Tauranga City win ups promotion chance

Sparked by a Mark van der Salm hat-trick so rare even he doesn't remember the last time it happened, Tauranga City United have bounced right back into the promotion race by finally firing up in front of their home supporters on Saturday.
Tauranga thumped Auckland's Western Springs 6-1 at Links Ave as their under-fire attack clicked, propelling themselves back up the Northern League division two ladder after a wretched run of home form to create a right royal race for promotion honours into the last six games of the season.
Runaway league leaders Mt Albert Ponsonby carried on winning, downing Ngaruawahia 5-0 on Saturday to all-but seal the title - not that nearest rivals Tauranga and Fencibles are contemplating top spot.
With the top two teams promoted to first division their eyes are on second, with Tauranga's win dovetailing nicely with an inexplicable Fencibles loss 2-1 at home to North Shore. Tauranga have drawn level again with Fencibles on 30 points, both having played 16 games, with the Auckland side holding a two-goal buffer.
Tauranga face a tough task to maintain momentum this weekend when they hit SH2 on the road-trip to visit the league leaders, although van der Salm, who hit two goals with his head in the first half before sealing the hat-trick when he poked home Tauranga's sixth late in the game, said the win would reinvigorate them in the run home.
"It's a tough place to get points but we played with good intensity when Mt Albert came here, managing a draw, and we're going up to win. The good aspect of today, apart from hitting six goals, was that we got back to winning ways and did it in front of our home fans.
"We've put in a few disappointing displays at home in recent games so it was awesome to put it right in front of the fans who've kept turning up."
The centre-back's opening two goals in the 10th and 14th minutes both came from free-kicks, with Joel Wakelin also heading home from a set piece before skipper Jordan Culpepper made it 4-0 within the first 21 minutes.
Josh Nelson lifted Tauranga's lead to five midway through the second half when he cleverly snuck a free-kick past the near-post defence and van der Salm's hat-trick was completed when he got on the end of a goalmouth scramble, right after Western Springs' Paul Lane pulled one back from a counter-attack.
Van der Salm said he had been on at the side's set piece specialists for weeks to seek him out a bit more from corners and free-kicks.
"I'm always telling Jordy (Culpepper) and Josh to hit me at the front post but no-one's listened until today."