Defender Raymond How scored the equaliser for Tauranga City on Saturday.Photo/George Novak
Defender Raymond How scored the equaliser for Tauranga City on Saturday.Photo/George Novak
Belvedere Group Tauranga City United have retained their lead in the Northern League 2nd Division but had to use their get-out-of-jail card in their 2-2 draw with Papakura City on Saturday.
The Blues generally were not at their best. However they did have the better of the first 15 minuteswith three or four good chances to score. It was the hosts who got on the scoreboard first when danger man Harry Hillary-Jenkins, in Papakura's first raid, got around the Tauranga defence and slotted a goal past keeper James Pamment.
He increased his tally, already standing at 29 for the season, soon after, when Pamment uncharacteristically scuffed a goal kick that went straight to Papakura's Corey McKay, who in turn fed the ball to the super striker to put away.
He nearly made it three just before the half ended but at 0-2 down Tauranga knew they had a mountain to climb. They had the knowledge however that it could be done as earlier in the season they came back from a 0-3 deficit to defeat Papakura 4-3 at Links Ave.
After a stern half-time talk from coach Andy Birchenough, along with a good deal of personal soul searching, the Blues came out fired up for the second half. It was not until the 82nd minute though that they beat the Papakura defence, with a squared ball side-footed home by substitute Jack Chaney. Now it was all on. The last minutes of the game saw action at both ends of the pitch but in the seventh minute of additional time, Tauranga won a corner.
The resulting kick was perfectly weighted by Jerahl Hughes to find captain Sam O'Regan at the far post. He headed the ball down to fellow defender Raymond How, another substitute, to fire home, breaking the hearts of Papakura's team and supporters. Astonishingly there was still time for one more attempt at a winner but O'Regan's free kick instead took a deflection, eventually going just wide of the post.
The draw was a fair result, enabling the Blues to retain the lead, but by only one point at the top of the table over Forrest Hill-Milford, who they play at Links Avenue this Sunday.
