Aotearoa Domestic Football Roundup – June 2
Men’s Northern League
Here’s a rare weekend of footy that began on a Thursday. There were Chatham and Kate Sheppard Cup games across the country and since it was a long weekend the Northern League folks managed to squeeze in a full league round as well. One of those Thursday nighters was a doozy between Birkenhead United and East Coast Bays. League leaders Birko against the only team that has managed to take a point off them so far in 2026. On that previous occasion way back in May, Marius Zabarauskas scored early and then scored very very late as ECB claimed a 90+4th min equaliser in a 2-2 draw. This time Zabarauskas scored early (from the penalty spot, 8’) and as we entered the latter stages the game was poised for a repeat after Christian Rodriguez (45+3’) and Evan Paez (66’) turned it around in Birko’s favour. But this time it was the team with the red and white stripes who scored the fourth of the match as Josh Redfearn (84’) sealed a 3-1 win for Birkenhead Utd. Fourth of the season for Redfearn. Zabarauskas has gone back level with Monty Patterson at the top of the scoring charts with his eighth. Birko have won 10 in a row. ECB have lost three of their last four.
As that was happening, Melville United vs Tauranga City was also happening. The non-Auckland derby. Both of these sides have been battling away so it was always going to be a choppy one and there were two fouls that determined this one. The first happened early second half with the game still scoreless when Makaha Vieira Gall left a foot in the tackle just outside his own penalty area and picked up a second yellow for Melville (55’). The other was when Tauranga’s Jack Veale got around his man and was dragged down for a penalty with twenty to go. Liam Molloy converted from the spot (71’) and Tauranga City claimed a 1-0 win to raise them above their opponents on the ladder.
The third Thursday night belter saw the Auckland FC Reserves grab a 2-0 win over Auckland United with a pair of penalties doing the heavy lifting. Van Fitzharris (50’ pen) and Harley Hill (65’ pen). Abdallah Khaled was red carded for AUFC after only 15 minutes, booked twice for fouls just outside his own penalty area. The second was a last-man challenge on Harley Hill. It was Hill who won the first penalty after a slick one-two with Fitzharris put him into the area but Fitzharris pulled rank to take the pen. Hill got his turn after being dragged down at the back post trying to get onto a free kick cross. In summary: Harley Hill was fouled for two penalties and an opposition red card. That’s the kinda stuff that gets you noticed.
With the A-League and Pro League seasons now over, Luka Vicelich and Fitzharris both popped up fresh from the ALM grand final bench while Dejaun Naidoo and Eli Jones were back having been busy with the OPL recently. All have played multiple Northern League games already this year but having those four together gave them a serious boost as the Reserves won their third game of the term. Two of those three wins have come within Vicelich’s three appearances (he also playing in a loss vs Birko) – LV had a similar impact on the team’s results last year as they won 3/4 of his Northern League starts and 3/18 of the others. They went 2-1-1 in his National League appearances in 2025. Luka Vicelich plays winning footy, folks. This also halted a great run from Auckland United who’d taken 13 points from their previous five games (17 goals scored, 1 conceded).
Birko are now ten points clear at the summit after their own win against ECB and the Auckland United defeat were followed by an appropriately defensive stalemate in the Gridlock Derby. Eastern Suburbs 0-0 Auckland City. That ends the five-game winning streak for Auckland City though it does mean they’re now eight games unbeaten. Yet another clean sheet for Eastern Subs who have conceded once in their last eight games. Once. And only twice in the 11 games since losing 2-1 to Birko in the opening weekend. This was ACFC’s third cleanie in the past four so we should have expected something like this.
Western Springs have been a bit all over the place this season so obviously they responded to consecutive defeats, in which they conceded a combined 10 goals, by winning with a clean sheet vs Bay Olympic. 3-0 scoreline. George Cooper got a double, winning a penalty that he converted (17’) and then picking off a bad touch on the press to score another (57’). In between was a back-stick finish from Matt Thomas (53’). Big yarns from the Englishman Cooper – who played nearly 200 times for Crewe Alexandra, Peterborough, and Plymouth Argyle across League One and League Two in an earlier phase of his career.
