The last matches of 2019 shake ISPS Handa Premiership

The last matches of 2019 in the New Zealand top tier will entertain the fans and set the final positions before the Christiams and New Year’s festivals. The ISPS Handa Premiership will resume in 2020, but the final matchweek have very important matches as the 2nd placed Team Wellington facing Team Wellington at Seddon Fields and Hamilton Wanderers looking to keep their recovery against Hawke’s Bay in the televised match of the round by SkySport.

A rare friday night match will take place in Christchurch were Canterbury United will face Tasman United hoping to recover from their draw against Wellington Phoenix Reserves in their previous match of the season. The veteran Aaron Clapham was back to the scoresheet in the previous match and hopes to keep helping his side.

Tasman suffered a defeat hard to accept at home against Hamilton Wanderers, with a fantastic goal of Tommy Semmy to give the visitors their second win in the season. Tasman will need the New Caledonian international Jean-Philippe Saïko in the attack to hope for a away win Christchurch.

After a very good start of the season, Waitakere United tasted three defeats in a row and now will have a Team Wellington in a superb form – TeeDubs won all their previous three games in the ISPS Handa Premiership. Waitakere could not hold the good momentum of Hawke’s Bay in Napier and suffered a 4-2 defeat.

Team Wellington is buzzing at the momment after an impressive 6-1 win over Southern at David Farrington Park. In a match the youngster Marko Stamenic scored his first goal as senior, Jack-Henry Sinclair also scored and earned the award of ‘Player of the Week’.

After suffering a harsh defeat away from home, Southern will be back to Dunedin to face an even harder challenge: Auckland City. The team coached by Paul O’Reilly will hope the defenders Jordan Spain and Connor O’Keffee can stop the firepower of the men commanded by Jose Figueira.

Auckland City dropped two points at home against Eastern Suburbs in the previous matchweek with a 0-0 draw – the first game the current top goalscorer Myer Bevan did not score in the season so far. The team will hope Bevan and his prolific teammates as Logan Rogerson and Clayton Lewis can comeback stronger and keep in the top of the table.

Eastern Suburbs after a hard fought draw against the powerhouse Auckland City will hope to continue their good form against Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Martin Bueno is always their biggest hope for goals – the Uruguayan scored twice in the season so far. The talented Reid Drake is also a key member for the Lilywhites.

But it does not seem to be an easy encounter for Eastern Suburbs, the young side of Phoenix got some important results in the previous weeks – as winning Hamilton Wanderers and stopping Canterbury United to a draw. Ahmed Othman scored a brace in his last game and might be threat for the current champions.

The only match on Sunday – the last of the year for ISPS Handa Premiership – will see a very lively encounter between a Hamilton Wanderers that finally won once again in the league and a surprsing Hawke’s Bay making a superb season so far.

Tommy Semmy gave the win for Wanderers last weekend against Tasman with a magnificent free-kick and Derek Tieku also scored for the team from Hamilton. Hawke’s Bay came from behind to win Waitakere United at home with a brace of the powerful striker Ihaia Delaney.

The current standings of ISPS Handa Premiership has Auckland City three points above Team Wellington in the top of the table, while Hawke’s Bay United and Eastern Suburbs complete the first four teams qualified for the national league semifinals. At the bottom of the table, Hamilton Wanderers has six points, the same amount of points of Canterbury United and Wellington Phoenix Reserves – but keeping at the 10th position due goal difference.