FINAL MUSTER: The players who fronted for Kaitaia Justa Plumber United's last match of the 2015 Northland Men's Premier Division at Taipa on Saturday.
It ended as a fairly hapless Saturday afternoon for all five Far North men's sides in action in domestic provincial football competition.
The Kerikeri prems lost at home to Glen Eden Rangers in the Fed One Cup semi-final to finish their otherwise remarkable season, the Kaitaia As were well beaten in the last match of their prem div campaign, Kerikeri Masters had the handbrake applied to their quest to defend the NM2 title with an away loss, and Bay Cosmos with only 10 players were convincingly thumped in a third-division clash in Whangarei.
In fact, the only Far North side to record a win over the weekend were the Kaitaia Bs, and that came via a default.
Kerikeri Bay Builders 2 Glen Eden Rangers 5 (ht 0-0): The runaway 2015 Northland Premier Division champions were eliminated in the semi-final of the NFF Men's Federation One Cup at Waipapa on Saturday afternoon.
It was a disappointing end to the season where, a mere three weeks ago, the Keri Prems seemed on the verge of recording a remarkable treble after ripping up the formbook in winning the NMP title. The first setback to what was shaping as a near-perfect season came the previous weekend with a loss at home to a 1st div unit in the domestic knockout cup. Then this, with Kerikeri player manager Mark Roberts noting Glen Eden proved a pretty solid outfit.
In front of a large home crowd estimated at well over 100, the visitors started well before Kerikeri regained some control and began to dominate on a wet and sticky pitch, forcing the Glen Eden keeper into making a number of saves, while a Liam Nash strike was cleared off the line. Keri keeper Chris West also rose to the occasion, Roberts noted, making three top-class saves in the opening 45 minutes.
"Glen Eden started better in the second half but both teams had chances to score. Then in a 10-minute spell, they scored three goals, the third a piledriver from 25 yards, and probably the best goal Harmony Lane has seen for years," he said, adding that a Jake McGowan strike kept the hopes of the large crowd alive, before Glen Eden scored two more breakaways. McGowan scored again, while Keri's POTD was Finn Forstner in midfield.
"Great game played in very good spirit. Glen Eden's keeper was superb and they deserved the win," said Roberts, adding that his guys were gutted not to have done better in what had been regarded as a winnable game.
"We've had a good season but have come unstuck towards the end but three cups out of five can be classed as a successful season," said Roberts, with the NMP championship, Challenge Shield (contested at the start of the season between the 2014 NMP champions, FC, and the runners-up), and David Wilson Challenge Shield sitting in the clubrooms.
Kaitaia Justa Plumber United 0 Onerahi 3 (ht 0-2): With the last three weeks off, a relatively rusty Kaitaia United ended their inaugural campaign in the Northland Premier Division with a loss to a rampant Onerahi at Taipa.
The visitors arrived determined to secure second spot overall on the standings and went ahead with two well taken goals, cutting through the home guard with disparaging ease at times. Kaitaia remained competitive throughout even as the final nail in the coffin came early in the second spell. The homeside continued to pressure the Onerahi goal in the final quarter, although the result was well beyond doubt at this point. Standouts were Luke Wilson on the left wing and keeper Luke Nash, pulling off some fine saves.
Still, for Kaitaia to finish the season fifth out of eight teams made for an impressive debut, noted the team's Scottish-born player coach Andy Booth. He was justifiably proud of how the Kaitaia prems had developed youth this season; seven in Saturday's line-up were under 18, another three aged between 18 and 22, with the balance comprising four veterans (himself, Nash, Pika McDonald and Steve Daykin). Yes, there were some disappointing results in this year's journey, particularly the early upset elimination from the knockout up, but all in all, the side's premier div debut had silenced the sceptics.
"We proved we could compete at that level. It's a tough league, every single game was tough. [But] We were never outclassed, always in every game except maybe against Kerikeri. If we had been able to get our first team out every time ... " he said, noting all the opposition teams had complimented Kaitaia for always choosing to play an attractive style of football.