ALas there was no win streak to be found for Manukau United, who lost 2-1 at home against Fencibles United. Dylan Laing-McConnell (8’) started it off for Fencies before Dylan Horgan equalised (14’). Ryan Clarke then proved the winner (68’). That’s two on the trot for Fencies though, hanging four points off the National League spots as we enter the second half of the campaign.
Men’s Central League
Cup weekend means cup weekend so only the Northern League blokes, with more teams and therefore more fixtures in their division, needed to fit a full round in alongside. But there was a very important catch-up game played in the Hawke’s Bay. It was Napier City Rovers vs Island Bay United and it was Napier City who won 3-0. Goals from Aston Hurd (2’), Callum Cooke (50’), and Jacob Fenton (61’). Fifth of the term for Cooke, third for Fenton. Solid work from those two imports... while 22yo Hamilton product Hurd seems to be finding a groove after his second goal for NCR. He’s started every game for Rovers since coming off the bench at half-time in the season opener.
Ah but the thing is... Napier City only won by three goals and they needed to win by five to go ahead of Wellington Olympic on goal difference. Nevertheless, this puts us in an incredible situation where exactly halfway through the season there are three teams tied on 22 points: Wellington Olympic (+20 GD), Napier City Rovers (+19 GD), and Miramar Rangers (+16 GD). And that’s with Western Suburbs only two points behind. There’s a drop between the top four and the rest of the competition but this is shaping up to an unreal title race... made even better by the rock, paper, scissors outcomes in the head to heads:
Wellington Olympic: Drew 1-1 vs MR, Lost 3-0 vs NCR, Won 1-0 vs WS
Napier City Rovers: Drew 0-0 vs WS, Won 3-0 vs WO, Lost 2-1 vs MR
Miramar Rangers: Drew 1-1 vs WO, Won 2-1 vs NCR, Lost 1-0 vs WS
Western Suburbs: Drew 0-0 vs NCR, Lost 1-0 vs WO, Won 1-0 vs MR
Everyone’s got a win, a draw, and a loss against the rest of the quartet... the only reason Wests aren’t up on 22 points with the rest of them is because they also drew 2-2 against Waterside Karori a couple weeks ago. Keep in mind that there’s also 2027 National League qualification on the line with one of these three teams to miss out. Wellington Olympic have almost booked their spot already on the basis of their previous season efforts (the formula takes into account the previous four seasons as well as this one... and the Greeks have won the last five in a row). However the other three are still scrapping it out to avoid having to win a three-pronged playoff or else get left behind.
Men’s Southern League
There was also one catch-up game in these parts where Northern hosted Coastal Spirit on Monday, with Northern’s home advantage balanced out by the fact that they were backing up after their Chatham Cup victory a couple days earlier whereas Coastal went out to Nomads in the previous round so they were fresh. Whether that was actually relevant or not, that’s how the game panned out with Coastal winning 2-1. Doesn’t appear to have been streamed and nobody’s mentioned the goalscorers so that’s all we’ve got.
That’s a really signifiant away win for Coastal who jump up to third equal as a consequence. It’s going to be a shootout between them and Christchurch United for the second National League spot in 2027 (behind Cashmere Technical who shouldn’t have any worries grabbing the first spot)... and with the formula balancing the past five years of performance that means that Coastal definitely need to finish ahead of Christchurch and probably by at least two positions. Don’t take that as gospel, the criteria is a bit vague, but that’ll be something close to what we’re working with. The Rams are currently seventh though it’d be silly to think they don’t have a run in them yet.
