Chris Wood - Newcastle United (English Premier League)

Newcastle United (and by extension Chris Wood) met Wolverhampton Wanderers on a Friday night on Tyneside. A welcome fixture in front of their home fans after losing three in a row on their travels including a bulky defeat to Spurs last time out, the Toon still needing a couple good results to steer themselves to safety. Now is not the time to skive off.

Thus it’s a relief to say that, in stark contrast to the Spurs game, the Magpies rocked up with a real purpose to their footy, moving the ball nicely through midfield and controlling possession. Took them a while to turn that into anything. Their crossing wasn’t up to much, Chris Wood left applauding intent rather than outcome as balls were continually picked off by the first defender (didn’t help seeing Ryan Fraser subbed off injured within quarter of an hour). But the signs were good.

And rewards were not too long in arriving. 22 mins gone and there was some lovely in and out play between Bruno Guimaraes and Emil Krafth leading to an inside feed for Miguel Almiron who flicked the ball behind his standing leg to Bruno. In came the low cross towards the Woodsman in the six yard box which was disrupted by the defence however Wood stayed active and despite having fallen to the ground he managed to stick a leg out and turn it home. His second goal for Newcastle, putting his team into the... oh no wait the VAR spotted an offside in the build-up. Carry on then.

Would’ve been a wonderful goal with some of that interplay but alas no dice. Wolves barely offered a threat going forward, hardly even got the ball that high up the pitch, yet defensively they were decent and the Magpies had some worries in breaking them down. There was a free kick that Joelinton flicked on which went behind the run of Wood. Allan Saint-Maximin was in good touch with his dribbling but couldn’t take that into the penalty area for maximum damage. Zero shots on target for either team at HT.

That first shot on target finally happened on 52’ as Wood dropped one down for Dan Burn (it’s usually the other way around) but it was an easy save. About ten minutes later Saint-Maximin began to have more of an impact, blasting one over the top and then smashing a low cross towards Wood that didn’t miss by much.

Finally, in the 70th min, Newcastle were able to burst into a counter attack after Saint-Maximin flicked one past to Joelinton around halfway. Joelinton carried it at pace, Chris Wood ran past him into the area. Ball came through. Keeper rushed out. Wood went down. Penalty. We had to wait while VAR took a look to confirm that Wood was onside but the decision ultimately stood and up stepped Chris Wood... you can guess what happened next.

Incredible stat: Chris Wood hasn’t missed a penalty for club or country for six years. 18 consecutive goals from the spot and that’s not including shootout successes either. If you chuck those bad boys in then the streak is up to 24 spotties in a row. This was his second goal for Newcastle but his first at St James Park. His first for Newcastle at SJP, that is... he did score there for Leeds in a Championship game back in 2017.

ASM and Bruno nearly combined for a second soon after with Wood involved with some mint hold-up play as well – an aspect of his game that was in fine display this game. Naturally Wolves were gonna try spark a comeback and Fabio Silva had a couple good chances. A header wide and a near-post shot saved. By this point Wolves were running things. Wood had dropped deeper allowing ASM to hang forward for the break. Newcastle in that familiar position of trying not to blow things late... which they did not. 1-0 the score as the final whistle echoed around St James Park. Chris Wood’s second half penalty the clincher. Get some.

Remember he scored a hat-trick against Wolves last season too. Loves himself a trendy opponent does The Woodsman. Whether it’s Wolverhampton Wanderers or the Solomon Islands.

Up Next: Monday at 1.15am against Leicester City (NZT)

Niko Kirwan – Calcio Padova (Italian Serie C)

Calcio Padova have spent the bulk of their Serie C season trailing Südtirol by a small margin on the table. It looked as if they’d dropped just enough points that Südtirol would be able to run away with the lone automatic promotion spot from their conference but then all of a sudden, just in the last few games, a fallibility has emerged and Padova’s rivals have began to stumble. Enough so that Padova were able to close the gap to only two points with one last meeting still to follow against Südtirol within the last few fixtures... and conveniently just before that they also met them in the League Cup final second leg.

