Aotearoa Domestic Football Roundup – 30 June
Men’s Northern League
What do ya know, the old mates at Auckland FC have made another couple of reserves signings. They already added Benjamin Perez Baldoni (15, Ellerslie) and Nathan Martin (17, Fencibles) a few weeks back and in the last few days Liam Hill (17, Fencibles) and Evan Masamba (17, Auckland United) have also joined the group. Masamba only made his senior debut for AUFC about a month ago, having previously been with Onehunga Sports. He’s a defender. Hill is a goalkeeper who becomes the fourth Fencies player picked up by the AFC Reserves so far (Ryan Mackay, Eli Jones, Nathan Martin, and Liam Hill).
AFC have made a strong point about not wanting younger junior squads so as to keep players at their clubs for longer, keeping the local youth comps stronger and thus allowing more room for development beyond their selected few. It’s a positive way to operate which shows respect for what many Northern League clubs are already doing in the development space. This way AFC goes around offering hands-on support and coaching to a wide range of players through their 18 affiliated clubs and then presumably then takes the pick of the crop at a later age. NZF have already supported the Wellington Phoenix in doing similar things so it seems that everybody’s on the same page.
Why are AFC stocking up the reserves right now with four mid-season additions? Well, it’s notable that the lads on A-League scholarship contracts haven’t featured in the weeks since they got back from NZ U20s duty. James Mitchell and Codey Phoenix have been reintegrated from that U20s squad but not the scholars. Probably a deserved rest before they rip into first team preseason in a few weeks, not to mention the Aussie Cup. We’ll see how what happens moving forward but it’s possible we don’t see them for the Reserves much more until the National League phase begins.
Naturally, that does weaken this team. No Finn McKenlay, Jonty Bidois, Adama Coulibaly, or Oliver Middleton (Joe Knowles hasn’t played recently either) has led to three straight Northern League defeats with the latest being a 2-1 loss against East Coast Bays. They weren’t far off though. After conceding a 25th minute penalty converted by Jack Caunter, it seemed that ECB were on track for a narrow win... until Ben Perez Baldoni popped up off the bench. The 15 year old made it two goals in two games for his new club, this time with was a powering header from a pinpoint Ralph Rutherford free kick delivery...
That was an 87th minute equaliser from the wee brother. Buuuut then Guy-Frank Essome-Penda scored in stoppage time to win it for ECB anyway. That’s a seventh win of the term for Bays who climb all the way up to fifth with this result. Above Tauranga City and Auckland United. Only trailing Auckland City on goal difference (albeit Auckland City have two games in hand due to their recent extracurricular activities). This is evolving into a really strong campaign for Joe Hall’s fellas. As for AFC, here are a few dudes who’ve taken advantage of the absences to put a run of starts together: Blake Callinan (GK), Matt D’Hotman (FB), Nathan Martin (FW), Nick Gaze (CM), and Carlos Ranui (FB). Conor Sykes and Ben Perez Baldoni are also starting to regularly pop up as substitutes.
Manurewa AFC won another game. They’d only won 1/13 matches prior to the 1-0 victory against Bay Olympic last week and now they’ve done it again by beating Fencibles by a 2-1 scoreline. Aston Burns scored first for Fencies after 20 mins but goals from Ryan Dougherty (30’) and Evan Paez (74’) swung it in favour of Rewa. No fun for Dylan Laing-McConnell having made the midseason switch from Manurewa to Fencibles a few weeks ago. This was a nasty result for Fencibles that keeps them in the second relegation spot only two points above last-placed Manurewa. But there was one positive in there for them: the debut of Ryan Revill off the bench. With Auckland FC having snatched up so many of their players, they were at least kind enough to send one back in the other direction. Revill was an Auckland City U23s players last year scoring plenty of goals despite still being a teenager. Not a lot of senior footy to his name but an exciting signing all the same. Except he only managed three substitute appearances all year so now it seems he’s going to be playing for Fencibles instead.
