Men’s Southern League

If Cashmere Technical don’t win the Southern League then something pretty crazy will have happened between now and then. Four games in and they already look like they’re cruising, with their latest demolition being a 9-0 victory away against Wānaka. It was 1-0 after 25 mins when WFC captain Danny Heemskerk was red carded and the Techies never looked back from there. Zander Edwards had scored that initial goal and he’d go on to bag a hat-trick before half-time while Garbhan Coughlan kickstarted his annual Golden Boot quest with four. It went Edwards (15’), Coughlan (31’), Edwards (34’), Edwards 38’), Coughlan (39’), Lyle Matthysen (45’), Coughlan (60’), Rory Hibbert (68’), Coughlan (89’). Obviously the red affected the margin but Cashmere have been doing this to everyone. 5-1 vs Selwyn, 4-1 vs Nomads, 5-0 vs Ferrymead Bays, and now 9-0 vs Wānaka. That’s 23 goals scored already (Coughlan has 7, Edwards has 5, Hibbert has 4... they’re 1-2-3 in the Golden Boot ranks).

Ferrymead Bays may have lost by five to Cashmere last week but they’re currently shaping as their closest (relatively speaking) title rivals, after winning 1-0 against Christchurch United on Friday night. It was a Ben Graney own goal after 18 minutes that split them, the CUFC keeper misjudging a long throw towards his near post. CU’s Jamie Wildash-Chan was sent off for a second booking after 63 minutes. The Rams have made some interesting signings (including a few Western Suburbs links with Owen Moyo and Wildash-Chan... probably thanks to captain Ben Stroud) but thus far coach Albert Riera hasn’t been able to get them cooking. One win from four is digging them into quite a deep hole but hey there was a dramatic late win for South Island United in the OPL this weekend so that was cool.

If it’s not Ferrymead Bays gassing for that second National League qualifying spot (the 2026 end-of-year version, not next year’s revamped one where they won’t have the historical results to squeeze in) then don’t look now but it might be Northern AFC. They hosted Nelson Suburbs on the Logan Park turf in Dunners and beat them 2-1. It was a goalless game for a long time until Lennon Whewell slammed home from a corner kick scramble after 77 mins, giving Suburbs the lead. But Northern scored twice in the last ten minutes, first when Nick Brett chipped the keeper after a shanked clearance (81’) and then a back-post Nick Treadwell header from a corner (86’) to complete the comeback. Treadwell’s an Englishman who played for Southern United way back in 2018 and must have loved it because he returned a few years later to play for Green Island, Roslyn-Wakari, and then Northern as of last year. That’s three wins out of four for Northern after their promotion – the only loss coming against Ferrymead Bays but they’re ahead of them on goal difference (thanks to Bays having already come up against the regional juggernauts).

Selwyn United got their first notch in the win column when they beat visiting Dunedin City Royals 2-0. Liam Coleman (38’) and Finlay Cotton (76’) scored the goals. And they weren’t the only ones because Nomads United also got their first win. Did in in crazy style against Coastal Spirit too. They’d been 1-0 up at half-time thanks to a Flynn Holdem goal after 32 minutes but were trailing 2-1 after ninety. Leo Uribe (68’ pen) and Michael Hogan (81’) having put Coastal back in control. Into injury time and Nomads were staring at defeat... until Jesse Burge floated a cross/shot over the goalie on 90+1’ to level things up before Flynn Holdem beat the offside trap on 90+4’ to calmly slot the winner. What a way to do it.

That was also Coastal’s first defeat, a tough one to take, though jot down of a couple good young local additions on their bench in this game: Yusuf Van Dam and Rico Pradhan. Spirit have lost a few players but seem to have retooled relatively well. They’ll be a factor. Two more goals for 18yo Flynn Holdem too, who was fourth on the Golden Boot charts last year with 12 and is already up to three for this campaign. Holdem happens to be a Canterbury age-rep cricketer too, although he’s given that up now to focus on the football having accepted a scholarship to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County later in the year.