Kate Sheppard Cup
That brings us to the cup stuff and there’s plenty of it with all the teams having now entered as of this round. The highlight of the Kate Shepp was a rematch between West Coast Rangers and Auckland United... which this time AUFC won 2-0 thanks to goals from Olivia Ingham (22’) and Jessica Saudners (86’). Saunders is one of their homegrown youngsters so that’s a big moment from the 16yo scoring off the bench. Ingham of course joined from the Wellington Phoenix... as did Grace Bartlett who debuted here after linking up last week. Plus they did this without Sasha Adamson who has been called up for international duty by Mauritius. That’s exciting.
The highest scoring team in the KSC this round was Eastern Suburbs with a 12-0 win over Waikato Unicol. Not exactly a fair fight, that one. The scoring procession went: Erika Skindlov (5’), Zoe Brazier (26’), Own Goal (35’), Ella Findlay (36’), Sam Tawharu (60’), Maddi Ollington (63’), Brazier (67’), Ollington (68’), Amelia Hitchcock (80’), Millie Boyle (87’), Boyle (89’), Brazier (90+3’). That means a hatty for Brazier and two each for Boyle and Ollington. Hitchcock is another of the youngsters who made the most of their opportunity here. The match centres often have mistakes in them but if this one’s accurate it means that the Lilywhites scored eight times in the last half hour plus change.
Fencibles are the other title challenger in the NRFL. Minimal dramas for them as they claimed a 3-0 win away to Tauranga Moana. Goals for Rosie Missen (20’) and Hayley Miller (72’, 90+2’). And Ellerslie also won 3-0, beating Bay Olympic with goals from Jeongyun Kwon (45+1’), Tatiana Mason (49’), and Mia Grgicevich (71’) to breeze into the next round.
Birkenhead United could be a team to watch. They’re bossing the second tier after making some enticing signings (picking up a handful of first team players from Auckland United will do that for ya) and they showed that pedigree with an 8-1 victory away to Onehunga Mangere. Goals for: Shayden Cathro (31’), Nina O’Leary (33’), Grace Chitty (43’), Jaime Govind (55’), Chitty (56’), Rene Wasi (76’), Alexis Cook (90+3’), and Cook again (90+8’ pen). Somewhere in amongst all that Pippa Carr did score for OM (53’).
Well would you look at that... Western Springs won a game! They beat West Hamilton 4-0 at Seddon Fields in a blessedly favourable matchup considering how their league season’s been going. Dara Mulrooney (18’) and Rose Muru (19’) got them started before Hannah Saxon (77’) and Sienna Makwana (90+6’) sealed the deal. Then elsewhere in the northern section there was a 5-0 win for Onehunga Sports away against Cambridge (goals for Pip Meo 15’, Amy Wells 51’, Jess Freeman 54’, Hayley Bilk 57’, and Ruby Waetford 82’); while Northern Rovers vs Franklin United went a bit nuts for a 6-3 Franklin win. Britney Cunningham-Lee (5’) put FU ahead. Jess Coyle (29’) and Sacha Curson (34’) flipped it 2-1 to C. Georgia Irvine hit back for 2-2 at the break (43’) before Sarah Carpenter put Franklin back in front (59’). Again Cambridge responded with Danielle Chandler (62’) on hand to make it 3-3... but Franklin ran away with it in the latter stages as BCL (77’, 85’) and Carpenter (89’) struck some more.
Wellington United vs Wellington Phoenix Reserves was the standout fixture in the central region by far. As you should know by now, the Nix play their U18s in the Central League but their U20s compete in the Boy’s U15 Capital Development League so when those U20s turn up for some KSC it’s the only time before National League that they’re playing women’s footy. That’s been the case for two previous years and they’ve made the semi-finals and the final in those two seasons. Powerhouses of the cup. But there was nothing between them and the Diamonds as the teams were split 1-1 at full-time (Maisy McDonald 30’ for WPX, Olivia Catherwood 47’ for WU) and 2-2 after extra time (Mia-Lotta Struck 101’ for WU, Alyssha Eglinton 104’ for WPX). Off it went to penalties where Brooke Neary got a little extra practice for the Nix ahead of joining the Football Ferns in Spain. It was Molly Simons who made the first save from the Nix’s third attempt but Neary matched that next round and after a few more makes each Neary saved another as the Phoenix advanced with a 6-5 shootout triumph.
