2025 Men’s National League – Week 1
Miramar Rangers vs Auckland FC Reserves
The Auckland FC Reserves have never done this National League thing before. They showed plenty of progress over the winter season but remember it took ages for the Wellington Phoenix Ressies to get half-competitive in the Nats. It also took the Nix ages to 17 years to finish in the top two of an A-League Men’s season yet Auckland FC did that at the first attempt (and went better: winning the minor premiership) so you never know. It’ll be fun to see how the ressies settle in. For their first task, they made the trip down to the always lovely David Farrington Park to face Miramar Rangers in Wellington... prior to this the longest away trip the team had ever had was to Tauranga City (actually, that might still have been longer since they would have flown to Wellington but might have driven to Tauranga... dunno).
Auckland FC will host the Wellington Phoenix next week as that rivalry spills into the National League. Problem is, the best players from both squads are away at the U20 World Cup right now and for week one they were also both limited by first-team preseason games happening in Australia over the weekend. AFC still whipped up a very solid starting team of Blake Callinan in goal; Carlos Ranui, Semi Nabenu, James Mitchell, and Matt D’Hotman across the back four; midfield quartet of Aston Burns and Ralph Rutherford wide with Nick Gaze and Shivam Nair in the middle; and Sam Lack playing off James Taylor up top. Burns and Lack went straight into the starting team after joining from Fencibles and Napier City respectively.
These were also good minutes for Semi Nabenu who probably would have featured during the Australia Cup were it not for a concussion stand-down. At 21yo, Semi Nabenu was the oldest AFC player to feature for the Reserves during the Northern League... and he was comfortably their best in this game with his firm, composed defensive presence. Sam Lack also put in a claim for that status as he ducked and weaved around the place on attack. Some tidy spells of possession in there too. But that was never going to be enough – Miramar Rangers are used to playing the WeeNix and they approached this game exactly how you need to against academy teams. They let them do their thing in areas where it was of little threat, they muscled them around where they could, they targetted set pieces, and they capitalised on mistakes.
Miramar lined up with Jack De Groot in goal. The back four was: Sam Wall, Harry Chote, Theo Ettema, and Conor Butler. Brad Whitworth as holding midfielder. The attacking four was Owen Smith, Sam Gates, Nico Bobadilla, and Jordan Lamb. And the main man Martin Bueno was up top. Kale Herbert’s 4-1-4-1 formation gave them a solid defensive core but also big numbers going forward, made possible by the superb CDM mahi of captain Brad Whitworth. He was great and Miramar were always on track. They’d already started to put their foot down when Owen Smith fizzed a corner kick delivery into the middle where big man Theo Ettema thumped it home with the ol’ noggin after 17 mins. Ten mins later they won a corner on the same side, this time Nico Bobadilla ran near post and flicked it onto the crossbar. Bueno volleyed over with an acrobatic attempt. Callinan made a fine stop to deny the industrious Owen Smith... then later did it again to the same bloke. You get the idea. There was some nice work out wide by AFC but nothing much in shoot-able areas with Chote and Ettema commanding those zones.
Evan Masamba was brought on at the break, slotting alongside Nabenu at the back with James Mitchell stepping into his more regular midfield role. But nothing really changed. Miramar continued to create opportunities via smart work in tight spaces along with their constant threat from corners. Eventually that had to toll. 59 minutes gone, Nico Bobadilla once more proved too elusive, too creative. His chipped cross was nodded over the line by Martin Bueno for his obligatory goal. Finally that inevitable second goal Miramar were after... allowing for a double sub to introduce the immeasurable experience of Andy Bevin and Louis Fenton. Yes, that same Louis Fenton (his brother Tim Fenton also plays for Miramar though he was injured for this game).
AFC had their best phase after that concession with sub Nathan Martin firing past the post from the edge of the box and Aston Burns looking for all money like he’d scored with a header that was magically saved by Jacob De Groot on the dive. That was as close as they got. In fact, they conceded again with ten to go when another of those Owen Smith corners, this time drilled in low, somehow found its way into the net as an own goal. 3-0 was the final score. Now here’s a clip of a cat on the field...
