Football: Villagers cruise to easy win

Ngongotaha, Matamata Swifts and Cambridge FC all picked up comfortable Loaded WaiBOP Premiership wins in the region's top local football leagues.

Leaders Ngongotaha struck twice early against Katikati through leading scorer Mitch Miller, then cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory. Katikati, to their credit, didn't let the Villagers demolish them, as too many other sides have this season, but they were never going to get close enough to win.

Matamata Swifts recovered from going behind early to blow Melville United off the Matamata Domain during the second half. Cambridge were equally convincing in dispatching Tauranga-based Old Blues 5-0 at John Kerkhof Park.

The upset of the day happened at Tauranga's Fergusson Park, where Tauranga Boys' College breathed life into their survival chances with a 2-1 win over previously fourth-placed Otumoetai First Credit Union. Charlie McIllwaine and Harry Coulsen were the goal-scoring heroes for the students, while Otumoetai only had a second-half goal from Juan Pablo Rosende to show for their afternoon's work.

Tauranga Boys are now only a point behind third-from-bottom Katikati and have a couple of matches in hand, meaning they have every chance of avoiding the drop to the Championship.

Rotorua United secured their second big win on the trot to move into the top four on goals scored after a 4-0 win over bottom side Tauranga City United. With their run of draws consigned to the past, United can look to finish the season as strongly as they started. Their next four games, however, are against the other teams now in the top five, so their task is huge.

The other Premiership match finished in a scoreless draw between Waikato Unicol and SGS Papamoa.

The results at the top of the WaiBOP Championship mirrored those of the Premiership, with the top three also winning. Leaders West Hamilton United won 6-1 in the early game at Waikato Unicol to maintain their nine-point gap at the top of the table. Taupo hit seven for the second week running in beating Hamilton Wanderers 7-2 at Crown Park, while Te Awamutu struggled past Otumoetai reserves 2-1.

Fourth-placed Tokoroa lost a bit of ground after being held to a 0-0 draw at Ngongotaha reserves, Cambridge reserves hauled themselves to within two points of Tokoroa after a 4-2 win over Old Blues reserves while Matamata reserves beat Whakatane Town 2-1.

The big game in this weekend's WaiBOP Women's Premier League saw league leaders Rotorua United visit Otumoetai Bay SportsMed, the pre-season favourites.

In a tense encounter at Fergusson Park, Theresa Rhein found the back of the net in the first half for Otumoetai to win 1-0 and put themselves right back in the title frame.

Rotorua slipped to second but remain on 21 points, only two ahead of third-placed Otumoetai who have a game in hand.

Northern United, who had the bye last weekend, moved top to 22 points after thumping Hamilton Wanderers 7-2. Melville United, who had the bye, sit in fourth on 19 points in a title race that could go to the final weekend. Claudelands Rovers Craft won 9-0 at Waikato Unicol in the other game.