OPEN FIELD: City's James Dorgan takes the ball up against North End at Wembley on Saturday.PHOTOS/SHARON FRANCIS 180715WCSUB03
IT WAS A costly 3-1 loss for Evolution Painting & Decorating Wanganui City against North End in the Lotto Federation League on Saturday, while the Wanganui City Renovators suffered the consequences of being under-manned, also falling to the Red Sox Manawatu Rovers 4-1 in the Western Premiership.
Two draws rounded out the results for Wanganui sides in the Western Premiership, with Athletic unable to find a way to break down Massey at home, finishing 0-0, and the Wanganui City Reserves holding Hokowhitu to a 2-2 draw at Wembley.
If points were given for time spent in the opposition half, Saturday's match between City and North End would have been a landslide victory to City, but unfortunately that's not how the game is played.
A comical early own-goal against the run of play put City under unwanted pressure, after a wayward shot bounced off the post and straight into the back of City goalkeeper and coach Kelvin Francis, deflecting off him and settling in the back of the net.
While the scoreline was against the home side, City dug deep and mounted wave after wave of attack, and that resolve paid off just 10 minutes later.
City found themselves camped in North End's goalbox, with opportunity after opportunity arising, until the ball popped out to Latham Berry who coolly smashed it into the back of the net to an uproar of cheers from supporters around the park.
The game locked at a goal apiece, City maintained their pressure on North End with long periods of play in the visitors' half, but could not capitalise on the sustained pressure they were applying.
After halftime City continued their assault on North End's defence, with the visitors only relying on breaks to breach the halfway line.
While Adrian Ngaau was a titan at centre back, throwing his frame about to break down promising attacks, North End managed to get themselves on City's goal a few times, and again, it was more bad luck than world-class finishing which saw City's hopes of grabbing a victory slip away.
North End took advantage of some miscommunication between keeper and backline, as well as favourable bounces eluding the diminutive Francis in-goal, to poach two scores and extend their lead to 3-1, clearly frustrating the men in gold who looked like they were definitely the better team on the park.
With the seconds closing in on fulltime, Jamie Lambe was gifted a chance to close the gap to one goal, but appeared to suffer from a lack of composure and dragged the ball left and right, trying to find the perfect shot, when a simple toe poke may have been enough.
That missed opportunity seemed to sum up City's day, with their majority of possession not being converted into goals on the scoresheet.
Luckily, the loss was not enough to move City from their fourth position, but a favourable goal difference is all that separates them from Palmerston North Boys' High.
City will prepare for a trip to Skoglund Park this weekend, and ensure they can open a gap between themselves and PNBHS to lock in their fourth spot at the end of the regular season.
The wheels look to be getting wobbly for Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic, who were held to a scoreless draw at Massey, potentially dashing their chances of topping the league with only a handful of regular season games left to play.
On paper the two sides looked evenly matched, with just two points separating them on the Western Premiership table.
A boggy, heavy track greeted the Reds, which severely hampered their ability to play an open and flowing game, but equally prevented the home side getting into a rhythm.
It was a helter-skelter affair for both teams, with neither able to assert dominance or find the back of the net, resulting in a largely lacklustre affair for those watching.
The Reds will now need to regroup again, and take hope from the fact they were at least able to maintain their position on the table. The game plan may need to change for the coming rounds, but the final goal will be the same.
Hokowhitu's curse of Wembley struck again on Saturday, with the league leaders again unable to get the better of a Wanganui side on their home soil.
The City Reserves proved they are a thorn in the side of teams looking to attain grandeur, by reining in the visitors and giving them a match they won't quickly forget.
It was a determined display of grit and desire in which Reserves had the measure of Hokowhitu, never letting the game slip far from their grasp.
While the 2-2 draw does not affect Reserves' standing on the table, they proved a valuable ally to those teams chasing down Hokowhitu, including their bitter rivals Athletic, with Hokowhitu now leading the standings by a narrow three-point margin.
The biggest disappointment on the weekend was for the City Renovators, capitulating to the Red Sox Manawatu Rovers 4-1.
Starting with a threadbare squad at kickoff through injuries and suspensions, the Renovators quickly got about their business of putting the visitors to task. But without any seasoned veterans to help guide them through the tough patches, the Renovators' chinks were soon exposed, allowing the visitors to bang in valuable goals and inch the game away from the clutches of the young Renovators side.
Frustration boiled over to silly mistakes and poor decision-making, as the pressure mounted on City's development side to get back into the game.
A solitary goal to Tesco Grunwald brought some respectability to the scoreline, but their efforts echoed those of their first team, with opportunities going begging and the game finishing up out of reach.
Ben Hussey was a standout performer, getting a special mention from coach Tex von Kwiatowski after the game, mainly for his determination and drive to be involved in every phase of play, showing a hunger for the entire 90 minutes.
The loss won't be too deflating for the Renovators though, as they will quickly regroup and settle into the task of looking ahead to this weekend's match, with the aim of further developing their abilities for the club's future.