Rovers 2 (own goal, Reiner Bauerfeind) Taradale 3 (Leon Birnie, Richard Gearey, Brendan Adema). HT: 2-2.
Marist 2 Havelock Nth 3
A little anaemic in the squad, Best Travel Havelock North Wanderers were simply pleased to come away with a win against Hot Shots Napier Marist at Park Island.
"There was nothing like quality in our game but we were just people trying to grinding out a win," Havelock coach Bruce Barclay said after edging out the hosts 3-2.
For Marist coach Dave Carswell it was the same old story week in, week out.
"Lady Luck was not on our side, especially when you miss a penalty kick," said Carswell, left wondering what could have happened had the goalkeeper not thwarted the penalty with the scores locked at 1-1.
Marist 2 (Don Butler, Brendon Jones) Wanderers 3 (Carl Shackleton, Dylan Cozens, BJ Christensen). HT: 1-1.
Port Hill 0 Gisborne 1
Again, coach Tim Claudatos felt there wasn't much between the sides but only one went away with three points.
"The goal came from our lack of urgency to clear a ball that bounced in near the three-yard box," Claudatos said after his Ericksen Honda Port Hill side lost 1-0 to Jennian Homes Team Gisborne at Marewa Park, Napier.
Taking over from Blake Mulrooney, player/coach Dave Ure said Gisborne fell shy of their self-imposed standards.
"We need to improve but I'm pleased with the guys digging in the way they did," Ure said.
Port Hill 0 Gisborne 1 (Nick Somerton). HT: 1-0.
Maycenvale 2 Rangers 4
10 against 10 is do-able but 10 against nine is another story.
Cru Bar Maycenvale United found that out when they went down 4-2 at home to Western Rangers.
Greg Morrison (Rangers) and Jacob Rosandich got their marching orders in just 26 minutes.
"They had a challenge and then a scuffle so the ref sent them both off," Vale captain Nick Lucas said.
Vale's Craig Clark had an early shower in the 72nd minute.
Rangers coach Ritchie Howard was pleased with their second win on the trot but felt his men made it hard on themselves.
"We were playing too fast in what we like to think is our brand of football," Howard said, adding Vale were a "dishevelled" side and it was a game for Rangers to take.
He said the Rangers needed to focus on what they could do, not what the opposition did.
"Slowly but surely we're starting to believe in ourselves."
Lucas said four of his players had helped their first division side in Napier before the premier game.
"We were in disarray and they [Rangers] deserved the win," he said before the sides reload at 2.45pm today at St Leonard's Park, Hastings, in the HB Premier Knockout Cup today.
Some teams play Fed Cup games, too.
Maycenvale 2 (Ethan Dent 44th pen, Ben Walker 89th) Rangers 4 (Mark Saunders 12th, 40th; Ross Palmer 62nd, 73rd). HT: 2-1 Rangers.
Federation League
Taranaki 2 Taradale 0
If the parochialism at Merrilands Park, New Plymouth, is anything to go by in yesteryear then it was always going to be an uphill battle for Your Solutions Taradale.
The Napier side slumped again, this time to the tune of 2-0 after the hosts scored a goal in each half.
"There wasn't much in it," Dale vice-captain Corey Charlton said of the Chris McIvor-coached outfit.
"They did well to take their chances but we missed and paid the price for it," Charlton said of the former Central League campaigners with coach Ian McGrath at the helm. McGrath said his men certainly deserved victory after losing 2-1 in their first clash in Napier.
"It wasn't our best performance in what was essentially an arm wrestle but we were more clinical in the last third," he said of Taranaki.
Taranaki 2 (Brad Hickling 2) Dale 0. HT: 1-0.