The first tie had been drawn 0-0 at Padova’s home ground. Südtirol hosted the second on Wednesday am NZT, Niko Kirwan named to start at right fullback, and it was they who began strongest with a few forays into the CP penalty area from which they arguably shoulda done more. Padova did forge one decent attack from a Kirwan deep cross after about twenty mins but they were looking rattled at the back, lucky to avoid being punished after a couple of defensive giveaways while Kirwan found himself in the book for some loose contact with an opponent trying to hook away a bouncing ball near the sideline.

But they got through until half-time, made a couple adjustments, and were much better from then on. On 63 minutes Niko Kirwan collected a high switch of play and angled in towards the middle of the pitch, drawing a foul. The free kick was at least 30 metres out but that didn’t stop captain Enej Jelenič from trying his luck... and that luck turned out to be of copious quantity because the Suddy goalie was late getting down to the strike and it snuck past him for what was still a pretty mean goal. You’ll no doubt be interested to know that as a celebration, Jelenič took his pants off and put them over his head whilst sprinting towards the bench. Eccentric. But he had just scored in a cup final, to be fair.

Padova were now 1-0 up on the night and 2-1 ahead on aggregate. All they had to do was survive the last 25 minutes. Niko Kirwan managed to avoid a foul inside the area on 74’ as the referee spotted the dive against him. He didn’t get away with a counter-attack-ending foul in the centre-circle with three minutes to go though. A second yellow card. Old mate was off. Neither foul was particularly bad but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

In the end it turned out to be a worthwhile punishment to take as Padova did indeed hold on for the clean sheet, the win, and the Serie C Cup trophy. Have some of that.

Hold up though, wait a minute, there’s more. Still gotta try get that automatic promotion and that required beating Giana Erminio at home a few days later. Can’t get carried away with the cup celebrations. Five changes to the respective starting teams there, Kirwan one of them though he was still on the bench so whatever suspension he’ll get for that red card clearly didn’t carry into Serie C which is handy. Because with twenty minutes to play the game was still tied at 0-0 and on came Niko Kirwan.

They were shouldn’t have still been level, to be honest. Fabio Ceravolo missed a penalty after forty minutes, a bit lucky to have been awarded it given minimal contact but they’d easily had the better of the chances to that point so the pressure was mounting. Thankfully they got another spottie straight after Kirwan was brought on. By then Cosimo Chirico had also been introduced so he took this one and made zero mistakes with an emphatic finish. Kirwan nearly set up a second with a deflected cross that was volleyed over. Then he and a teammate both went for the same ball from a corner kick and that one ended up over the top too, hard to say which of them won the header. No dramas, Padova took the points with a 1-0 win.

Südtirol won 4-0 in their game meaning that next week could be the decisive match of the campaign. Bigger even than that cup final. Padova are two points behind Südtirol with two games remaining and about to play them away in matchday 37. Lose there and it’s the labyrinthine playoffs. Win and if they beat Virtus Verona in their last game then Padova will be heading for Serie B. Draw and they’ll be clutching their prayer beads.

Up Next: Südtirol vs Calcio Padova, Sunday at 12.30am (NZT)

Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)

Sligo Rovers were supposed to play Bohemians in the first week of the LOI season but some rancid weather spoiled the pitch and the game had to be postponed... until last Tuesday night local time. Fresh off their first loss of the season, Sligo Rovers welcomed Nando Pijnaker back into the starting team after sitting on the bench for his first game back from All Whites WCQs and he was joined in the starters by the bro Max Mata – his second start for the Bit ‘o Red.

Max Mata won some quick praise from the commentary team for a great touch and switch, including the claim that with a name like Mata he’s automatically gotta be a baller. Presumably thinking of Juan Mata. Fair enough. He’s not wrong (the same dude also claimed a Rovers fullback should be yellow carded for the crime of not controlling a lovely switch of play from Pijanker – it was a good laugh).

