Auckland City looks to remain on top in ISPS Handa Premiership

The current premiers of ISPS Handa Premiership in New Zealand are back to the first spot in the table after their convicing win against Hamilton Wanderers in their previous game in the league. The Navy Blues will be playing in Wellington against Wellington Phoenix Reserves looking to remain in the first position in the league. Auckland City will count with the prolific goalscorer Myer Bevan and their new signing Clayton Lewis might debut after returning to New Zealand football. WeeNix will not count with some first team players as they did in their previous match against Team Wellington – the first team will be playing against Brisbane Roar will need players as Ben Waine, Oliver Sail and Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi that recent played for the reserves side.

Waitakere United, the local rivals of Auckland City, is currently in the second place in the laddar and can retain the first position if they suceed in the their trip to Auckland to play against the current ISPS Handa Premiership champions Eastern Suburbs. The team coached by Tony Readings lost many important players from the previous season when they won the league, but could manage to improve in the standings after an important away victory against Southern United.

Team Wellington will be looking to find their second win in the competition under the guidance of their new coach Scott Hales – they just won at home in their first game of the season against Hamilton Wanderers. They will be travelling to Nelson to face the last placed side Tasman United that is still to score a goal in the competition. Tasman suffered harsh defeats against Southern United, Waitakere United and Hawke’s Bay in their first three games in the season and is despair to score their first point in this clash against the last year finalists Team Wellington.

Canterbury United suffered an equalizer against Waitakere United in their previous game minutes away from the final whistle. The team from Christchurch just won one match this season – at home against Southern United – and hopes to secure another good result against Hawke’s Bay United. The club from Napier that is co-coached by Chris Greatholder and Bill Robertson comes from victories in a row and playing against Dragons in the English Park might be a very challenging for Dylan Sacramento and his teammates.

Both Southern United and Hamilton Wanderers just have three points in the run currently and will face each other in the fourth round of ISPS Handa Premiership. Southern suffered a disappointing defeat at home against Eastern Suburbs by 4-2 in the previous round and will to recover once again playing in Dunedin. Hamilton Wanderers has the worst record of goall conceded in the league so far and hopes to count with Tommy Semmy and Derek Tieku to recover from their past defeats in the league.

Tommy Semmy was the top scorer of the NRFL Lotto Premier League in the winter season in New Zealand playing for Wanderers, but he is still to have the same impact in the top tier of football in New Zealand.

Five very exciting matches will have place in the fourth matchweek in the ISPS Handa Premiership this weekend – the teams start to show what they are contending for in the 2019/20 season and the next rounds outcomes can start splitting the league in two: the contenders for the top four and the clubs who will fighting at the bottom of the standings.