Football: Otumoetai upbeat after win

Katikati's Casey Jower (black) battles with Otumoetai's Mathew Collins during Saturday's WaiBOP Premiership game at Fergusson Park. Photo / Andrew Warner

Otumoetai FC's WaiBOP Premiership team aren't going to get relegated this season. Nor are they going to win the league. But they could well have a say in who finishes where. "In terms of what we are playing for, we've still got the top two sides (to play)," said coach Richard O'Regan after seeing his side beat Katikati 3-1 at Fergusson Park on Saturday.

"We get to affect the outcome of the league, and that gives us something to play for and we never like to lose."

The game began with an early goal to the home side after David Wright had made a strong run down the right and put in a cross that had the Katikati defence scrambling the ball away.

From the corner the initial header was parried by keeper Matt Alywin only for Andrew Stanley to pounce to squeeze the ball inside the post.

O'Regan acknowledged his side's early dominance.

"If you look at the first half, the first five or 10 minutes, we were very good, and we were sticking to the game plan."

But he felt the longer the half went on, the more his team went away from their natural game.

"We were trying to unpick them very, very early. In other words with the first or second ball as opposed to playing those three or four short passes."

Just 10 minutes after the opening goal, the visitors squared the ledger through Troy Stollery who slotted the ball into the net from a Dane Stollery cross.

For a team known for its defence, Otumoetai looked susceptible on occasions in the first half, but the score remained 1-1 at the break. "We had a bit of a discussion at half time and positionally we were a lot better (in the second half) and our composure on the ball was a lot better and once we got that we got our reward," said O'Regan.

The results of the discussion were almost seen early. Wright latched onto a through ball and hit the post.

Daniel Miller then poached the first of his two second half goals with a glancing header.

With five minutes left to play, Miller scored his second, again with his head, from a corner.

O'Regan said Otumoetai's season had been one of two halves.

"We scored maybe 12 or 13 in the first 11 games - then in the last five or six, I think we are up to about 12 or 13 - all of a sudden we are getting two goals a game.

They will fancy their chances when they take on table topping Cambridge next weekend.

"We got a draw against Cambridge - one of three teams to take points off them this year - we've only lost to them once in the last three years."

Other results:

Premiership: Papamoa FC 0 Cambridge FC 1; Matamata Swifts 2 Rotorua United 1;

Ngongotaha AFC 4 Waikato Unicol 1.

Championship: Matamata Swifts 0 Claudelands 4; Ngongotaha AFC 1 Kawerau Sports 11; Te Puke United 0 Tokoroa AFC 0; Te Awamutu 1 Cambridge FC 1; West Hamilton 2 Whakatane Town 0.