he said.

Taylor Colsen scored in the first half before Page added the second with a great first-time strike from outside the area that flew into the top left-hand corner.

Northland First Division results: Kerikeri Jerkovich 3 Tikipunga Pet Essentials 4, Onerahi Reserves 0 Onerahi New 2, Central Brown 0 FC Whangarei 2, Bream Bay 1 Kamo 8, Madhatters Blue 6 Tikipunga Orange 1.