FOOTBALL
North Force Juniors
Two Kaitaia United AFC players delivered noteworthy performances over the weekend for their respective North Force sides.
In the first case, Ahipara's dedicated youngster Kalani Hewson was named as the player of the day for the North Force under 13 girls in the 2-0 loss at home to Three Kings in Tikipunga. Coach Paul Wolt was again impressed with the effort from the northernmost player in his squad,"She just never stops," he said of Hewson before adding, "There's lots of positive parents out there" (indirectly referring to the recent kerfuffle raised by ex All White Billy Harris who wanted to stop parents cheering their children on from the sideline - in a misguided effort to thus prevent abuse - and which Wolt felt was, pretty much, a load of old tosh).
Also notable for the North Force was Dylan Rogers who played goalie for both the North Force under-14s, which lost 3-nil to Forrest Hill in Whangarei on Saturday, and the North Force under 15s which just lost to East Coast Bays by 1-nil in Auckland on Sunday. The Force 15s acquitted themselves very well by all accounts, restricting ECB to only one goal in the first spell before coming out firing in the second half. The homeside appeared to become rattled, started bickering with each other and were also given two yellow cards including one for swearing at the ref, while sniffing a potential upset, the North Force boys really dominated the last quarter of the match, hitting the crossbar twice.
While North Force coach Dan Johnson described the effort as one of his side's best of the season, his counterpart, Geoff Healey offered Rogers a chance to trial as 'keeper for the ECB's under-14 Nike Cup team during the next school holidays.
Results by North Force youth teams over the long weekend as follows. Metro 13th grade boys (group 2): Birkenhead 2 North Force 2 at Shepherds Park; 13th grade girls: North Force 0 3 Kings 2 at Tikipunga. Metro 14th grade boys: North Force 0 Forest Hill Milford 3 at Tikipunga. Metro 15th grade boys: East Coast Bays 1 North Force 0 at Ashley Reserve; AFF Grading girls 15th grade division 1: North Force 1 Fencibles United AFC 0 at Tikpunga.
Secondary schools
Kaitaia College Girls (Yellow) 2 Okaihau College 2 (ht 0-2): The Kaitaia College girls yellow team had to come from behind to earn a draw with their counterparts from Okaihau last Wednesday. The homeside took some time to settle into the game and much credit as given to Charlotte De Waal who commanded the back line defence during the first spell.
In the second half the girls changed their game plan, and developed a strong defensive wall, denying the visitors goal scoring opportunities. Okaihau to score. Player of the day Robyn Wells found the back of the net through a penalty before Jessie Fleet scored the equaliser.
Whangarei Girls High 2 Kaitaia College Girls (Green) 1: Kaitaia College girls green XI suffering a narrow away loss with Jacinta Vander Linden scoring the visitor's only goal and Phoenix Pivac awarded the player of the day with some outstanding defence. Last night saw the Kaitaia College yellows and greens going head to head for the first time this season.
Kaitaia College Boys 12 Tikipunga 0: The Kaitaia College boys showing no mercy over a developing Tikipunga High boys' XI last Wednesday.Goals came thick and fast from player of the day Nathan Robbins with 4, Kalani Hansen 2, with Harrison Bell, Terrick Mill, View Rungpao, Ryan Beard, Connor Dent and Malcolm Tatnell all scoring 1 apiece.
The boys team have decided to remain in the 1st division of the Northland secondary schools mid week competition, and will attempt to defend the title they won last year rather than stepping up to the more competitive premier division and its near prohibitive travelling schedule. The Kaitaia boys 1st XI hosted Okaihau College last night.
Revised women's draw
The revised draw for the Northland Sunday's women's football league this Sunday has just been released by the Northland Football Federation as follows. Kerikeri Siteworx v Bay Cosmos (Waipapa), FC Whangarei v Hora Hora (Morningside), Tikipunga v Central Brown (Tikipunga) and Kamo v Kerikeri High School (Kamo); all kicking off at 1pm.
Following the completion of the grading round last weekend, NFF draw steward Terry Hobin noted the vastly differing competitiveness from the nine teams then had given all sorts of headaches in designing the new round with all teams beginning on zero points again while perennial easybeats, the Bream Bay Felines had decided to head south to play in the federation's fouth division where most of the games are played in the Rodney/ North Shore area.