Western Springs got the mission accomplished early away against Tauranga City, shooting out to a 3-0 lead at half-time before hanging on to win 3-2. Goals for Caspar McGavin (4’), Toshiki Makimoto (20’), and Daniel Normann (38’) set the Swans up for success, though Tom Crawford (82’) and Axel Acebo (90’) did make it frisky for them. That’s five goals this season for McGavin who is starting to bang them away routinely. Consecutive defeats against Eastern Suburbs and Western Springs have now done serious damage to Tauranga City’s top four hopes following a string of impressive wins before that, although they could fix much of that strife by winning at home against Auckland City in a fortnight. Following that, they’re away to Auckland United and then home to Birkenhead so this is a season-defining run of fixtures for TCAFC.
Birkenhead United didn’t play this week but they’re still one point clear at the summit. Western Springs are only just behind them. Eastern Suburbs are also breathing down their necks (despite having played one extra game). This after Eastern Subs won 2-1 against Auckland United. Own goals after 40 minutes and 52 minutes gave Suburbs the advantage before Ishveer Singh (66’) pulled one back to ensure a sweaty final quarter – especially after Aaryan Raj got a second yellow for ES with fifteen to go. Both teams had already been reduced to ten after 61 mins when Emiliano Tade and Alexander Irwin were given straight reds. Tade kicked out at a dude after being tripped up. Irwin must have gotten silly with the afters. So the Lilywhites held on with nine men out there.
In other words, Auckland United lost a match in which all three goals were credited to their players. That’s a fifth defeat of the term for AUFC whose top four hopes are in a similar state to those of Tauranga City’s. With Birko, Springs, and Suburbs pulling away a little bit, that means East Coast Bays (15 games/25 points), Tauranga City (15g/24pts), and Auckland Utd (15g/24pts) are all sweating on Auckland City (13g/25pts) to return hungover from the Club World Cup if there’s going to be a contest for fourth place. Last but not least, West Coast Rangers scored right at the very end to snatch a 1-1 draw against Bay Olympic. It was William Eng after 49 mins for BO. Then it was Jack Butterfill in second half injury time for WCR. Better late than never.
Women’s NRFL Premiership
It all went about to plan for Auckland United away to Western Springs on Friday night, emerging with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Alaina Granger (13’), Saskia Vosper (35’), and Ava Pritchard (83’). A couple of former Wellington Phoenix players on the scoreboard there (Chloe Knott played too). Three Nix players but no Football Ferns caps between them whereas Western Springs had Sarah Morton in the line-up and the surprise appearance of Emma Kete off the bench. Kete has been a regular around the Auckland scene since her pro/international career ended, including a bit of coaching (no doubt she’s continuing that journey with the Swans) and it seems the 37yo has still got a few more games in her too. This was a Springs team without Katie Rood or Liz Savage who are also capped internationals. There aren’t that many Ferns in the domestic scene but Western Springs have four. However, they were well beaten in this match. Shout out to Alaina Granger who has flawlessly stepped into Chelsea Elliott’s shoes as a starting central defender this year for AUFC. Also gotta mention 20yo Fijian defender Angeline Rekha who made the starting eleven for WSAFC.
Auckland United won so West Coast Rangers had no option but to match that feat... which they did with a 4-0 win away against Fencibles. Looked like Fencies were missing a couple of players but it probably wouldn’t have made a difference as Rangers cruised towards triumph to maintain their margin of three points behind league leaders AUFC. Goals for Emily Lyon (14’), Shannon Henson (37’ pen), Mackenzie Longmuir (41’), and Marissa Porteous (58’). That made it an especially good week for Lyon and Longmuir who had only just been involved in NZ U20 trials and they weren’t the only ones.
The full squads don’t ever get announced for those identification games and it probably would have only been Auckland-based players involved in this particular instance. But Auckland United did confirm that Zoe Benson and Penny Brill were involved for the U20s while Ariana Vosper, Bonnie Rice, and Pia Vlok for the U17s. There’s an Oceania U16 Championship in August, Oceania U19 Championship in September, and the U17 World Cup in October all to prepare for so it’ll be a busy few months for the women’s rep teams.
