ISPS Handa Premiership has clash of giants in the sixth matcweek

The sixth matchweek of ISPS Handa Premiership will see very interesting matches that can change positions in the current standings of the league. The most important match of the weekend will have the current title holders Eastern Suburbs receiving at home the powerhouse Team Wellington.

The first match of the weekend will see Southern in good form taking on Hawke’s Bay United that also comes from good results. The team from Dunedin received bad news in the week after NZF decided to award win to Tasman in a match they fieled an irregular player – this match was the first of the season for Southern where they started with a 4-0 win, but the scoreboard now turned for a forfeit for their side and all points of the clash now sent to Tasman United.

Despite the bad news, Southern won in their last match Waitakere United by 5-2 away from home with a stellar performance of Joel Stevens scoring a hattrick. Now they will be back to Dunedin to face Hawke’s Bay United that draw against Eastern Suburbs in their last match.

Another very interesting match of the round will be the clash between Canterbury United and Auckland City in English Park, Christchurch. Auckland is four points clear in the ladder at the top of the table and will look to continue their good form against the Dragons away from home. Canterbury suffered a harshd defeat from Team Wellington in their last encounter, allowing two goals for the opposition side after pulling ahead first in the scoreboard.

The good form of Myer Bevan in Auckland City – 8 goals so far in the season – proves he is the most dangerous player for the Navy Blues, alongside the key men Logan Rogerson and David Browne. Auckland will miss Dylan Manickum for this match as he is playing the OFC Futsal Champions League.

After the departure of Ricki Herbert from the head coach role, Hamilton Wanderers will be hoping his son Kale Herbert – the new head coach of the Wanderers – can guide them to a much needed victory over Waitakere United at Porrit Stadium.

Hamilton suffered another defeat last round for Wellington Phoenix Reserves and is currently the last placed team in the ladder of ISPS Handa Premiership. The sole victory of the side in the league so far was at home, so they will be hoping they can grab very important three points this Sunday.

Waitakere suffered their first defeat of the season – a harsh 5-2 against Southern United at home – and left the 2nd place in the standings. The club will be hoping to make Wanderers continue their bad moment, counting with the quality of players as Dane Schnell – scored already three goals in the league so far – to recover from their last bad game.

After fighting hard against Auckland City away from home, Tasman will be back to Nelson to play this time at Trafalgar Park against Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Tasman made Auckland City fight to win in their last game with a hard 2-1 victory where their key man Jama Boss scored his first since signed for the team coached by Jess Ibrom.

WeeNix grabbed their first win of the season after completing a comeback against Hamilton Wanderers in Hamilton. Ahmed Othman was crucial in this win and the young side of Phoenix will hope to continue their good form with another win this time against Tasman.

The big match of the week will see Team Wellington hoping to continue their good run after beating Canterbury United this time playing aginst the current champions of the league Eastern Suburbs. TeeDubs saw their young talented winger Jack-Henry Sinclair to score a beautiful goal – his first of the season for his team – in their previous win. Hamish Watson is the top goalscorer of the team in the season with four goals, but he does not find the nets for two games in a row.

Eastern Suburbs pulled two goals ahead Hawke’s Bay in their previous weekend, but at the end of the match they needed to find an equalizer after the team from Napier found a fantastic comeback. The Lilywhites will put their expectations on Martin Bueno, Dylan de Jong and Stephen Hoyle for this match to play against a very good technical team of Team Wellington.

The sixth matcweek of New Zealand promisses to be one of the most entertaining of the season so far – the top quality of football in the region will display their best to secure the best for the teams.