That move led to a corner which Mata almost scored from as he got a touch on a dropping delivery but it was palmed away off the line from the keeper. Then Bohemians hit the bar soon after. Funky start to the game.

Bohemians took the lead after 25 minutes. Nando Pijnaker found himself challenging Promise Omochere on half-way but was chopped in and chopped out as Omochere got free, drawing in the last couple defenders and sliding the ball wide to Liam Burt who finished it off. A bit against the run of play but Bohemians did look dangerous every time they attacked which you couldn’t say about Sligo. Although this move was almost something special. Nando Pijnaker turning through pressure and unleashing a beauty of a long ball into Max Mata’s path and his shot looked destined for the goal but for a wonderful save...

Bohemians had the ball in the net within thirty seconds of the second half but there was a handball in the build-up. Mata almost equalised on 52’ with a header from a free kick but it caught as much shoulder as head and looped over the top. Ten mins later it took a magical trailing leg save to prevent Bohemians from doubling that lead. Ed McGinty made a similar save with on 79’ when it looked like Omochere was destined to score. That was only a few minutes after Max Mata was unlucky to be denied a penalty after a shoulder in his back running onto a ball in the area.

Ultimately this was a creaky Tuesday night game and Sligo Rovers never created enough to complain about the result. They might have snuck something on another day. They also might have lost by more. Sligo Rovers go down 1-0 to make it consecutive defeats after going six unbeaten to begin the campaign.

But wait what’s this?

As always, there was another game for Sligo Rovers on the weekend against UCD and with only one change to the eleven that meant another dose of Mata and Pijnaker. And get your Rovers scarves up in the air because 22 minutes into the match Mata ran onto a lovely cross from Karl O’Sullivan to nod in his first goal for the Bit O’ Red. It had been coming. No need to worry about that.

The goal was a welcome disruption to what had been a pretty cautious game in its early stages. However in the second half things broke open. After scoring, Sligo had kinda just kept doing what they were doing and with UCD not creating anything they were able to ease into the break with the lead. Yet the Students struck them hard in that second. On 57’ they tied it up as Liam Kerrigan threaded a mean ball to Colm Whelan to finish and in an instant the game shifted. Kerrigan and Dylan Duffy both had shots on target. There was a shot cleared off the line. Then on 77’ UCD took the lead. A poor pass from Rovers picked off and Evan Caffrey put it away.

So, that one got out of hand. Helpfully old mate Max Mata was still on the park and on 83 mins he flicked on a long free kick into the area and then was the beneficiary of some miscommunication at from the UCD defenders and the header zipped right on into the goal for 2-2. Mata’s second of the afternoon and he’s already matched his tally with Real Monarchs last season in America. Not enough for the win but he did salvage them a valuable point to end that run of losses.

Up Next: Dundalk vs Sligo, Saturday at 6.45am (NZT)

Matthew Garbett – Torino (Italian Serie A)

It’s the odd week in Italia, rather than evens, therefore it was Liberato Cacace’s turn to sit on the bench for Empoli. Fabiano Parisi returned from suspension and got ninety minutes at left back in a 0-0 draw against Spezia which means that the Azzurri have still not won a game since the turn of the year. However plenty of draws and a strong start to the season means they’re in no danger coming into the closing stages of the season.

Cacace was the first ever New Zealander to play in Serie A but he may not be long in waiting for a compatriot. This weekend Matt Garbett was included in a senior matchday squad with Torino for the first time. The midfielder has impressed with their Primavera squad and was boosted for the match against AC Milan, handed the #18 jersey and given a comfortable seat on the bench.

Garbett didn’t play but that’s still a major milestone in his career. Torino produced a powerful defensive performance to hold on for a 0-0 draw against the title-challengers, even having a couple decent chances to win it late on. Puts a bit of a dent in AC Milan’s Scudetto hopes whereas Torino are in the same situation as Empoli drifting aimlessly towards the end of the campaign in the middle of the table.