AFC have lost a few games like this where they look pretty good but their more experienced opponents prove to be the more clinical team. Comes with the territory when most of the squad is too young to enter a casino. Van Fitzharris (signed from Tauranga City) debuted off the bench to ensure all three new additions got time... and to be honest, the other two, Burns and Lack, were probably their best attacking outlets. You can’t find fault with AFC’s recruitment, they’ve done an astonishingly good job of identifying the top young talent in their region. This was only their introduction to the Nats. A freebie, if you will. Next week is when it gets serious.
Lots to like about this Miramar Rangers side. It was through corner kicks that they looked most unstoppable but there was also some gorgeous interplay in the attacking third with the South Americans Bueno and Bobadilla usually involved. Really nice attacking intent. Owen Smith was a thrill-a-minute on the wing. Whitworth and the centre-backs (Chote and Ettema) set the scene. These guys missed out on this stage last year and finished last in 2023. This was a favourable fixture for Rangers but early signs are they’re here to compete this time.
Miramar Rangers 3-0 Auckland FC Reserves
Goals (Assists)
17’ | 1-0 | MR | Ettema (Smith)
59’ | 2-0 | MR | Bueno (Bobadilla)
81’ | 3-0 | MR | Own Goal (Smith)
Auckland United vs Christchurch United
The last time these two teams met was in the Chatham Cup quarter-final in late July, when Christchurch United, playing at home, blew a 2-0 lead with ten minutes to go and ultimately lost 4-2 after extra time. This time they were up in Auckland with both clubs having made some fresh additions to their squads: Jaylen Rodwell started at right-back for AU while Noah Karunaratne started as an attacking midfielder for CU. Both teams also needed to make late surges just to qualify for the Nats and having done so confidence should have been high as they jumped around and stretched in waiting for the opening whistle.
Auckland United went all 4-2-3-1 on us with an eleven of: Kai McLean; Jaylen Rodwell, Abdallah Khaled, Ross Haviland, Nicolas Mancilla; Hideto Takahashi, Bruce Izumi; Dan Atkinson, Otto Ingham, Dre Vollenhoven; Emiliano Tade. Pretty similar set-up to their Chatham Cup final just with a few like-for-like alterations. No coach Jose Figueira though... he’s away in Chile as an assistant for the U20 World Cup squad. Christchurch United do their business in a 3-4-3 kinda deal: Steven Van Dijk; Oliver Van Rijssel, Ben Stroud, Matthew Duncan; Riley Grover, Charlie Beale, Travis Graham, Joel Stevens; Noah Karunaratne, Shogo Osawa, Josh Tollervey.
These two teams match up well (as that cup thriller showed) with ball-playing defenders and energetic midfields and plenty of pace in attack. Both like to force the issue. Both are capable of scintillating combination play. But whereas AU’s bright moments mostly led to Emiliano Tade getting swamped by defenders, CU mixed up their focal points better with Tollervey and Osawa combining for several offside calls (Osawa scored from one of them), Joel Stevens doing Joel Stevens things out wide, and newboy Noah Karunaratne driving forward. It was the latter option that led to the opening goal after 13 minutes. Some slippery dribbling from Karunaratne saw him feed through for Tollervey. That shot was parried out by Kai McLean but Karunaratne cleverly picked his spot on the rebound.
That overreliance on Tade Magic was an issue for AU in the Chatham Cup final where it felt like everything revolved around him. He’s one of the most qualified players to be revolving around but this Rams defence knew the story and continued to close out fast and in numbers. There was a Vollenhoven goal disallowed for offside after a Tade dink over the top, though otherwise Christchurch Utd kept blocking shots, kept getting bodies in the way, as Auckland Utd feinted and jabbed seeking gaps in the CU backline and finding none. Amazing defensive structure from the Rams.
Matt Conroy replaced Vollenhoven at HT to give them a more direct runner out wide. It seemed like CU were initially a little more reserved after the break, seeking to sit and pounce. Joel Stevens did have two good attempts cutting in from the left but the intensity at the back dropped off just a smidge in the second half which led to a couple of frisky spot like when Rodwell drifted infield and picked out Conroy on the left. Conroy got his shot away cleanly but it fizzed past the post. A wee bit later, Auckland Utd went as close as they’d been when Ingham teed up Tade in the box but the great man fired over the top. Those were the moments for the home side... and they couldn’t convert.