Waterside Karori took their place in the last sixteen with a 4-1 win away to Victoria University. Nicola Ross (45+1’), Sherize Concession (46’, 53’), and Margot Ramsay (90+2’) with their goals while Ella Simmonds (50’) struck for Vic Uni in the middle of those antics. There was a close one between Miramar Rangers and Palmerston North United where PNU took the lead through Aimee Powick in the second minute of the game... but Iris Reweti-Gould (20’) and Trinity Mairs (66’) ensured that it was Miramar who progressed with a 2-1 win. And also Petone won 4-1 against Te Kotahitanga. The two Phoebes scored inside the opening twenty – Gray (5’) and Hawes (19’) – with Madison Beetham briefly equalising in between (17’). Then Pepi Olliver-Bell (67’) and a second for Hawes (81’) made sure the favoured team advanced.
Moving down south, and Cashmere Technical won 7-0 against Universities of Canterbury at English Park. Based on league form that’s not an unexpected outcome but the margin was definitely way wider than expected and they did it with room to spare too, wrapping up the scoring midway through the second spell. Goals from Kate Loye (2’), Dorothy Yek (10’), Margi Dias (42’), Katie Burgh (47’, 48’), Sophie Bonser (61’), and Anya Stephan (66’).
In fact, all four the southern fixtures were heavy wins to nil. Dunedin City Royals went even further with an 8-0 win over local rivals Green Island. Different tiers so those two Dunedin sides don’t get to play very often hence DCR made good use of the occasion with strikes from: Nieve Collin (4’, 25’), Hannah Mackay-Wright (32’), Tyler Andrews (48’), Abby Rankin (56’), Georgia Nixon (65’, 84’), and Charlotte Summers (66’). Not so intense where Roslyn Wakari vs Otago University was concerned. Otago Uni took a 4-0 victory as Georgia Kennedy (18’, 45+1’) scored twice in the first spell followed by goals from Ava Burgess (52’) and Bridget Merkel (78’). Meanwhile Nelson Suburbs won 5-0 at home vs NW United. Anise Bazley (29’), Tessa Hyland (35’), Emily Lauer (57’), Isobel Roache (88’), and Liene Steinen (90+2’) were all on target there.
In The Hat For Round Three:
Auckland United, Birkenhead United, Fencibles, Western Springs, Onehunga Sports, Ellerslie, Franklin United, Eastern Suburbs, Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Petone, Waterside Karori, Miramar Rangers, Nelson Suburbs, Cashmere Technical, Dunedin City Royals, Otago University
Chatham Cup
In true knockout cup fashion, you’d better believe we had some upsets here. Not in Northern United vs Auckland United though. The Waikato club gave it a nudge against their Northern League opponents and George Dixon did give them the joy of an equaliser (15’) after Matias Nunez had gotten AUFC started in a hurry (7’). But the gulf between the two teams became clear as Riley Manuel scored a quickie brace before the half (44’, 45+1’) and then the Aucklanders rolled it with further goals from new signing Daniel Saric (54’), Jack Beer (58’), Oliver Campbell (61’, 64’), and Leo Hall (85’) for an 8-1 win, making them the highest-scoring team of the round.
Fencibles did what they needed to against Papamoa FC. They scored in the second minute through Ethan Holder and then an own goal made it 2-0 after 11 mins. Andrew Cooper got one back for Papamoa (39’) before Holder got his second (58’) followed by further goals for Nick Rooney (63’), Dastgeer Lai-Sai (67’), and then a third for Holder (81’) to complete a 6-1 victory. Also winning big were Auckland City who travelled to Claudelands Rovers and returned with a 6-0 triumph. Kieran Richards (19’), Manraj Singh (20’), Adam Bell (23’), Richards again (55’), Angus Kilkolly (71’), and then Kilkolly for a second time (83’). Kilkolly’s unstoppable at the moment. Also Gerard Garriga played his 150th game for the club.
