Tauranga City United achieved what no other team had done this season by defeating Northern League Division 2 leaders Western Springs on their own artificial turf. The 2-1 win by the Blues also inflicted Spring's second loss for the season.
Tauranga's recent good form has been built around a soliddefence and so it proved on Saturday. The back four held firm under the direction of Sam O'Regan. The visitors nearly opened the scoring just before the end of the first half but Jack McNab's one on one with the keeper was won by the keeper.
The game took 82 minutes to see its first goal and fittingly it was McNab again who scored it. Midfielder Jon Allen won the ball from the opposition and released McNab, who despite having three defenders and a goalkeeper to beat, showed amazing skills to score. He moved to the left just outside the penalty area, cut back to the right, rolled two defenders then calmly placed the ball wide of the waiting keeper.
The next goal came four minutes later, again scored by McNab, after a long ball from the back. Western Springs, now pushing forward to get an equaliser, left a hole at the back which provided room for McNab to collect the pass, sidestep his defender and calmly slot the ball into the net. This was his 20th goal for the season and takes him into the lead on the league's Golden Boot competition.
Springs player coach, former Phoenix player Neil Emblen, brought himself on with five minutes to play and was not long in making his presence felt. After going down in an innocuous tackle, Emblem won his side a penalty that was hotly argued by some City United players. As a result of his reaction to the referee's decision, Jon Allen was shown a red card. Western Spring's Chris Bale dispatched the spot kick to give his side hope but it was too little too late as the full time whistle sounded shortly after.
The three points gained enable Tauranga to keep in the hunt for a promotion spot and with 15 points on offer in their five remaining matches who would rule them out in the form that they are in at present.
