Div I standings: Kerikeri (played 6, f/a 39/8) 18 points, Kaitaia (8, 29/9) 16, FC (8, 20/11) 15, Madhatters Green (7, 16/12) 15, Central Brown (7, 13/8) 12, Tikipunga Orange (8, 13/20) 6, Madhatters Blue (7, 7/29) 3, Tikipunga Blue (6, 2/33) 0.
Bay Cosmos 1 Madhatters Red 0 (ht 1-0): An entertaining showcase for the Northland men's 2nd division championship played in balmy late autumn conditions at Bay College in Kawakawa on Saturday afternoon. Although of a pinball nature at times, the match was intensely competitive with players from both sides doing their utmost to play attractive, passing football.
The only goal came via a committed header by Keegan Harrison. The homeside fashioned several more good chances but were unable to hit the target, while Madhatters created opportunities of their own and were denied a certain equaliser thanks to a particularly leaping save from 'keeper Owen 'Cookie' Cookson. Also notable was player of the day, James Bower, in midfield. The result lifts Cosmos from second-bottom to second place.
Kerikeri Harcourts Masters 3 Madhatters Black 3 (ht 3-0): Kerikeri's Graeme Sharp said this round-3 clash in the 2nd div at Waipapa made for a great spectacle from a neutral perspective. Kerikeri took a strong lead into halftime - through goals by Caitlin Mahood (a cracker by all accounts, and also man of the match), Bob Andrew and Ben Moss - but may have let their guard slip as Madhatters came storming out after the break and enforced a "well-deserved" draw thanks to two great goals and a penalty.
Div II standings, all played 3; Kamo (12/4) 7 points, Bay Cosmos (6/6) 6, Kerikeri (4/4) 5, Madhatters Black (9/8) 4, Madhatters Red (5/6) 3, Northern Wairoa (4/13) 0.
FC Whangarei 1 Kaitaia United Top Roofer 1 (ht 0-0): Kaitaia losing a little ground in their campaign for the Northland men's 3rd division title against FC at Morningside Park. FC scored first, before Brazilian Mauro Ferreira equalised with a header. The visitors travelled with a skeleton squad of 11 including veteran John Bulling making his return to provincial championship football, numbers eventually shored up by Andy Booth and Gareth Marshall. Player coach Wayne Van Kan was impressed with the way his side continued to stick to the gameplan after going a goal behind rather than letting their heads hang down.
"We started standing up once we scored [the equaliser]. A good game, hard and fair." Kaitaia's standout was Luke Nash in great, nay, crucial form in his first game in at 'keeper, and Vander Dos Santos in central defence. Notable for FC was Brian 'Spiderman' Martin, former Te Rarawa rugby senior, who pounced on a defensive mix-up for the homeside strike.
The draw wasn't enough to unseat Kaitaia from top of the table as it prepares to host 2nd-placed Central Brown in Taipa this Saturday.
Div III standings: Kaitaia (played 3, 8/3) 7 points, Central (2, 7/4) 4, Onerahi (2, 6/5) 3, FC (2, 2/2) 1, Tikipunga Coastline (3, 3/12) 0.
Sunday women
Kerikeri High School 2 Bay Cosmos 3 (ht 1-1): Bay Cosmos taking the spoils from this Far North derby played at Kerikeri High School on the first (fine) day of winter as round 8 of the Northland women's premier division was completed on Sunday.
Conditions were fine for the game, which saw the visitors take a 3-1 lead before the homeside came back with a late goal.
Cosmos coach Jeff May was rapt. "First time we have beaten them for quite a while. The girls came to play this week," May said, noting his side scored "three excellent goals" with wife Sharna grabbing a brace and the other by Rebecca Swan. May's standouts, however, were his central defensive pairing of Te Arahi Carrington and Nikita Halliday along with the "good ref too!"
Hora Hora 1 Kerikeri Siteworx 3: Siteworx spokesperson Kate Liddington said the final result showed Kerikeri had prepared well for their away game at Tarewa Park on Sunday.
"We knew that Hora Hora would turn up ... they played the whole 90 minutes. A little bit of an up and down game for us today." Goals by Nikki Osborne and Tayla Jenkinson 2 (also player of the day). Kerikeri celebrated the win on Sunday night with a team bonding session, aware the next four games on the trot will be hard ones.
Women's prem div results incomplete, missing the of the FC v Kamo result, thus standings not available.