Random note: Matt Garbett’s name didn’t appear on many teamsheets and it was because of the number he chose. #18 had been allotted to 19 year old Serbian midfielder Dennis Stojković earlier in the season. But Stojković was released by Torino in late November and has agreed to join the youth team of HNK Rijeka in Croatia for next season which freed up the number for Garbett’s use. Not sure if there’s any deeper relevance to that number. He wore #19 at the Olympics.

Dennis Stojković was only actually with the club for about four months (despite signing a three year contract) and missed time through injury during that spell. Did spend some preseason with the first team hence why he had a jersey number but the dude only ever played Primavera footy officially.

Funnily enough, Garbett and Stojković play the same position, hence Garbett limiting his Primavera minutes was alleged to be a factor in DS wanting to leave for a club with a clearer path to senior football. Fair enough. Just ironic that he finally got his name in a matchday squad and it was Matty Garbett who put it there. Hopefully BT Sports and their mates can get up to date team lists before the next time Garbs makes the bench.

Up Next: Lazio vs Torino on Sunday at 6.45 am... also better shout out Udinese vs Empoli at 12.30am on Sunday given that it should be Libby Cacace’s turn to play that one (NZT)

Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)

Liv Chance is currently off with the Footy Ferns plotting the downfall of the Australian Matildas but before that was the small matter of a Scottish Cup quarter-final to partake in. It was against Aberdeen and they took care of business with a 2-0 win.

Chance herself nearly opened the scoring with a strong left-footed effort from just outside the area. One of several close long shots that the Celts produced as they had some trouble breaking down the Aberdeen defence. It took a moment of magic in the 41st to get through as Clarissa Larisey rolled a ball back under her foot for Shen Mengyu to curl into the top corner. Lovely work. Then a bit before the hour Jodie Bartle leapt high to score from a fine header and that was it. Solid ninety mins from Chance, picking sharp passes from midfield. The Hoops will face Hearts in the semis in three weeks as they seek to add a second trophy to their cabinet this season having already won the SWPL Cup.

Up Next: Partick Thistle vs Celtic, Monday at 1am (NZT)

Joe Bell – Brøndby IF (Danish Superliga)

Joe Bell’s name added to the National Team wall at BIF HQ after representing the All Whites as a Brøndby player. Love to see it. There’s even a lil video feature about it if you subscribe to the club’s in-house channel... which you probably don’t (yeah, neither). That’s the fun news, now for the not fun news.

Something is going seriously astray at Brøndby. They were pumped again this week, going down 3-0 to Silkeborg. It began alright, Joe Bell intercepting a pass four minutes in and immediately threading a lovely ball through for Simon Hedlund but he couldn’t get a shot away under pressure from his marker. Could have been a cheeky assist and a very different afternoon had that been converted. Bell also won possession in the other half leading to a decent chance on the right that was smashed into the side-netting.

But then they conceded on 33’ as Tobias Salquist struck a super finish top corner from inside the area after BIF had trouble clearing the ball out of their own penalty area. Then literally one minute later a high boot from Josep Radosevic got him sent off. Deservedly so. From 0-0 having created a couple nice chances to being 1-0 down and reduced to ten men so suddenly... it was a cause for motion sickness and BIF never recovered.

Silkeborg dominated the rest of the way ending up with 72% possession. They scored again early in the second half, initially ruled offside but then awarded by VAR. Sebastian Jørgensen with that goal. Then Nicklas Helenius popped up with a back stick header soon afterwards and it was 3-0 on 55’. Within ten minutes of that killer blow Brøndby made three subs and Joe Bell was one of the dudes replaced. At least it didn’t get any worse. 3-0 the final score. Highlights here.

That makes it three straight defeats for BIF, two of them 3-0 losses in which they got a red card. Only one point gained from their last four matches. Sadly that’s the kinda form that ends a title challenge at this stage of the campaign and having sunk to fourth they’ll do well to even qualify for European competition at all now. 14 points off top. Five points off second and a UCL spot. One point behind third and a Europa Conference League spot. Fourth will still put them into a playoff for another UCL nudge (against the winners of the relegation rounds) but there’s no guarantee they even finish there if their form doesn’t turn in a hurry.