"We were never going to match what we did last year," Boothy said, referring to the NM1 title won in 2014.
- NMP 'final' standings*: Kerikeri (played 14 for/against 74/1) 42 points, Onerahi (14, 30/21) 23, Tikipunga (14, 26/30) 22, Bream Bay (14, 17/32) 19, Kaitaia (14, 19/29) 18; Kamo (13, 22/28) 14, Central Brown (13, 12/26) 10, FC Whangarei (14, 13/46) 7.
* The last game of the season - Kamo vs Central Brown this Saturday - won't affect the top half of the standings.
Kaitaia Top Roofer 3 FC Whangarei 0* BY DEFAULT: Kaitaia securing its first win of the Northland Men's 2nd Division campaign in the most undesirable manner; one player left twiddling his thumbs from the baulk noting, "I'd rather lose that win like that."
The no-show also denied local supporters a chance to witness Kaitaia B's last game at home for 2015, and the scheduled double header from taking place at Taipa on Saturday afternoon. With their first 'win' lifting them off the bottom of the standings, Kaitaia concludes its campaign by playing Madhatters Black - in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon - at William Fraser Park this Saturday.
Onerahi 3 Kerikeri Harcourts Masters 1*: This loss away at Onerahi Airport will be regarded by the champions as setback in their campaign to retain the Northland men's 2nd Division title.
Keri spokesman Sean White noted everyone in the visiting side was disappointed but aware they hadn't really played that well, although an injury to Danny Spake during the warm-up which forced a last-minute rejig hadn't helped.
"Boys knew they played poorly, that's life," he said of a match in which the highlights, as far as the visitors were concerned, "could have been written on the back of a matchbook". Elsewhere, Steve Moselen scored a "cracking goal" while midfielder Graham Sharp was named POTD.
Keri remain on top but the position is far from secure with one match remaining and three teams in contention for the crown. The lads must win their last game away at FC Whangarei, representing the last chance to complete the hat-trick: three consecutive championships. This will likely be put on hold with the Stafford Choat Bowl semi-final - Kerikeri away to Central Brown - given priority. Kerikeri are the only Far North side remaining in the knockout tournament.
- NM2 Standings: Kerikeri (4, 20/6) 9, Onerahi (4, 9/7) 7, Madhatters Green (4, 11/13) FC (4, 8/8) 5, Kaitaia (4, 6/10) 3, Madhatters Black (4, 7/17) 3.
Central Brown 6 Bay Cosmos Mixed 1 (ht 1-1): Only able to front at Otaika Domain with 10 players meant this could still be regarded as a valiant effort by Cosmos in the penultimate round 4/5 of the Northland 3rd Division championship on Saturday.
Despite scoring first and holding the homeside level through the first half, tiredness overwhelmed the visitors and Central were able to score most of their goals in the last quarter. Cosmos player coach Jen Crowther praised the homeside, "Gotta say, Central were pretty good about giving us time to get there." Oliver Cherrington scored the visitors' goal.
- NM3 Standings: Kamo Whangarei Aluminium (4, 13/5) 12, Central Brown (4, 13/5) 7, Tikipunga Coastline (4, 10/7) 7, Northern Wairoa ((4, 10/12) 6, Bay Cosmos (4, 5/13) 8, Tikipunga Development (4, 5/14) 0.
While they didn't play, Kerikeri Reserves finished third overall on the Northland 1st Division standings after the last games of the competition were completed last weekend.
- NM1 final standings: Kamo (74/20) 37, FC Whangarei (14, 68/24) 36, Kerikeri (14, 46/26) 27, Tikipunga (14, 34/43) 18, Bream Bay (14, 25/47) 16, Central Brown (14, 25/37) 13, Madhatters Blue (14, 27/53) 10, Onerahi (12/55) 9.