Jordan Culpepper wins a header for Tauranga City United in the home loss to Hibiscus Coast on Saturday. Photo / Bob Ricketts
Jordan Culpepper wins a header for Tauranga City United in the home loss to Hibiscus Coast on Saturday. Photo / Bob Ricketts
AFC Fury enjoyed a last gasp win away in west Auckland but it was a bitter loss to swallow at home for Belvedere Tauranga City United, in Northern League action on Saturday.
A disappointing 0-1 home defeat to Hibiscus Coast has dropped Tauranga City out of the top three ofthe Northern League First Division.
Following the points dropped at home in only drawing with lowly Manurewa in their last game at Links Ave, this was a game the Blues needed to win to keep ahead of Hibiscus on the table.
But it was not to be, as they fell to the only goal of the game from the penalty spot, which stand-in head coach Andy Birchenough says was a fair decision by the referee.
"That was probably our worst performance of the season, which is really disappointing," Birchenough said.
In the Northern League Second Division, Te Puna's AFC Fury scored a memorable 1-0 win over bottom placed Lynn-Avon United in west Auckland.
But it took until the 93rd minute before the winning goal was scored. An edge of the box free kick awarded to the Fury deep into added time was hit goalward by striker Matias Bartolozzi and landed at the knee of 89th minute substitute Taha Ferris, who made no mistake volleying home the goal from 7 metres.