There’s also the OFC Women’s Nations Cup taking place in Fiji starting next week. New Zealand aren’t participating since there’s no World Cup or Olympic ramifications involved. But there will be a few NZ-based players involved. Like Ka’iulani Scott and Cema Nasau from Eastern Suburbs who’ve been called up by Fiji. Samoa have summoned Alisa Tuatagaloa and Jaedeci Uluvili from Western Springs as well as Lilly Dowsing from Fencibles. You get the idea.
It was only a second minute own goal that separated Eastern Suburbs and Ellerslie with the Lilywhites taking the 1-0 victory. They’re the first team to keep Maddi Ollington quiet in a wee while so that adds to the achievement. Most importantly, these three points send ESAFC above Western Springs by a single point. They’re now third with a game in hand. Tough break for Ellerslie who could have jumped into the top four if they’d won instead. It’s really starting to look like last year’s top four will be this year’s top four... and probably in the same order.
That only leaves the most consequential game of the round: Hibiscus Coast vs Tauranga Moana. The two bottom teams on the ladder, both with awful goal differences. Tauranga entered with just one win to their names while the Coasties couldn’t even boast that many... but they can now after winning 3-1 at Stanmore Bay Park. Miya Stott gave the home side the lead after 15 mins. This is Tauranga Moana’s longest road trip of the NRFL season yet they forced their way level shortly after half-time when Briana Osborne scored (48’). However, the gas ran out eventually and goals for Jessica Smith (73’) and then Miya Stott again (90’) clinched the points for Hibiscus Coast who leapfrog TM on the table. Apparently Smith’s goal was a banger from a free kick. Good to see Paige Satchell in there for HC... haven’t glimpsed Anna Leat for several weeks though. Gotta wonder if her sabbatical from the professional stuff might be over. Miya Stott’s double accounts for 25% of her team’s league goals this year - Stott’s another one who is in the wider NZ U17s frame.
Men’s Central League
Wellington Olympic were in a mood on Saturday arvo and when that happens you’ve only gotta pray that it’s not your club standing in their way. For every team except Waterside Karori, those prayers were answered. It was only 2-0 at half time after a couple of goals from Isa Prins (13’, 33’). Hamish Watson then made it 3-0 after 56 mins before Jack Parker had the nerve to get one back for the Wharfies (62’). That may have been what poked the bear. From then on, the Greeks scored six more times. Prins got two of them (65’, 78’) on his way to a four-for. He scored twice last week too – Prins has been battling through injury lately but has 10 goals in 11 games in 2025 across all comps. That Watson bloke’s not bad either, scoring at 74’ and 83’ to complete his own hat-trick. Plus Jack-Henry Sinclair (73’) and John Reynolds (82’) also joined the party. So those six goals actually came within the space of 18 minutes. Final score: Waterside Karori 1, Wellington Olympic 9.
You know what else? Sam Mason-Smith started for Wellington Olympic. He’s made the switch across town from Miramar Rangers having not really been much of a factor there this year stuck behind Martin Bueno. SMS has yet to score a Central League goal in 2025... and that’s still the case after he was subbed just prior to the six goals in 18 mins barrage – although he did get an assist last week on debut. He won’t find the pecking order any easier to climb playing for the Greeks but at least he’ll be reunited with a few of his old Team Wellington bros. As for Johnny Reynolds, he’s an American fella who began the season with Western Suburbs.
Western Suburbs had an outstanding win putting five past Petone on the road. It was goalless at the midway point and then Sebastian Sanchez (49’), Seb Barton-Ginger (53’, 62’), Tyler Freeman (55’), and Reilly Marlow-Jones (70’) gave Wests five goals in the space of 21 minutes. Not quite what Welly Olympic did on the same afternoon but not far off either. Petone did get a consolation right at the very end through the usual suspect Keiran McMinn. Sanchez and Freeman are both USA imports. Seb Barton-Ginger is up to 11 goals this season, trailing only Miramar’s Martin Bueno (15) and Petone’s Kieran McMinn (14).