Those results mean that four games into the season, every team in the Southern League already has at least one victory (with Cashy Tech perfect at 4/4). Can’t say that about any of the other top divisions around the motu. Also extra shout outs to Nomads because they also knocked holders Cashmere Tech out of the English Cup during the week (the Christchurch knockout cup) in a replay of the 2025 final. Tech were only slightly rotated too, what a result. The other notable tie there was Ferrymead Bays knocking Christchurch United out on penalties – meaning they beat the Rams twice in the space of five days.

Women’s Central League

We only got two games over these ways due to postponements and bye weeks doing what they do. One of those games was Waterside Karori 10-0 Palmerston North Marist. Absolutely dominant with Renee Bacon and Taylor Cooper both getting hatties, in fact Bacon got four of them. Five goals in each half for the Wharfies, it went: Cooper (12’), Cooper (18’), Bacon (26’), Cooper (38’), Bacon (45+5’), Jessica Woodside (47’), Sherize Concessio (55’), Bacon (66’), Bacon (89’), Concessio (90+2’). There’s no Nat Olsen to block everyone else as Central League Top Scorer this year so it looks like Renee Bacon’s got a clear runway having scored eight times in three matches. Karori as a team have won three out of three with 22 goals for and 1 against. Seatoun, Miramar, and PN Marist aren’t the most difficult opponents they’ll face but that kinda firepower is a threat to anyone.

And in the other game there was hugely notable result as Petone rallied from a goal down to beat Wellington United 2-1, dealing the Diamonds their first Central League defeat since Petone beat then 3-2 on 16 August 2023. Snapped a 34-game unbeaten streak for Wellington United in this competition. Farina Anchico did give WU a half-time lead (44’) but Marie Green (62’) and Emmy Lantz (65’) later struck in quick succession to make a bit of history.

We already know that the Diamonds are rebuilding, having lost several key players from last year’s National League group and using that as an opportunity to integrate a few more youngsters into the first team – the starting eleven for this match had four teenagers: Louisa Egley-Turner, Kennedy Corkin, Leonora Webb, and Farina Anchico. All very high-pedigreed players but it may mean the Diamonds come back to the pack this year. Doesn’t make it any less of a statement win from Petone though, a win which busts the Central League wide open (unless it turns out that Waterside Karori can keep doing what they’re doing against the likes of these two and the WeeNix, in that case they’ll simply blow them all aside).

Men’s Central League

Wellington Olympic don’t fail to win very often but they were on the brink of beginning the Ekow Quainoo era on a three-game skid as they reached stoppage time away against Western Suburbs. Admittedly, they’d had the toughest possible fixture list playing away to Miramar (1-1), home to Napier City (0-3), and then this Wests game. But that’s something other teams worry about, not the Greeks. They expect to win no matter who they play... and they got that feeling back when new signing Josh Zatorski scored with almost the last kick of the game to give them a 1-0 victory against Wests. A dramatic finish to a contentious game in which there were seven yellow cards handed out. Happy days for Noah Tipene-Clegg and Seb Barton-Ginger who both joined Olympic for this season after a couple years at Western Suburbs.

Napier City Rovers vs Island Bay United was postponed due to the weather. That left the door ajar for Miramar Rangers to go outright top after three games and they walked right on through with a 2-0 win against Upper Hutt City. Connor Gaul (11’) and Jordan Lamb (30’). Both really nice headers. Rangers have only conceded one goal in three games. They’re one of those teams (along with Wests and NCR) who are on the cusp of getting into the revamped National League so they need a strong campaign and so far so good.

Meanwhile, remember how Petone lost a bunch of their best attackers and were going to have trouble replacing them? Well, they won 5-0 against FC Western this week. Oliver Pickering got it started just before the break with a tremendous direct free kick (43’) and then Harry Lamont (48’) scored on the other side. An own goal (68’) plus a second for Pickering (88’) and a Gabriel Marti strike (90+4’) completed the scoring. It was never going to be easy for New Plymouth’s Western making the jump up to Central League and thus it’s proving to be, losing both games without scoring a goal (they went down 3-0 to Western Suburbs in their first game).