So it was that rather than scoring to make it 1-1, Auckland United conceded to make it 2-0. The Rams had made a couple subs by this point and two of them were heavily involved in the second goal. Jackson Cole went drifting across the area, faking a shot then finding Sorasit Mac Prathumphithak whose driven low cross couldn’t be cut out by McLean which allowed Noah Karunaratne to tap home from very close range. Two for the former Phoenix Academy lad, more recently of Eastern Suburbs. Sometimes you need time to settle into a new team but Karunaratne, with his dribbling and short passing abilities, instantly looks like a perfect fit.
Don’t forget that Auckland United did score twice in the last ten to force extras in that cup meeting. They switched up to a back three in chasing this one... though other than another Tade shot over the top they couldn’t manage much. 2-0 to Christchurch United thanks to a win up in Auckland – these are the kinds of results they need if they’re going to challenge. No doubt they’re capable, they were inconsitent through the Southern League but in amongst that they hit heights that nobody else could reach. Karunaratne was fantastic as the link between midfield and attack. Ben Stroud marshalled the back three like a champ. Travis Graham was really strong in the middle too.
There’s more to come from Auckland United too, this is a very well coached squad (who didn’t have their coach for this game) with plenty of options. Just gotta figure out how to get Otto Ingham more involved and maybe get a few more runners off Emiliano Tade to stretch things out. They’ve got a bye next week to ponder things.
Auckland United 0-2 Christchurch United
13’ | 1-0 | CU | Karunaratne (Tollervey)
71’ | 2-0 | CU | Karunaratne (Prathumphithak)
Wellington Phoenix Reserves vs Wellington Olympic
This game came at an awkward time for the WeeNix. Not only did they have nine players away at the U20 World Cup, along with coach Chris Greenacre, but the A-League squad was also busy across the ditch having played Sydney FC in a preseason friendly the night prior. In other words they were missing a lot of players. Like, a lot of players. Only eight of the 16 blokes who got on the pitch in this game earned minutes in the 2024 National League (and only half of those eight made multiple starts). Seven of them featured in the Wrexham game. We don’t know who was injured and who was with the ALM squad but Nick Murphy, Dylan Gardiner, and Lachlan Candy among those who didn’t feature despite not being at the U20 World Cup. Bottom line: this was more like the Phoenix Thirds than the Phoenix Reserves.
And yet it still packed a punch. Eamonn McCarron made his MNL debut with the gloves... he played an Aussie Cup game before he played a National League game. McCarron only turned 18 two weeks ago but an excellent preseason has him poised as the third-choice goalie at the club. In front of him was a back four of: Lewis Partridge (a standout from last year’s group), Mac Munro (a fast-rising CB who made the bench for two Aussie Cup ties), Marcus Commisso (a 16yo on Nats debut), and Ryan Lee (another who made an Aussie Cup bench). Phillip Azevedo and Hayden Thomas formed the midfield. Fletcher Pratt and Luke Mitchell were the tens. Luke Flowerdew and Jack Perniskie the strikers. Flowerdew scored the goal against Wrexham. Perniskie is likely to be in the U17 World Cup squad later this year.
Yeah alright but look at what they were up against... Wellington Olympic, reigning Central League (x5) and Chatham Cup (x2) champions, and also a team that’s well aware of the idiosyncrasies of facing the WeeNix. The Greeks named a very similar team to the Chatham Cup final: Scott Basalaj; Alex Solomon, William Vincent, Adam Supyk; Jack-Henry Sinclair, Tor Davenport-Petersen, Tiahn Manuel, Noah Boyce; Gavin Hoy, Isa Prins; Sam Mason-Smith. SMS for Hamish Watson was the only alteration.
For the first ten minutes, nothing really happened outside of one rushed shot from Jack-Henry Sinclair. The Nix passed the ball around confidently and the Greeks stayed patient. Then, having settled in, the Olympic front three of Gavin Hoy, Sam Mason-Smith, and especially Isa Prins started to go hunting. Flowerdew did draw a decent save out of Olympic goalie Scott Basalaj... but then a wicked ball over the top from Alex Solomon gave Prins something to chase 1v1 against the inexperienced Commisso. Prins burned him and scored. Ten mins later, Solomon from the second phase after a corner kick. Then just before the break, Solomon got another assist picking out Mason-Smith (who’d already had a couple of good chances). SMS got goalsode and his quick shot was just what the doctor ordered for 3-0.