Bueno got another one for Miramar Rangers this week, putting his team 1-0 up after 15 minutes against North Wellington. But they couldn’t close it out. Rangers failed to add a second and then conceded a penalty near the end which Joshua Zatorski converted in the 90th minute. 1-1 was the result. Points dropped by third-placed Miramar. There was also nothing to split Napier City Rovers and the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Sam Lack scored after 11 minutes for NCR while Daniel Makowem scored after 14 minutes for the WeeNix. 1-1 was the final score. Fergus Gillion and Lachie Candy were the only blokes involved for the Nix with ALM experience. Kyle Koch, Ryan Lee, and Mac Munro all got starts as they seek to become regulars in the U20 set-up. The Wellington Phoenix face Wrexham in three weeks and there’s bound to be several Academy players filling out the squad for that exhibition game. Plenty to play for.
We also had Island Bay vs Upper Hutt City. Kieran Shrimpton’s second minute goal had IBU in front until just before half-time when Blake Chandler tied the game up. Mick Reid then scored a 71st min winner for Upper Hutt. 2-1 was the scoreline there. That allows Upper Hutt City to jump over Island Bay on the ladder. They’re the lowest scoring team in the division but they’re making a habit of finding timely goals when they most need them.
Women’s Central League
Wellington United are the most dominant team in the country right now. 11 wins from 11 games. 58 goals scored and only 5 conceded. They did get knocked out of the Kate Sheppard Cup by the Wellington Phoenix Reserves for their only blemish so far but they were resounding in victory against Palmerston North United this weeks, supplying goals 51-58 of that season tally in an 8-0 victory. If the Diamonds are scoring eight then you can bet that Natalie Olson is getting at least a couple of them. Sure enough, she scored yet another hat-trick – her fourth hatty of the season (two of which were five-fors). And that’s only in the Central League... she also scored three against Te Kotahitanga FC in the Kate Sheppard Cup so it’s five hatties overall. In total, Natalie Olson has scored 24 goals in 13 appearances during the 2025 calendar (21 in 10 in the CL; 3 in 3 in the KSC).
The full span of the scoring went: Olson (12’), Hannah Pilley (28’ pen), Olson (38’ pen), Farina Anchico (45’), Own Goal (52’), Zoe Barrott (57’), Own Goal (70’), and Olson (80’). Own goal nearly got a hat-trick instead of Olson but it seems they amended that to give the proper distribution. The Diamonds also won 6-0 against Palmy United earlier in the year so at least PNU don’t have to see these girls again until next year... perhaps not even then if they fall back and get relegated.
Petone won 4-0 against Moturoa with Pepi Olliver-Bell scoring twice (45’, 67’). Phoebe Gray had earlier gotten them started on 36’ while Emmy Lantz would wrap things up on 77’. Four unanswered for Petone keeps them happily in third place. With only six goals conceded in ten fixtures, they have one of the best defensive records in the country yet somehow it’s not even the second best in this division thanks to the two teams ahead of them. Nonetheless, Petone have now stretched the distance between them and everyone else after Waterside Karori were held 2-2 by Palmerston North Marist. It was Renee Bacon vs Melissa McKenna in this one. Bacon scored after 15 mins for WK. McKenna immediately equalised for Marist. Bacon scored after 27 mins to make it 2-1. This time McKenna had to wait a bit longer but her 52nd min goal did eventually arrive. Doubles for both. The only thing Melissa McKenna didn’t copy Bacon with was getting sent off in the final moments. Petone are now two points ahead of the Wharfies with much better goal difference as those two duke it out for possible National League qualification alongside Welly Utd and the WeeNix.
And the Wellington Phoenix U18s did what they usually do and won whilst keeping a clean sheet. On this occasion we’re talking about a 4-0 win away against Taradale. Goals for Mackenzie Bryant (2’), Katie Pugh (32’), Isabella Temple (55’), and Eliza Vincent (64’). Nat Olson is way out in front for the Golden Boot so second place is where the battle lies, with Katie Pugh joining Pepi Olliver-Bell (Petone) and Nicola Ross (Waterside Karori) on 13 goals apiece. Meanwhile, the Wellington Phoenix U20s won 5-1 against Greytown FC Boys U15s. Poppy O’Brien scored twice while Isla Cleall-Harding and Dorothy Yek also got on the scoresheet with the other one being an own goal.