Birkenhead United were lumped away against a fellow Northern League team. Fortunately it was an out of form Bay Olympic side so they beat them 6-2. Lucas Lovelock opened it up for Bay (19’) but then Charles Bidwell (25’), Rob Dymond (32’), James Taylor (45’), and Dino Botica (65’) combined to put Birko way ahead. Javier Vasquez Martinez closed the gap (84’) only for a pair of late own goals to pad it back out and then some (87’, 90+4’). Bit of a rotated side for Birko and they still did it easy, that’s why they’re the leaders of the pack in that Northern League.
Beyond that things start to get extremely funky in this northern section. Like how about Manukau United 4-5 Cambridge in a game that went to extra time and involved red cards for both? These two clubs are in different leagues but they were rivals last season as Manukau pipped Cambridge for promotion. Not a lot between them as that scoreline proved. Ibrahim Nadir scored twice for M (33’, 38’) then Josh Clarkin scored twice for C (41’, 52’). Usaamah Hakim was sent off for Manukau which led to Jack Connor putting Cambridge ahead (61’)... only for Matthew Dale’s red (71’) to make it ten-men apiece before Nathan Sumner scored (80’) to force extras. Clarkin completed his hat-trick (94’) but Reuben-Louis Visser hit back for Manukau (113’). Then Jack Connor snatched a winner to avoid penalties at the last moment (120+1’). Phew.
This next one was top tier vs top tier but Eastern Suburbs have been almost flawless defensively of late so it’s a bit of a shock that they got turned over at home by Melville United. Granted, it took another 113 minutes for the Lilywhites to finally concede. Jake Bell did the honours for Melville in the second half of extra time (113’). Then Jama Boss made sure of it (116’) as Melville returned home with a 2-0 win (aet).
Takapuna turned over Western Springs with a 3-1 extra time win. Took the lead through Benjamin Allen (15’), conceded as George Cooper found the net for Springs (45+2’), saw their opponents reduced to ten with Niko Steinmetz sent off soon afterwards (48’), then eventually claimed it in extras with goals from Luke Robb (92’) and Bailey Derringer (120+3’). A similar thing happened between Ngaruawahia and Tauranga City where the latter had Lewis Reid sent off after 37 mins and then ended up losing 2-1 after extra time. Goalless at the end of ninety. Legion Rogerson (brother of Logan!) scored for Ngaruawahia (104’). TCAFC still had enough in the tank for Liam Knight to level it back up (109’) but that was all they had left with Donovan Latham winning it in the end (114’). And thus another top division club falls in round two (remember those Northern League hombres all played 48 hours earlier so these extra time yarns must have been brutal).
Someone had to go as East Coast Bays hosted Auckland FC Reserves. That someone was not ECB who scored three times in the first half through Marius Zabarauskas (18’, 42’) and Cameron Brown (25’) and then withstood a surge from James Elder (49’ pen, 64’) as Guy-Frank Essome Penda scored a fourth to clinch it (78’). 4-2 to East Coast Bays. Both Elder and also Damion Kim were signed for AFC from East Coast Bays, as was Nick Gaze who has gone back the other way this year and featured as a late sub in this match. Bit of a fresher side for AFC in this match with only James Mitchell having played A-League amongst the starters and the only Pro League rep was Dejaun Naidoo off the bench.
Elsewhere, University of Auckland won 2-0 against Uni-Mount Bohemian, goalscorers unknown. Hibiscus Coast were too good for Beachlands Maraetai with Julian Stevenson (24’), Ethan Hackenberg (55’), and Bronson Brown (83’) all netting in a 3-0 win. Same deal as Waiheke United won 2-0 away against Albany courtesy of goals from Diego Carvajal (8’) and Mauricio Herrera (26’). And West Coast Rangers picked up a 4-1 win against Central with goals for Connor O’Malley (8’ WCR), Benjamin Gallagher (58’ WCR), Bogdan Dida (63’ C), Declan Zasadny (64’ WCR), and Liam Wolloner (78’ WCR).