And on it went, with Mason-Smith (57’) and Prins (71’) each adding another as Wellington Olympic took full advantage of being the bigger, stronger, smarter, faster team. We’ve seen them score a lot of goals through the years from those early release diagonals and chips over the top... having guys who’ll get on the end of those and finish is important though equally valuable is being able to complete those really difficult passes in the first place. Plus they looked like they could score from every corner kick. Commanding stuff from the preseason favourites.
Having said that, the WeeNix made a double change on the hour (down 4-0) with Anaru Cassidy and Athan Thompson replacing the two youngest guys on the field (Commisso and Azevedo). This was a baptism of fire for those two and they really struggled, especially Commisso having to deal with what he was up against. Cassidy started for the first team in a friendly against Olympic just last week and he immediately made a difference. They briefly made it 4-1 when Fletcher Pratt’s cross was turned in for an OG shortly before Prins scored to make it 5-1. And even then they didn’t wilt. Oliver Grosso, another sub, scrambled in another goal before a second OG near the end made it 5-3 by the end of it.
The game was already won but Paul Ifill and Ekow Quainoo will have some frustrations with how they conceded three such soft goals having been in a position of complete ascendency. They’ll also be frustrated with a very weird red card for Hamish Watson. He was booked in stoppage time for winning a header. The intimation was that he’d launched into the challenge too forcefully and clattered his opponent. Okay, you can view that either way, but then the ref pulled out a red to follow the yellow. Turned out he’d already been booked during the first half while he was still on the bench. Very strange scenario. With Mason-Smith scoring twice and Gianni Bouzoukis also featuring as a substitute, pretty sure Olympic will be able to handle the suspension.
Wellington Phoenix 3-5 Wellington Olympic
21’ | 1-0 | WO | Prins (Solomon)
30’ | 2-0 | WO | Solomon
45’ | 3-0 | WO | Mason-Smith (Solomon)
57’ | 4-0 | WO | Mason-Smith (Roubos)
67’ | 4-1 | WP | Own Goal (Pratt)
71’ | 5-1 | WO | Prins (Bouzoukis)
82’ | 5-2 | WP | Grosso
86’ | 5-3 | WP | Own Goal (Koch)
90+2’ | RED CARD | WO | Watson
Western Springs vs Western Suburbs
Which west is best? The Springs of Auckland or the Suburbs of Wellington? Doubt anyone’s ever asked that question before and thanks to this fixture they won’t ever need to. Newly crowned Northern League champions Western Springs hosted a double-header at Seddon Fields, first this game followed by a nine-goal barnstormer women’s match against Wellington United. Scotty Hales picked young Emmett Connolly in goal with usual gloveman Oscar Mason not a hundy percent (he was on the bench though). Pat Tobin, Aidan Carey, and newly converted defender Oscar Browne formed the back three while Wan Gatkek and Daniel Normann in midfield were flanked by wing-backs Ry McLeod and Jordan Hackett. Toshiki Mashimoto and Reid Drake operated behind striker Ben Wallace, who was back after a long injury absence.
On the other side, Western Suburbs had their international goalie Quillan Roberts. They had a back four of Ryan Harrison, Finn Diamond, Alifeleti Peini, and Jonathan Robinson. Noah Tipene-Clegg and Sebastian Sanchez in midfield. Cameron Mackenzie ahead of them with Seb Barton-Ginger and Kaelin Nguyen out wide. Tyler Freeman up top. Neither team has changed much for the Nats. Both clear reflections of what/who brought them success during the winter campaign.
If you’ve watched Western Springs much under Scott Hales then you’ve seen how much they value their build-up play. Large swathes of this game were spent with the back three knocking the ball around, often with Wan Gatkek dropping in between them, occasionally switching the play to the other flank, occasionally with someone like Gatkek or Browne striding forward. Suburbs had a bit of a press but nothing too hectic, mostly holding their shape and trying to prevent the ball from splitting their lines. That’s a recipie for limited goalmouth action but fortunately Springs wing-back Jordan Hackett has a supreme first touch and on the end of one of those switches, he drove a cross into the area which caught a hand and next thing Reid Drake had converted from the penalty spot for 1-0 after 10 minutes.