That leaves us with Waterside Karori 1-3 Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Luke Supyk scored a brace for the WeeNix (9’, 37’ pen) with Jack Eccles equalising in between for the Wharfies (14’). Phillip Azevedo then wrapped the game up with ten to go. Another really strong Nix Reserves side with Nathan Walker, Gabe Sloane-Rodrigues, Xuan Loke, and Eamonn McCarron joining Supyk with first team experience. There was a start for 17yo Joe McIntyre in amongst. Ben Trenberth played off the bench too – he’s another one to watch out for. No new signings in this squad (at least not yet), only promotions from the younger grades.

Also, shout out to Western Suburbs for these Inside Suburbs vids they’ve been doing. Great stuff. Here’s last week’s effort from their win over FC Western...

Women’s NRFL Premiership

The hammer fell for Western Springs during the week as coach Katie Duncan resigned from her role. She’d done okay with them last season after joining partway through but almost that entire squad left this year and they’ve been rolling out line-ups of youngsters who have been getting thrashed. First they lost 1-0 at home to promoted Melville United. Then came a 13-0 loss to Auckland United and a 7-0 loss to West Coast Rangers. For a club as big and strong as Western Springs, it’s kinda inexcusable to find themselves in this position. We’ll see where they go from here, they were due to play Tauranga Moana in a bottom of the table clash but that got postponed due to the cyclone so they’ve got some time to think about it. Ben Bate is at the club as an academy bossman and he’d be the obvious short-term solution if he’s keen on the role.

Eastern Suburbs vs Fencibles United was also postponed, having been scheduled for Sunday. That’s a pity as those two East Auckland rivals have been very good so far and we might have learned a fair bit about both of them from that match. But the other two games were good to go. Melville United hosted Auckland United in one of them and how many goals did Maggie Jenkins score this week? Just her usual two. It was Olivia Ingham who scored five this time, while Jess Saunders also grabbed one off the bench on debut. Double for Sasha Adamson on top of all that - she’s an English midfielder who previously played for Fulham. The sequence of scoring went: Jenkins (18’), Ingham (40’), Jenkins (44’), Adamson (51’), Ingham (54’), Ingham (56’), Ingham (58’), Saunders (73’), Adamson (75’), Ingham (88’). Clearly got a bit out of hand from 1-0 after 39 minutes to 7-0 after 60 minutes. 10-0 was the final score in case you lost count. Another double-digit effort from the 2026 evolution of Auckland United. The adjustment’s been tough so far for Melville after promotion, their 1-0 win vs Springs in week one having been followed by three defeats in which they’ve conceded a combined 23 goals.

Maggie Jenkins in 2026:

2 goals in 88 mins vs WCR (2-1 win)
5 goals in 90 mins vs WS (13-0 win)
2 goals in 87 mins vs FU (2-1 win)
2 goals in 58 mins vs MU (10-0 win)

And there was also a Friday nighter at Fred Taylor Park where West Coast Rangers hosted Ellerslie... and beat them 2-1. It was 1-0 to the visitors at half-time thanks to Abby Wright’s goal after seven minutes when Rangers failed to clear the danger from a low cross. But WCR turned it around with strikes from Maisy Dewell (50’) and Emily Lyon (66’). Dewell’s was a ripper from distance that dipped top corner. Lyon’s winner was a downward header from a Dewell free kick cross. Both instances where the keeper might have done better but that’s what repeated pressure will do. There’s no doubt that Ellerslie have upgraded this year however consecutive defeats against Eastern Subs and WCR have shown they’re not quite at that level yet.

Men’s Northern League

Auckland FC managed to get their game against Tauranga City out of the way before the rains came... but they did have other complications. Their Pro League team were in Fiji with four games to play over the next week and a bit, plus this game took place several hours before the A-League team were in action. Luka Vicelich, James Mitchell, Van Fitzharris, and Finn McKenlay were all on the ALM bench (with Fitzharris making a very impressive debut). Adama Coulibaly and Dejaun Naidoo made Pro League debuts the following day. Beyond that there was also the goalkeeping issue with several injuries hitting the ALM side causing repercussions all the way down. Hence new signing Hugo Lodewyk, formerly of Taradale in the Hawke’s Bay, was drafted in to make his debut. There was also a new fella on the bench in defender Herewini Insley who’s been signed from Upper Hutt City as part of the Rory Fallon connection (Harrison Tisch got his first start in this match having followed the same path).