Nobody went to penalties in the northern section. Two other matches went close though. One was Northern Rovers beating Onehunga Mangere by a 4-2 scoreline after extras. OM led early through Joe Minto (3’) and held that lead almost the entire way until a bonkers last few minutes where Shotaro Inoue (87’) and Deryn Armstrong (90’) put Rovers ahead only for Jake McCoy (90+3’) to send it to ET after all. But once there, Armstrong (95’) and Karter MacKenzie (103’) ensured that Northern Rovers would be the ones to progress.
The meeting between Metro and Hamilton Wanderers went back and forth as two Luis Hamblin goals (7’, 28’) were matched by Seojin Yoon (16’) and Toby Duff (44’) in an eventful first half. The same thing happened in the second as Wanderers went up 3-2 through Jake Lindsey (65’) only to concede twice in succession to suddenly be staring at defeat. Jordan Hearn (75’) and Mohamed Haj Mohamed (78') on target for Metro there. Ah but then George Parsons was red carded in conceding a penalty and Luis Hamblin made it 4-4 to book an extra thirty minutes (90+1’). Cortlan Davis-Havill scored straight away to give Hamilton Wanderers their fourth lead of the afternoon (91’) and this was the one that stuck... even though hatty hero Hamblin (who began the season at Melville then dropped down a division to join Wanderers) got himself sent off at the very end (120’). 5-4 to Wanderers after 120 minutes.
One more thriller to mention with South Auckland Rangers getting an upset win against Northland FC up in Whangarei. Kaliova Tuwai scored straight away for SAR (1’) though the home side settled it down with an Ahmad Wali Mohammadi goal (16’). Then the Eparama Moraica show began. He put SAR ahead again (22’) and then extended the lead (69’) to really have Northland in a mess. Two quick goals to Mohammadi (74’) and Max Diamond (75’) seemed to have dug them out of that hole at 3-3... only for Moraica to grab his third (82’) as South Auckland Rangers claimed a 4-3 win.
To the middle of the country now where the big news was that two-time defending champions Wellington Olympic are out of it after falling 2-1 to Miramar Rangers. Connor Gaul (71’) and Jordan Lamb (80’) scored for Rangers before Ben Mata responded a little too late for the Greeks (90+4’). Another twist in that old rivalry... there’s gonna be a different name on the trophy in 2026.
Other than that, proceedings mostly went to plan. Napier City Rovers had a hefty 7-0 win over Waterside Karori with Ben Stanley scoring four (3’, 22’, 30’, 90’) alongside an own goal (35’), Luca Barclay (38’), and Liam Schofield (68’) for good measure. They were five up after 40 mins. Greytown put up a decent scrap away to Petone before falling 2-0 to goals from Daler Tokhirov (62’) and Ollie Pickering (90+2’). Daniel MacLennan was sent off for Greytown in between those goals (75’). Western Suburbs did enough for a 2-1 win away against Havelock North Wanderers. Cam Mackenzie (47’) and Gavin Wigg (78’) scored their goals with James Mack (89’) getting a late one for HNW.
Some of the match centres haven’t been updated properly so it gets a little sketchy around this part. The website says it was Tawa 1-4 Stop Out... though Stop Out’s social media reckons it was only 3-1 with Adam Ross scoring twice and an own goal in there too. Daniel Rose scored late-ish for Tawa. Still, that’s Stop Out into the next round. Same deal with Palmerston North Marist who won 2-0 away against Whanganui Athletic. A rapid double from Luke Minshull (3’, 6’) did the trick there with Ethan Russ sent off in the latter stages for Whanganui.
You want a penalty shootout? Seatoun and Upper Hutt City have got you covered. It was 1-1 at half-time and it was 3-3 at full time. It then remained 3-3 through the bonus thirty minutes with UHC collecting a red card somewhere in there. Dunno the scorers, dunno who got sent off. But we do know that Seatoun claimed a 7-6 victory in the tiebreaker, taking down a Central League opponent in the process...