Up Next: Friday at 4am against third-placed AaB (NZT)

Callum McCowatt & Elijah Just - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)

A fifth goal of the season for Callum McCowatt to go with his 6 assists. Excellent stuff.

Except... usually a couple of goals is enough for FCH to earn three more points. Sometimes one goal is all they need. But away against Nykøbing, the lowest ranked team to make the championship rounds, they scored three and still came away with nothing.

An early concession via an absolute screamer from MK Kristensen had then behind on eight minutes but McCowatt finished off that close range one on 15 mins to level things up again. Nice movement to sneak around his marker and get a toe to the ball. The xG for the shot was 1.00, that’s how close he was to the goal line. Granted, the hard part wasn’t finishing it, the hard part was getting to the ball at all and he did that with stealthy precision.

In first half stoppage time they conceded again. Keeper wasn’t able to hold a header from a free kick and Kasper Jensen tapped it in on the rebound. Killer time to concede. McCowatt had been the only one of the Dynamic Duo to start this game – on the left wing of a front three – but Eli Just was thrown on at half-time with the deficit. His impact was immediate as it was Just’s inside pass that led to a foul in the box after barely two minutes on the park. Tonni Adamsen put it away from the spot and then ten minutes later Kristoffer Munksgaard curled in a beauty chopping back onto his right foot just inside the area. 3-2 up and ordinarily, with this team’s defence, that should have been that.

It wasn’t though. With ten minutes to go Kristensen leapt high to nod in an equaliser from six yards out. The big striker to tall to guard and the keeper stayed put on his line. Then it got worse. A piledriver from outside the area struck the arm of FCH’s captain Nikolaj Hansen on 88’. Penalty. Kristensen put it away for his hatty and the 4-3 victory. McCowatt with 75 mins, Just with the second 45 mins.

A rare off day at the back for Helsingør and it cost them. That’s consecutive defeats as soon as they hit the championship rounds having previously gone 11 games without defeat. Oddly, the last team that beat them before that streak was Nykøbing – a 3-0 result back in October. Maybe that’s just their bogey team?

Whatever the deal is, they’ve allowed rivals Lyngby to storm back into the title race. Their buffer at the top is suddenly only four points and there are still eight more games to go, all against strong opposition being the champ rounds and all, with two of them against Lyngby. Second place would still see them promoted and there’s a further three points of room between them and Horsens and Hvidovre in third equal... but they didn’t come all this way only to leave without a trophy. Come on now.

Up Next: FC Fredericia vs FCH on Sunday/Monday midnight (NZT)

Alex Greive - St Mirren (Scottish Premiership)

Shrugging off the yarns about how St Mirren’s form has plummeted since their old manager left for a better gig, and how Alex Greive’s minutes have dipped in parallel, it’s kinda bonkers to think that a dude who was playing for Birkenhead United in the Northern League (that’s Birkenhead in New Zealand not Birkenhead in Liverpool as the commentator of this game specified) found himself getting half an hour off the bench against Rangers this week.

By the time Greive was brought on the damage had already been done. Kemar Roofe bagged himself a hat-trick – a former teammate of Chris Wood’s back in their Leeds days – to put Rangers out of sight. First goal in the second minute, then another deep in stoppage time and a third five minutes into the second half. But that did allow for wholesale changes just after the hour with Greive and Connor Main brought on at the same time as Rangers’ on-loan Manchester United winger Amad Diallo.

So how’d he go against the reigning Scottish champs? He definitely had a lot of defending to do against a strong team intent on more goals, Greive throwing himself into the match with his typical enthusiasm and energy. To the point where he got himself clattered by James Sands battling for a half-clearance at the back. That one rocked the jaw and he needed some treatment (to the frustrations of Rangers fans, whose team was on the attack).