Van Fitzharris playing A-League was reason for celebration for both of these clubs given that he’s a Tauranga City product. But that was all for later on. First there was a game to get through and that game was a belter. AFC went 2-0 up after half an hour as James Elder scored (19’) followed by an own goal (30’)... but same as happened a few weeks ago against Auckland United they blew that multi-goal lead. Tauranga clawed it back through Campbell Higgins (35’) and Jack Veale (64’). Big yarns from centre-back Higgins who is a menace from set pieces and has scored three times in five games. Ben Perez Baldoni was subbed on and he seemed to have won it for AFC with a sweet finish after 87 minutes... only for Harrison Tisch to concede a penalty in stoppages (and also get sent off – looked like a handball on the goalline). Adam Davidson buried it. 3-3 final score.

Auckland City would have been last if they’d lost to Manukau United. Astonishing to even consider... though we don’t have to any longer because they got a leg-up when Manukau collected an early red card. It was 1-1 at the time after Kieran Richards (AC 8’) and Jama Boss (MU 17’) had traded goals. Then Ibrahim Nadir got marched. Bit of afters following a couple of hard challenge and it took some time for the steam to be released. ACFC rolled it from there with Nathan Rostron (27’), Thomas Golding (30’), and Michal Doudera (70’) all scoring goals. Joey Ugwa did at least pull one back on 88’ to keep it respectable. 4-2 to Auckland City, final score. Did you notice what those four ACFC scorers all have in common? They’re all new signings for Rudy Mozr’s team. Mozr who, by the way, used to coach Manukau United (Golding played for him then as well).

4-2 was also the scoreline when East Coast Bays hosted Fencibles United... ECB taking the biscuits in that one. These are two teams who’ve gotten off to wonderful starts thought it’s been a little better for Bays after this result. The Lithuanian legend Marius Zabarauskas had ECB leading 2-0 after a quickfire brace (21’, 27’), taking him to an early Top Scorer lead with five overall, but Dylan Morris (73’) and Ronaldo Munoz (87’) brought Fencies back. Step up Guy-Frank Essome-Penda (90+3’) and Ryusei Ishibashi (90+6’). East Coast Bays also scored an injury time equaliser against Birko in one of their other home games... Bay City Park is the place to be if you’re in the market for some late antics. ECB are in second place and remain undefeated. Fencies began with three wins but have now lost twice on the trot conceding nine times in the process.

Melville United won 2-0 away against Bay Olympic with goals from Lucca Lim (25’) and Ryen Lawrence (50’) ensuring that state of affairs. Melville are winless from two home games but have won twice on the road (with a 7-1 loss wedged in there). Eastern Suburbs have been exclusively involved in low-scorers thus far and it was no different as they hosted Western Springs. Close game. Two well-matched teams. Eastern Suburbs won 1-0 via a goal from Hector Echague (55’). Got a glimpse of Jake Mechell off the bench in this one, his first appearance of the season, so perhaps the goals will come more regularly from now... but the Lilywhites have only conceded once in their last four matches so the defence is getting it done.

And continuing to lead the way is Birkenhead United. Four wins and a draw. Top of the table. Josh Redfearn (22’) and Charles Bidwell (49’) got the job done for them in a 2-0 win away against Auckland United - Redfearn’s goal was a beauty of an acrobatic effort from close range, check the highlights. Excellent win from Birko who could have easily added to the count, though like Eastern Suburbs it hardly matters when they’ve only conceded three times in 450 minutes. Three clean sheets in five matches. Birkenhead had a chance to lift the Northern League trophy last year but couldn’t keep it going. This year might be different.

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