It took half an hour for Wests to find any joy going forward when they started stretching the back three with their width and swinging in crosses. The best of those was a sumptuous Barton-Ginger delivery swerving to the back post where Kaelin Nguyen’s header rocked the crossbar and was cleared off the line. Wests thought it may have crossed it. The fact that it didn’t, combined with the unfortunate penalty concession earlier, was why Suburbs hit the sheds trailing 1-0.
The first chance of the second half then fell to Wests again as Nguyen stung one at Connolly from a close angle. If it wasn’t for the penalty then Suburbs would have felt they were on top at that stage. They were now picking off Springs in the midfield pretty regularly and with a little more precision on attack it might have happened for them. Alas, they didn’t account for Caspar McGavin. The teenaged striker’s scored some key goals for the Swans this year and soon after replacing Wallace up front, he hustled a throw in with his rapid pressing and then, after Carey flicked on the long throw from Drake, McGavin pounced on the loose ball to score from six yards. He’s a presser and a poacher. A couple minutes later he almost did it again, heading onto the crossbar after a nod back from a corner. That ball wasn’t cleared and Jordan Hackett managed to flip it over the line. Two quick goals and that was that.
And thus the buzz disappeared from the game. Substitutes were made. Both teams had chances to score goals, Suburbs probably should have buried something, but none of it came with any jeopardy since they weren’t going to score three in half an hour. The scoreline definitely flatters Western Springs although it’s to their credit that they were able to get that ball over the line a few times – for all their deliberate build-up work it turned out to be three different types of set pieces that earned them this win: a penalty, a throw in, and a corner kick. Aidan Carey was pristine at the back. Jordan Hackett, an England U18s international, certainly brought the goods. And Caspar McGavin’s cameo off the bench was an influential one.
For Western Suburbs, they were right in this game for the first fifty minutes, working hard off the ball and adapting well to the task before them. They just lacked a little spark in attack. Didn’t get enough Seb Barton-Ginger action (he was mostly on Hackett’s side which could be why) and Tyler Freeman, their American striker, lost his touch in a few telling moments. This was the first game that Wests have lost within ninety minutes since May (they were beaten in extra time by Wellington Olympic in the Chatham Cup quarters).
Western Springs 3-0 Western Suburbs
10’ | 1-0 | WSP | Drake [p]
54’ | 2-0 | WSP | McGavin
57’ | 3-0 | WSP | Hackett
Coastal Spirit vs Birkenhead United
At Tāne Norton Park, in the shadow of the seagulls, was a game between two teams with plenty to prove in this National League. Birkenhead because they probably should have won the Northern League having been in a golden position at the halfway stage... only to stumble into second place. They got 26 points in their first 11 games, then only 15 points in their last 11 games. Missed out by one point. This after losing the National League final in extra time a year ago. Coastal Spirit’s got something to prove for the opposite reason. They did win their regional league, including a crucial win over Christchurch United in the latter rounds, yet they don’t really seem to be getting the clout they ought to for that achievement.
Typical teams for both. Coastal went with Adam Braman in goal (they lost Ellis Hare-Reid to a nasty injury late in the Southern League); Weston Bell, Danny Boys, Noa Prestel, and Jake Hale across the back; Joe Hoole, Mason Stearn, and Kaleb De Groot-Green in midfield; and Max Chretien up top flanked by Liam Cotter and Yusuf van Dam. Birkenhead had Keegan Smith in goal (remember him, Phoenix fans?); they had Sammy Khan, Dino Botica, and Liam Bailey in defence; they had a midfield trio of Leon van den Hoven, Nathan Rostron, and Isaac Bates with Devin Slingsby and Daniel Preece as wing-backs; and they had Curtis Hughes up top with Sam Philip. Kian Donkers was initially named to start on the Birko socials but Philip took his place in the eleven so perhaps he got injured.
