Soccer: Ngongotaha cruise to win

Ngongotaha continue to lead the Waibop football competition after a 6-0 drubbing over Otumoetai.

Despite the big margin Ngongotaha coach Shane Davis said there was plenty to work on for the top of the table team.

Perhaps it was because Ngongotaha were expected to win easily against bottom of the table Otumoetai that there were fewer than usual on the sidelines at Stembridge Rd when the teams took to the field.

There was no doubt this was the Villagers' game to lose but it took just five minutes for them to take the lead when Van Ewert was unchallenged to head home. The early goal was both good and bad for the home side as their intensity dropped off and they went into cruise mode.

Otumoetai however could not take advantage and although the Ngongotaha keeper had to make two saves he was largely unemployed. Dane Willemsen injected some life into the game 10 minutes before halftime with a great strike from a distance which gave the Otumoetai keeper no chance.

Ngongotaha continued to dominate after the break and when Josh O'Sullivan and Harlem Simiona scored within two minutes of each other the game as a contest was over.

With fifteen minutes left the Otumoetai defence was split and Josh Haua scored the fifth and shortly after O'Sullivan wrapped up the scoring when he walked the ball into the net.

The 6-0 scoreline didn't flatter Ngongotaha with coach Davis saying they just did enough.

In their last two games, Rotorua United have struggled and again they came up empty handed, in so far as points were concerned.

An away game against Cambridge was another challenge and in the words of coach Shaun McIlwaine it was a "could have won, should have won game".

Rotorua United, with goals from Gary Hamilton-Irvine and Harawira Smith, twice held the lead only to concede a late soft goal to allow Cambridge to scramble a draw and retain the Challenge Shield.

Taupo played their get out of jail card just before the final whistle blew with a goal from Byron Chessman which gave them a 1-1 draw with Tauranga Old Blues.

In other games, AFC Fury stayed in second place after beating Melville 3-1, Whakatane Town went down 4-3 to Waikato Unicol and Matamata beat Tauranga City 3-1. In division two results, Cambridge beat Rotorua United 3-1, Tauranga City drew with Matamata 3-3, Tauranga Boys' College beat Tokoroa 1-0, HRFC were too strong for Papamoa winning 2-0 and Te Awamutu beat Old Blues 6-1.