The top-of-the-table clash in Wellington produced no goals but plenty of high-quality football that keeps Auckland City and Team Wellington in first and second place respectively, while Eastern Suburbs and Waitakere United have broken into the top four in the latest bout of ISPS Handa Premiership action.

At David Farrington Park, leaders Auckland City and Team Wellington cancelled each other out in an entertaining match that somehow finished scoreless.

City had the better of the chances on balance, through Myer Bevan’s one-on-one after an hour and Maro Bonsu-Maro’s swooping run from the right deep into additional time, the ball eventually hitting the post and somehow staying out.

But it was a fair result for both sides’ committed, hard-tackling football and promises more to come if these teams meet again in the finals.

Eastern Suburbs registered a comfortable win at Madills Farm over Hamilton Wanderers to claim third place on the table. They seized the initiative straight away through a Martin Bueno penalty after a hand ball in the area, before new man Adam Thurston doubled the lead with a magnificent free kick shortly afterwards.

Bueno got his second early in the second half, finishing off a long spell of Suburbs pressure, while Danyon Drake saved a Hamilton penalty from Derek Tieku to maintain the clean sheet.

Southern United heaped more misery on Canterbury United in Dunedin this afternoon, coming back to overhaul the Dragons’ opener to claim the win. George King’s left-footed free kick mid-way through the first half gave the visitors the lead, which they held until just past the hour, when Danny Ledwith hit a thunderbolt into the underside of the bar and across the line.

It unravelled for the Dragons with ten minutes to go when substitute James Pendrigh was shown a straight red for a robust challenge, before Andrew Cromb capitalised on indecisive defending to score the winner from a corner.

Southern United celebrate scoring the winner through Andrew Cromb (Photosport)

On Saturday, Waitakere United moved into the play-off picture after scoring last in a lively match against Tasman United that see-sawed back and forth at Seddon Fields. Jean-Philippe Saiko drove a low shot home after just three minutes of an end-to-end first half with the hosts equalising right on half-time through Gerard Garriga Gibert from a corner.

Tasman took back their lead briefly through a stunning Ben Watson free kick just after the break, before Jake Porter equalised a few minutes later by smashing home after latching onto a floated free kick.

The winner came from Sam Burfoot with a curled free kick with twenty minutes to go and, despite Tasman piling on some relentless pressure, Waitakere hung on to put themselves firmly in the play-off running.

The Wellington Phoenix Reserves registered their second win of the season in Napier after a first half in which both sides created numerous chances, Hawke’s Bay United’s Ahinga Selemani having two goals ruled out for offside as the teams somehow went in scoreless.

The Phoenix made the breakthrough thanks to a fine solo run and finish from Ahmed Othman soon after the break while Ben Old completed the scoring just under ten minutes later to give Paul Temple’s young charges a satisfying afternoon.

For the table and more information on the ISPS Handa Premiership please click here

ISPS Handa Premiership Match Week 11

Southern United 2 (Danny Ledwith 61’, Andrew Cromb 85’)
Canterbury United 1 (George King 23’)
HT: 0-1

Waitakere United 3 (Gerard Garriga Gibert 45 + 3’, Jake Porter 53’, Sam Burfoot 72’)
Tasman United 2 (Jean-Philippe Saiko 3’, Ben Watson 49’)
HT: 1-1

Hawke’s Bay United 0
Wellington Phoenix Reserves 2 (Ahmed Othman 55’, Ben Old 64’)
HT: 0-0

Eastern Suburbs 3 (Martin Bueno pen 4’, 53’, Adam Thurston 24’)
Hamilton Wanderers 0
HT: 2-0

Team Wellington 0
Auckland City 0
HT: 0-0

Article added: Sunday 26 January 2020