Whereas the Western Springs vs Western Suburbs game featured lots of careful possession, with an emphasis on the technical side of the game, this one was the opposite as Coastal and Birko went gung-ho trying to attack from every angle. There were chances at both ends, with Botica fighting for set piece headers for Birko while Joe Hoole was only inches away as he flicked on a Stearn free kick and De Groot-Green whacked a volley slightly high. Both teams were keen to get the ball into the area and challenge the goalkeepers at any opportunity. Boys and Slingsby were on respective long throw duties. Hughes put a header on target. The only break in intensity was when Liam Bailey went down off the ball for BU and had to be replaced 11 mins into the match. Not even sure what happened there... but Rohan Kawale was summoned to replace him.
By the time Botica had volleyed wide from a corner and Chretien had been denied when his slipped finish was cleared by a sliding Khan it was no longer feasible how this game had gone forty minutes without any scoring. As it turns out we’d only have to wait a few seconds longer. From that corner, Hoole’s header was brilliantly saved by Smith. Boys took a shot off the rebound that was diverted again by De Groot-Green and then blocked on the line. Finally, Liam Cotter thumped that pesky thing into the net and Coastal Spirit were in front.
Birko actually did well not to concede again before the break, with Botica clearing a Cotter shot off the line. Getting compounded like that is how you lose games... and avoiding that fate can be how you win them. That first half was probably more the type of contest that Coastal preferred. In the second stanza, Birko slowed it down just enough to keep the ball on the ground and activate their runners – albeit their equaliser still came from a set piece. Slingsby on the swerving corner kick delivery. Botica with the header. Braman probably should’ve saved it. 1-1 after 57 mins. Quarter of an hour later they took the lead when another Devin Slingsby cross, this time from open play, caused a kerfuffle that ended with Sam Philip squeezing in the winner.
Yes, the winner... because Coastal didn’t spend much time at all in the attacking third after that onslaught before half-time. The introduction of new signing Derek Tieku after the Philip goal was helpful but not enough to override the way that the Birko midfield kept picking them off. Spirit didn’t get that second goal when they were on top. Birkenhead did. Hence Birkenhead United began their MNL campaign with a 2-1 victory on the road. Dino Botica was tremendous, scoring a goal and preventing multiple others down the other end, and Devin Slingsby’s crossing turned out to be a real weapon. Coastal had Joe Hoole getting stuck into absolutely everything and if they can figure out a way to get Max Chretien and Derek Tieku combining then goals will follow. Not this week though. This week they lost at home after being 1-0 up at half-time.
Coastal Spirit 1-2 Birkenhead United
41’ | 1-0 | CS | Cotter
57’ | 1-1 | BU | Botica (Slingsby)
70’ | 1-2 | BU | Philip
| P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Springs | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Miramar Rangers | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Wellington Olympic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Christchurch United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Birkenhead United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Auckland City | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Coastal Spirit | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| Wellington Phoenix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 0 |
| Auckland United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| Auckland FC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| Western Suburbs | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| Top Goalscorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Noah Karunaratne | Christchurch United | 2 |
| Sam Mason-Smith | Wellington Olympic | 2 |
| Isa Prins | Wellington Olympic | 2 |
| Theo Ettema | Miramar Rangers | 1 |
| Martin Bueno | Miramar Rangers | 1 |
| Reid Drake | Western Springs | 1 |
| Jordan Hackett | Western Springs | 1 |
| Caspar McGavin | Western Springs | 1 |
| Liam Cotter | Coastal Spirit | 1 |
| Dino Botica | Birkenhead United | 1 |
| Sam Philip | Birkenhead United | 1 |
| Oliver Grosso | Wellington Phoenix | 1 |
| Alex Solomon | Wellington Olympic | 1 |
| Most Assists | ||
|---|---|---|
| Alex Solomon | Wellington Olympic | 2 |
| Owen Smith | Miramar Rangers | 2 |
| Devin Slingsby | Birkenhead United | 1 |
| Fletcher Pratt | Wellington Phoenix | 1 |
| Gianni Bouzoukis | Wellington Olympic | 1 |
| Jonty Roubos | Wellington Olympic | 1 |
| Joshua Tollervey | Christchurch United | 1 |
| Kyle Koch | Wellington Phoenix | 1 |
| Nicolas Bobadilla | Miramar Rangers | 1 |
| Sorasit Mac Prathumphithak | Christchurch United | 1 |
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