Men’s Southern League
There was bad weather across the country this weekend which caused soggy conditions in some games and late ground changes in other games. But the top of the South Island was hit worst so no surprises that Nelson Suburbs vs Christchurch United wasn’t able to go ahead. There was also a postponement for Wānaka vs Dunedin City Royals. Thoughts with those affected by the flooding, hopefully all is well.
That leaves us with only three games in this division to cover. The most fascinating was Coastal Spirit vs Cashmere Technical since the Techies desperately needed to win in order to keep their hopes of qualifying for a fourth straight National League breathing freely. Only Auckland City, Wellington Olympic, Napier City Rovers, and Cashmere Tech have qualified for all three MNL campaigns (plus the Phoenix Reserves who have automatic entry)... and right now all of those teams except for Olympic have their work cut out to get back. Defeat against Coastal would leave CT five points behind having played an extra match. So good thing for their sake that they didn’t lose. Instead Garbhan Coughlan returned to focus with a double (22’ pen & 38’) with Lyle Matthysen (27’) scoring in between as Cashmere wrapped up a 3-0 win. Weston Bell was sent off with about five mins remaining for Coastal. Tech now temporarily occupies second spot although Coastal will reclaim it if they win their game in hand.
The goals came late as Ferrymead Bays drew 1-1 with Selwyn United. It was Bays who struck first through Liam van den Bosch after 79 mins... but then they conceded a penalty less than five minutes later which Jamie Carrodus scored from and that was that. George Moore was sent off for the foul that gave away the spot kick. One of those double-jeopardy ones... Bays weren’t happy about it. They’d have only been three points behind first place if they’d won (albeit having played an extra game), instead they only drew against the team in last. This was Selwyn United’s second point of the season.
And in the other game, Nomads won 1-0 against Universities of Canterbury with Harry Bushell’s 45th minute goal getting the job done. Nomads have sneakily gone six games undefeated – including the draw against Christchurch United last week – to go skipping up into fourth place.
Women’s South Island League
With Coastal Spirit on a bye, there was room for the top two to pull further away from the chasing pack. Dunedin City Royals did just that as they battled to a 2-0 win against NW United. Raegan Potter (20’) and Hannah Mackay-Wright (51’ pen) did the important bits there. Another win makes it nine out of nine for DCR. Another clean sheet means they’ve still only conceded three times in those nine matches. It’s been an impeccable run so far.
And suddenly DCR have a five-point buffer after Otago University could only draw 2-2 against Halswell United. Very unexpected outcome. Halswell had lost eight of their nine fixtures but they scored first through Ella Hartwell after only seven minutes and held that lead into the break. Georgia Nixon tied the match up after 49’ but Amelia Wilson put Halswell back in front ten minutes later. A Nixon penalty on 71’ provided a second equaliser for Otago Uni but they never did find a winner. That’ll be a huge boost for Halswell as they try to stay in this division.
Cashmere Technical might have been in some trouble when they fell 1-0 down at home against Nelson Suburbs. Anise Bazley with the goal after 49 mins. But if they were in trouble then they didn’t seem to know it, promptly scoring five without reply: Katie Harris (55’), Sara Mann (60’, 69’), Anika Lomax (80’), and Darsha Keogan (90’). 5-1 to Cashmere Technical. Nelson Subs thus drop below Halswell United into last place. They’d been ahead on goal difference but Halswell’s draw vs Otago Uni raises them up by a point.
Universities of Canterbury also romped to victory with a strong second half showing against Roslyn Wakari. It was 0-0 at the break. It was then 3-0 at full time following strikes from Liv Deane (50’), Erin Roxburgh (69’), and Olivia Herman (90’). Deane is up to seven goals for the year, making her one of seven players to have hit that mark to date in the South Island League. The leaders are Amy Hislop (DCR) and Georgia Nixon (OU) with nine each. That’s three wins on the trot for Unis of Canterbury to steady them nicely in the middle of the table, sitting fifth out of nine teams.
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