Football: City regain mojo with solid victory

Tauranga City striker Colm Kenny rounds Mt Albert-Ponsonby's goalkeeper to score in yesterday's 5-1 victory. Photo / George Novak

Belvedere Tauranga City United celebrated a return to form with a 5-1 win over Mt Albert-Ponsonby at Links Avenue yesterday.

The victory was set up by a sizzling attack in the opening 20 minutes when they jumped out to a 4-0 lead through a Jerahl Hughes hat trick and a well-taken goal to striker Colm Kenny.

It was Hughes' second hat trick of the season at home and sees him equal top-scorer with 11 goals in the Northern League First Division Golden Boot competition, alongside Trent Mayes from Hibiscus Coast.

Hughes managed to duff his second penalty attempt in the second half, which would have put him clear.

No matter though, as victory was never in doubt despite a testy second half in blustery conditions, when the Aucklanders got one back through a sloppy defensive mix-up before Jordan Culpepper finished off the scoring.

The win puts Tauranga City into fourth place with a game in hand and well placed for a late-season surge for promotion.

Coach Duncan Lowry was pleased with the performance, especially from his three hard-working midfielders.

"They played 4-4-2 and we played 4-3-3 so our three out-bossed their four. That just shows you how fit and how good our midfield is," Lowry said. "Little Fiz [Fawwaz Ali] did well, plus the fact he played 45 minutes for the second team before that, and Jordan [Culpepper] and Josh [Nelson] always work hard.

"It is always hard to keep the tempo up for 90 minutes, particularly in this wind which was all over the pitch. The game was all over at halftime."

Lowry has recruited four new players to fill gaps he has coming up in the next two months.

"I had to go out and sign four new players because I lose Colm Kenny and Jordan Culpepper for three weeks overseas and George Tighe goes over to Camp America for keeps."

Belvedere Tauranga City are back home at Links Ave this coming Sunday with a tough Chatham Cup fixture against Northern League Premier League contenders Eastern Suburbs.

Belvedere Tauranga City United 5 (Jerahl Hughes 3' 19' 37' Colm Kenny 31' Jordan Culpepper 85') Mt Albert-Ponsonby 1 (Connor Taylor 78') HT 4-0

-Te Puna's AFC Fury lost ground on the Northern League Second Division leaders when beaten 3-1 by Te Atatu in West Auckland on Saturday. Fury are in seventh place with six wins and a draw from 13 games but have a game in hand.