Otūmoetai topple table toppers in Auckland
Otūmoetai women secured an eye-catching win this weekend while Tauranga City’s men stretched their win streak and Ngongotahā Lakes got the best of an all-Bay clash.
Following on from an Easter Thursday derby victory over Tauranga City, Otūmoetai’s women’s first team put on an impressive display to beat NRFL Women’s Championship leaders Fencibles United in Auckland on Sunday.
Young futsal star Lilly Muspratt proved the hero, a 90th-minute winner completing a brace with Miah Smith scoring the other while Nikki Whyte’s penalty save helped cement a 3-2 win.
Otūmoetai secured an eye-catching win over Fencibles United. Photo credit: Otumoetai FC Facebook.
Tauranga City’s women are also back to winning ways as they defeated Manukau United at Links Avenue. Talia Entwistle continued her fine form, with Abi Witney-Collins and Briana Osborne also on the scoresheet.
After a bumpy start to the campaign, Tauranga City AFC’s men’s first team have picked up a winning rhythm in the NRFL Championship, a 4-2 win over Metro making it three wins on the bounce.
Jonty Bidois hit another double with an Adam Davidson penalty and a 90th-minute goal from Liam Molloy securing victory in a back-and-forth fixture. The result moves City into fourth.
Ngongotahā Lakes got the better of Otūmoetai in an all-Bay of Plenty clash in the NRFL Men’s Southern Conference. A brace from the ever reliable Harlem Simiona proved enough for a fightback win after Jack Boland had given Oats the lead at Fergusson Park.
Elsewhere, Pāpāmoa made it back-to-back wins as Giancarlo Canobbio and Wads Nelson scored in a 2-0 win over Claudelands Rovers.
The WaiBOP W-League is now underway for most of the Bay’s teams. Lakes FC drew 1-1 with Waikato Unicol earlier this month while Tauranga City Reserves kicked off their campaign with a 4-1 reverse against the same opposition. Otūmoetai’s W-League side lost 11-0 to Melville. Tauranga Blue Rovers begin their season at Lakes this weekend.
Baywide football returned after the Easter Break with the results from April 15/16 below:
Men’s Bay 1
Otūmoetai OTT Reserves 1-2 Otūmoetai
Tauranga City Relics 1-0 Pāpāmoa FC
Whakatāne Town 0-8 Te Puke United
Kawerau Sports 0-0 Katikati FC
Women’s Bay 1
Pāpāmoa FC Icons 0-3 Tauranga City Bay Ladies
Whakatāne Town 3-0 Plains Rangers
Pāpāmoa FC Legends 9-0 Waiariki FC
Te Puke United 9-0 Otūmoetai
Men’s Bay 2
Tauranga City Juggernauts 1-1 Omokoroa FC Fury
Te Puke Utd Bay 2 1-3 Otūmoetai FC Bay 2
Pāpāmoa FC United 2-0 Plains Rangers
Otūmoetai FC Special Reserve 5-2 Taupō Lakers
Waiariki FC 1-10 Tauranga City New Blues
Men’s Bay 3/Over 35s
Ngongotahā Lakes Over 35 9-1 Ngongotahā Lakes Bay 2
Waiariki FC Over 35's 3-2 Pāpāmoa FC NOBs
Otūmoetai Gunners 1-4 Waipuna Rangers
Tauranga City Les Bleus 2-5 Pāpāmoa Old Boys