Northland football: Mark Prowse hat-trick sees Northland FC beat Onehunga Mangere

Northland FC striker Mark Prowse (left), seen here congratulating fellow front-man Jeremy Rintoul, scored three goals against Onehunga Mangere at Tikipunga Sports Park on Saturday. Photo / File

Three goals from striker Mark Prowse saw Northland FC's men's first team move up the table as they toppled Onehunga Mangere, 3-0, at Tikipunga Sports Park on Saturday.

While sitting third from the bottom isn't a great position to be in this deep in the season, Northland FC lie only seven points away from fifth on the 12-team Lotto NRFL second division ladder.

Both sides took time to settle into the game early on but once the home side found their rhythm, Prowse opened his account in the 19th minute with a superbly drilled shot into the corner to give Northland the lead.

While they lost momentum going into the halftime break after some good play from the visitors, Northland maintained a vital one-goal lead which was doubled by Prowse in the 63rd minute after he latched on to a through-ball from midfielder Johnny Fletcher.

Going into the final stages of the second half, the home side dominated the game with two penalties awarded and one converted by Prowse to seal his hat-trick in the 88th minute.

Northland FC coach Owen Liiv congratulated Prowse on what was a deserved three-goal scalp.

"[Prowse] has definitely been one of the better ones at finishing in training, he takes it real seriously and he's got a real nice way of striking the ball," Liiv said.

Now set to face a tough challenge next weekend against Claudelands Rovers, a team who inflicted an 8-0 drubbing on Northland, Liiv said his side would have to hunt the ball and not let the Hamiltonians settle.

"We are going to need to take it to them rather than sitting back and waiting on the break, but I'm fairly confident, everybody is a defender on the field and our defence has been really good."

Three of Northland's premier men's football teams contested the NFF Federation Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. Onerahi were the only successful side as they secured a 5-1 win at home against Te Atatu.

Kaeo-Inter lost 2-1 to Ranui Swanson while Kerikeri lost 2-0 to Glenfield Re-United, both games away from home.