Joe Aribo then scored an incredible fourth goal for RFC, given too much space on the edge of the area and boom what a goal. But Greive had a couple impressive moments in attack too. Peeling off to the left on 82’ the pass from Connor Ronan was probably a little heavy dragging Greive wider than he intended and that shot was blocked. Though five minutes later he dribbled infield from the left and ripped a quickfire shot that for a split second looked like it was gonna beat Allan McGregor inside the far post but nah the veteran keeper showed he’s still got it with a wonderful low diving save. Main then headed over from the resulting corner.

So St Mirren did have chances for a consolation goal in there. Just weren’t able to convert, not that it would’ve made a difference. 4-0 loss and that ends the first phase of the SPL. A couple months ago they looked like they might finish as high as fourth but now the Saints have dropped into the relegation rounds at the split. Got some work left to do to avoid the drop.

Up Next: TBD

Francis De Vries – IFK Värnamo (Swedish Allsvenskan)

Wee glimpse of FDV in that pic as he got ninety minutes for Värnamo in their second Allsvenskan game. His first start in the division and also helping to contribute to a clean sheet for his club’s first ever point in the top flight. IFKV had less possession but did create more of the chances, including a number of corner kicks, though it was a pretty safe point for both teams. That match only happened this morning so there aren’t any highlights up anywhere yet and a lot of Swedish football stuff is paywalled anyway... so here’s Francis De Vries’ distances covered during various intervals in against IK Sirius. Pretty interesting...

Up Next: Elfsborg away on Monday at 3.3oam (NZT)

Sarpreet Singh - SSV Jahn Regensburg (German 2. Liga)

Sarpreet Singh profile incoming. From the latest club magazine issue with an extended excerpt there on the SSV website talking about learning the language, proving himself in the 2.Liga, the team environment off the pitch... all them good things. As to the game on the weekend, Regensburg drew 1-1 with Ingolstadt and Sarpreet Singh was not involved. Missed the game through injury. According to the club’s media he had “pubic bone problems”.

Up Next: Sunday at 11.30pm away to Hansa (NZT)

Joey Champness - GZT Giresunspor (Turkish Süper Lig)

This has been an ongoing situation for a short while now. Rumour has it that Joe Champness has left Giresunspor after agreeing to a contract termination. He hasn’t played as much as he’d like and with the club in some financial murk he’d have been one of the first they looked to in order to clear some dollars off the books.

But here’s the thing: Turkish media folks have been teasing this exclusive departure for about two weeks now and yet still there has been no official word from the club itself. Transfermarkt reckons he left at the start of April and has him listed as without a club. Extremely odd situation. Champness played 11 league games for Giresunspor scoring 2 goals. He also had 2 goals and an assist in two cup apps. He’d only played 25 combined minutes over two subs apps since the start of 2022 though.

Up Next: Umm... not too sure

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Nope, you’re not having that. Not with Michael Boxall in the vicinity.

However the problem for Minnesota United right now is not in defence. Defensively they’ve been doing all good with Michael Boxall leading the way. It’s up front where the dramas are as they were blanked again by Austin in this match. Meaning that they have only scored five goals in six games so far and just one in their last four combined.

Austin vs Minnesota was not a classic game by any means, there are literally no highlights from the first half in the official package, but things did brighten up in the second half when there were hints of the Loons being able to do some stuff. However those forwards are pretty low on confidence at the moment. Never helps when it comes to heavy touches and shots straight at the keeper. Then when you’re struggling to score at one end it puts so much more pressure on your defence as one mistake could be decisive.

It was a 58th minute Max Urruti goal that sent them to defeat against Austin. Boxall was furious afterwards and for good reason. Urruti had fallen to the deck and nobody bothered to mark him... hence when he stood back up he was wide open to slam in a sharp finish from a low cross in his direction. Way too easy. A single lapse and that’ll do it. A 1-0 defeat. Boxall did get man of the match though. Better than not getting man of the match, s’pose. Particularly for his chosen charity.

