Team Wellington looking to cut the deficit from Auckland in ISPS Handa Premiership

The weekend of football in the New Zealand top-tier league will have once again only three matches, this time the current champions Eastern Suburbs will be back to action in the national league after a succesful campaign in the OFC Champions League in Papua New Guinea, but Auckland City already travelled to Tahiti to play the regional tournament being this the reason for the split round at ISPS Handa Premiership.

The 2-1 defeat of the Navy Blues against Tasman United in the previous round will allow Team Wellington to have a rare chance to cut the deficit from the current premiers. A win for the team coached by Scott Hales will put them back with only three points difference from the top-tabled side.

Hawke’s Bay will finally be back to action at Bluewater Stadium as they face Southern United on Saturday. A win for the Napier-based club can put them back for the contest in the top four. The team coached by Chris Greatholder will hope the likes of Ihaia Delaney and Ahinga Selemani can score in the weekend to help them in this challenge.

Southern also needs the win to approach the top-four sides in the standings; their asset for this contest will be certainly the Irish striker Garbhan Coughlan that is back to his good form. A away win will put the team from Dunedin very close to the top-four.

Waitakere United will face once again Hamilton Wanderers, but this time at Seddon Fields. After a 3-2 defeat in their rescheduled match in the previous weekend, Waitakere will really need a win if they want to keep inside the top-four sides in the regular season. The former OFC Champions League winners will hope the quality of players like Sam Burfoot and Dane Schnell can be a differential for Waitakere in the clash.

Hamilton will hope to have another win over their rivals to be placed inside the top-four of ISPS Handa Premiership. The likes of Derek Tieku, Xavier Pratt and Tommy Semmy might be instrumental for the team coached by Kale Herbert.

The 2nd placed side Team Wellington will have a difficult task at David Farrington Park against the current title holders Eastern Suburbs. The likes of Jack Henry-Sinclair and Sam Mason-Smith might be important for the home side if they want to cut the deficit in the standings towards Auckland City.

Eastern Suburbs, after securing a spot in the knock-out stage of the current edition of the OFC Champions League in Port Moresby, will switch their attentions to the national league in order to improve their records – the Lilywhites are placed only 4th so far in the season. The influential Martin Bueno will need to keep his form if his side wants to collect all points from this very hard clash.

To check the full standings, results and the updated top scorers of the season so far, visit our session of the ISPS Handa Premiership.