Football: Villagers survive scare to bag points

Daniel Freeman (right), Ngongotaha player, in action against Otumoetai on Saturday.

Ngongotaha had a scare against Otumoetai before keeping their title hopes alive and well this season.

The WaiBOP Premiership's top three sides all won at the weekend to keep the title race interesting for yet another week.

Second-placed Ngongotaha made hard work of their 4-2 win over lowly Otumoetai on Saturday at Stembridge Rd, with the game locked at 2-2 until quite late in the match.

A controversial penalty was awarded and Eamon O'Donoghue converted from the spot before the Villagers added a fourth to win by two goals, keeping plenty of heat on competition leaders Cambridge.

Mitch Miller, Luke Barker and Josh O'Sullivan scored the other goals for Ngongotaha, while strikes from Adam Proverbs and an own goal had Otumoetai 2-1 up at half time.

Ngongotaha still have nine games left to play this season and boast two games in hand over Cambridge.

Leaders Cambridge bounced back from last week's defeat to Ngongotaha with a clinical 4-0 victory at Waikato Unicol on Saturday.

Kieran Hill's first-half goal separated the sides after a tight first half, in which Unicol also missed a penalty.

The visitors put the game to bed within the first quarter of an hour of the second half as goals from Matt Wheeler and Jason Szabo pushed their lead out to three.

Captain Patrick Woodlock completed the job with Cambridge's fourth goal in the 78th minute.

Melville United eased to a 3-1 win over Katikati to maintain third place ahead of next week's clash at Cambridge.

Dave Stewart struck twice from the penalty spot and Blair Cowley added a third for Melville, who opened up an eight-point gap between themselves and fourth-placed SGS Papamoa.

Josh Boyes grabbed a second-half consolation for Katikati.

Rotorua United had a shock loss in Tauranga on Saturday, going down 2-1 to bottom side Tauranga Boys' College.

Tauranga Boys' snatched only their second win of the season with the come-from-behind victory over Rotorua United.

The visitors were a goal up at the break, thanks to Anees Shukur, but the students struck back through second-half goals to Connor Smith and Sam Haywood.

Tauranga Boys' are still last, but have pulled to within two points of the second-to-last side, Tauranga City United.

In the other games, Tauranga Old Blues defeated Matamata 1-0 at home and Tauranga City held Papamoa to a scoreless draw at Links Ave.

In the WaiBOP Championship, West Hamilton United and Kawerau Sports moved ominously closer to the leaders, Claudelands Rovers, who had the bye.

West Hamilton defeated Matamata Reserves 2-1 and Kawerau beat Cambridge Reserves 2-1.

-Premiership table: Cambridge 37, Ngongotaha 32, Melville 30, Papamoa 22, Tauranga Old Blues 22, Waikato Unicol 17, Rotorua United 16, Matamata Swifts 16, Katikati 16, Otumoetai 13, Tauranga City 10, Tauranga Boys' College 8.

WaiBOP Football results from Saturday:

Premiership: Tauranga Boys' College 2 Rotorua United 1, Ngongotaha 4 Otumoetai 2, Waikato Unicol 0 Cambridge 4, Melville United 3 Katikati 1, Tauranga City United 0 Papamoa 0, Tauranga Old Blues 1 Matamata Swifts 0.

Championship: Kawerau Sports 2 Cambridge 1, West Hamilton 2 Matamata Swifts 1, Ngongotaha 0 Te Puke United 6, Tauranga Old Blues 1 Te Awamutu 0, Whakatane
Town 1 Tokoroa 0, Claudelands bye