Up Next: Sunday at midday versus Colorado (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

Larrys Mabiala made his first appearance of the 2022 MLS season this weekend as the Timbers travelled to Canada to face the Vancouver Whitecaps. Mabiala starting at CB alongside Bill Tuiloma, whose hot recent form has seemingly seen him cemented in the starting team. The French Connection revival of Tui & Mabs. Good yarns (neither of them are French, Mabiala’s from the Congo, but they both speak French hence the loose nickname). Mabiala’s preseason injury was one of the factors that led to Tuiloma getting an extended run early in the season which he’s made the most of with a couple goals and some form defensive contributions.

The Vancouver game began innocuously. Even the extended highlights don’t have a glimpse of the first 35 minutes and when something finally did happen the ref still didn’t spot it. But the VAR did, awarding Portland a penalty on 40’ which Dairon Asprilla converted. That made it 1-0 at the break and thankfully the second half had a lot more action. The Whitecaps began to work up a few forays but then Jaro Niezgoda peeled off on the left and smashed in a second for the Timbers on 60’.

The home team would need to score next to stay in the contest and they did exactly that with quarter of an hour to go when Christian Dajome curled one into the top corner from a cut-back... but Yimmy Chara hit back for Portland within three minutes. Conveniently picked up the scraps from an uncleared pass into the area and then his strength and technique did the rest.

There was still a lifeline available for the home side. A heavy challenge from Claudio Bravo eventually led to the VAR intervening once more... but Dajome missed from the spot. Or, more accurately, Aljaž Ivačič made a cool save. Portland immediately subbed on another defender to get them to the finishing line and although Vancouver did score again (another penalty, conceded by Bravo again) by that time we were into the sixth of four stoppage time minutes. Ryan Gauld with that spottie goal. Portland eventually winning it 3-2 for their second victory of the term.

Up Next: Houston Dynamo vs Portland Timbers, Sunday at 10am (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

Did AFC Wimbledon win a game this week? Still no. The winless streak is up to 23 League One games now. However at least they didn’t lose, drawing 1-1 with 10-man Charlton in the midweek and then drawing 1-1 with staunch rivals MK Dons. They needed an 87th minute equaliser to get the first point and conceded in the 80th minute to end up with the second point. Tzanev had a really good game in the MKD match in particular but there’s not much any goalie can do about a goal like this...

Draws aren’t going to save them but these two points do at least keep AFC Wimbledon within three of safety.

Up Next: Crewe Alexandria vs AFCW, Sunday at 2am (NZT)

Stefan Marinovic - Hapoel Nof HaGalil (Israeli Premier League)

That right there was a 2-0 loss for Hapoel Nof HaGalil away to Ashdod a couple weeks ago. Chosen because those highlights are actually available, plus Marinovic made a couple mint saves despite the defeat. More recently they had a 0-0 draw against Hapoel Jerusalem but this week lost at home against Beitar Jerusalem. All of which keeps them rooted to the bottom of the ladder.

It was all even two-thirds of the way through that latest match but then goals for Yarden Shua (67’) and an own goal by Eliyahu Beliti (76’) condemned them. Pretty familiar tale unfortunately – they didn’t concede in the Ashdod loss until the 75th and 81st minutes either. Nof HaGalil last won on 30 January and since then it’s been nine straight games without victory. With four games remaining in the relegation rounds they’re still in with a chance of saving themselves being only three points adrift. But their luck is going to have to change very quickly.

Up Next: Maccabi Petach-Tikva, Sundat 24 April at 1am (NZT)

Elliot Collier - San Antonio (American USL Championship)

EC with the only goal in a 1-0 win away to Orange County, get in there. His second of the season.

Up Next: San Antonio vs El Pase, 12.30pm on Sunday (NZT)

Deklan Wynne - Detroit City (American USL Championship)

And a Deklan Wynne assist to finish, how about it? This in a 4-0 win over Atlanta United’s reserve team – who finished the game with nine men.

Up Next: Saturday at 11am vs Birmingham (NZT)

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