Auckland City and Team Wellington draw; Waitakere take the lead in ISPS Handa Premiership

The second round for ISPS Handa Premiership was very lively in the Sunday, plenty of goals and with talent to watch. The most important national league of Oceania starts to get shape and the second matchweek already could present to the fans a great clash between Team Wellington and Auckland City played in Kiwitea Street.

Wellington Phoenix Reserves 3-4 Hawke’s Bay United

Wellington Phoenix Reserves almost made a fantastic comeback at home against Hawke’s Bay United. Both sides lost their initial matches at ISPS Handa Premiership and were looking for their first points in the league. Hawke’s Back pulled upfront with the Canadian midfielder Dylan Sacramento, the number 10 scored a hattrick in the match to help his side to secure their first three points. The other scored by HBU was by the United States striker Ahinga Selemani.

What seemed to be an easy victory for the club based in Napier almost turned into a nightmare. In five minutes the 17-year old striker Blake Driehuis scored a hattrick to show some fragile signs in the Hawke’s Bay defense. Despite the fantastic effort of Driehuis, the side from Wellington could not complete the comeback and ended up falling short, losing by 4-3.

Canterbury Dragons 2-1 Southern United

Canterbury could recover from their defeat against Eastern Suburbs in the last round completing a vital comeback against Southern United in Christchurch. The early lead taken by Southern with their star striker Garbhan Coughlan promised a second win in a row for the team from Dunedin, but the Dragons could bounce back.

Just five minutes later from Coughlan goal, George King could equalize for the some side. The winner for Canterbury United just came in the 83th minute with a finish of the Australian Reece Dalton. The match would end with a 2-1 victory for the home side, showing that Canterbury keep very strong while playing at home.

Hamilton Wanderers 3-0 Eastern Suburbs

The current ISPS Handa Premiership title holders could not keep their form from their first match in the season and were dominated by Wanderers in Hamilton. This match marks the first goal of the season by Papua New Guinean international Tommy Semmy.

Hamilton lost heavily their first match in the season by 5-1 against Team Wellington in David Farrington Park, but at home in Porrit Stadium the story was very different. Jake Butler and Derek Tieku scored at the 33th and 35th minute of match while Semmy would put his club in a confortable lead just before the break at the 44th minute of play.

Eastern Suburbs give sights they are not so strong as they were in last season where they could count with the likes of Elijah Just, Andre de Jong and Callum McCowatt. They suffered to win their first match at home against Canterbury United Dragons and now were totally outclassed by a Hamilton Wanderers in form.

Tasman United 0-2 Waitakere United

After various seasons ‘sleeping’, the giant from Auckland seems to be promising a much better season than the previous ones. The former national champions and Oceania champions are battling to find their good days back under the coach of Paul Hobson.

The start of the season seems very promising for the red and white team. They are the unique side to win both matches in the competition – beating 3-1 the Wellington Phoenix Reserves at home and 2-0 Tasman United away from home. The two goals from the striker Alex Connor-McClean in the second half sealed the victory of the away team.

Auckland City 2-2 Team Wellington

The most awaited match of the round took place in Kiwitea Street, Auckland, where Auckland Cityf faced Team Wellington. Both revamped teams with news faces and head coaches made a thrilling match that any of them could emerge as winners.

The first goal of the game was scored by Myer Bevan through a penalty spot in the 24th minute of play. The former North-Ireland youth international Ollie Bassett scored his second in the league and equalized for Team Wellington still in the first half.

Team Wellington seemed more dangerous in the second half and their offensiveness paid off when Hamish Watson scored through a penalty kick to complete the comeback and give the Wellington-based club the lead. The new addition of Auckland City would score and equalize the match at the 78th minute – the OlyWhites captain Logan Rogerson scored his first goal for Auckland City since joining the team.

Waitakere United with their two wins in the season for now stands at the top of the stadings with six points. Team Wellington stands second with four points and four in goal difference, while Auckland City is just behind them with also four points but with only one in goal debits.

Tasman United and Wellington Phoenix Reserves are the teams still did not score any points in the league, having the Nelson based club in the bottom of the rank with -6 in goal debits while the reserve squad of Wellington Phoenix stands in 9th with -3 goal debits – both of them surely with 0 points in the table.

Myer Bevan of Auckland City remains at the top of the golden boot race with four scored in the season so far, having behind him with three Blake Driehuis of Wellington Phoenix Reserves and Hamish Watson of Team Wellington.