Football: Tauranga City lose to Mt Albert Ponsonby in Northern Football League

Tauranga City went down to Mount Albert Ponsonby 3-0 by on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

Week two of Tauranga City's Northern League Football campaign has seen the Western Bay side being pushed by their opponents.

After beating Hibiscus Coast in last week's season opener, Tauranga were beaten 3-0 by Mount Albert Ponsonby on Saturday, conceding two second-half goals at Links Avenue Reserve.

As Tauranga coach Nic Millichip expected, the visitors put in a gritty performance and Tauranga could not crack their defence, which was one of the best in the competition last season.

"Mount Albert came down with a game plan and they really pushed us. We could have been a little tougher and it was one of those games where we didn't get the rub of the green."

Millichip says punishing players is not the way forward from the defeat and they will be working out the little things on the training pitch this week as they prepare for a third consecutive home fixture when they play Waitemata.

"It gives us a lot to work on. We have some positives to take out of that and it will be what we can build from that. In the second half, we did a bit more. We changed some things with the guys went out and executed and created some chances.

"It is a wake-up call that we have to man up in same games and there are different characteristics of teams we have to adapt to. It is better we get a bit of a wake-up call now and now two thirds of the way through the season."

In the second division, the McDonalds Ngongotahā Men's NRFL first team were beaten 1-0 in their long trip to Whangarei to play Northland.

Ngongotahā coach Andrew Gibbs said his side were a little undermanned for the trip, which also included a reserve fixture, and it could have cost them.

"Some had to play two games, It is part of our duty to provide a reserve team, and that was a little frustrating because it probably cost us in the end," Gibbs says.

"They started brighter than us, but we fought into the game really well. We had the better of the first half and had patches where we really had them under pressure. I told the boys at halftime that we never really looked in trouble. I thought if we kept our concentration we would find a goal and get three points."

But it was not to be for the Rotorua side as a collection of mix-ups at the back led to Northland scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute.

"I can't fault the boys effort, it was outstanding, that mistake probably wouldn't have happened if they guys hadn't had to work so hard over two games. Travel is part of the league and part of the reason we do it, although travel can sometimes not be fun."

Ngongotahā return home in week three to play Onehunga-Mangere United, who have also lost their two opening games of the season.

"It will be great to be in front of our crowd on our ground," Gibbs says.

"It is starting to come together, we played well out of the back, admittedly the goal on Saturday came from that but mistakes will happen so we will not stop doing that."