Okay, we’re almost done, just another eight games down south to get through. The most predictable was Cashmere Technical popping over to Waimakariri United and winning 7-0 with five of those goals scored before half-time. Same thing they’ve been doing to every Southern League opponent, no reason to stop now. Goals scored by: Lyle Matthysen (7’), Rory Hibbert (16’), Charlie Peacocke (32’), Edy Belingher (33’), Matthysen’s second (35’), Belingher’s second (70’), and then a penalty for Belingher’s third (88’). Yeah that’ll do it.
Most fascinating was Christchurch United vs Nomads United which remained tense but scoreless all the way until the second stanza of extra time where William Holland (108’) and Cody Johnson (112’) hit the back of the net to give Nomads a 2-0 win (aet). Christchurch United have got work to do to make sure they qualify for the revamped National League and the 2023 champions can put their full focus behind that now because they’re out of the Chatham Cup. With Wellington Olympic also gone, that means the last three champs are all eliminated already.
There was a scare for Ferrymead Bays when they conceded early against Halswell United. Javier Langley with the goal (16’) for the visitors. But not much of a scare because they eventually won 7-1 with goals from Omar Cameron (30’), Christopher Murphy (33’, 36’), Daniel Thoms (41’, 46’), Jacob Killick (69’), and Luca Marson (90+4’). Similar wobbles for Dunedin City Royals as they conceded first versus Green Island, Brayan Orobio with the goal (10’)... but pretty soon Max Davidson (19’), Jacob Fielding (25’), and Connor Neil (31’) had all chipped in to put DCR in control. Rodrigo Schmidt de Camargo made it 3-2 at HT (42’) before late goals for Gabriel Varrica (90’) and Connor Neil (90+2’) meant a 5-2 win for DCR. Closer than it sounds.
Northern may have lost that Southern League catch-up game but they’re still alive in the cup after winning 3-0 against Wānaka. Goals for Toby Orchiston (15’, 84’) and Joshua Kotkamp (90+2’) got them there in the end. Nelson Suburbs won 4-0 against FC Nelson in a local derby – a double for Ben Polak (4’, 26’) and then second half additions from La Bu Pan (48’) and Tinotenda Mupemhena (78’) made sure of that much. And finally it was back and forth between Old Boys Invercargill and Otago University. 1-0 to Uni through Henry Pierce (16’). 1-1 as Zach Tull levelled up (45+2’). Tull then put Old Boys ahead (78’) only for a sudden response from Blake Fairbairn (79’) as this one went to extras at 2-2... and it was there that Otago Uni found some breathing room when Oscar Kidd (94’, 103’) scored twice alongside a second for Fairbairn (100’). At least Zachary Tull got to complete his hatty before the final whistle sounded (107’). And then there was Mosgiel 5-0 Timaru United, with the scorers being: Carter West (1’), Harvey Stephens (15’), West again (59’), Matthew Adye (66’), and an own goal (90+2’).
That’s not entirely all... the Wellington Phoenix Reserves vs Island Bay United game isn’t until Wednesday night so keep an eye out for that one. But otherwise we’ve cut it down to the last 31 teams plus whoever advances from that late game.
In The Hat For Round Three:
Waiheke United, West Coast Rangers, South Auckland Rangers, Northern Rovers, Hamilton Wanderers, Hibiscus Coast, University of Auckland, Auckland United, Cambridge, Fencibles United, Melville United, East Coast Bays, Auckland City, Ngaruawahia United, Takapuna, Birkenhead United, Western Suburbs, Seatoun, Stop Out, Palmerston North Marist, Miramar Rangers, Petone, Napier City Rovers, Wellington Phoenix Reserves/Island Bay United, Nomads United, Ferrymead Bays, Mosgiel, Dunedin City Royals, Northern, Cashmere Technical, Nelson Suburbs, Otago University.
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