This weekend’s Loaded WaiBOP Premiership match between Flying Mullet Papamoa and Taupo at Gordon Spratt Reserve looks like it will go a long way to determining the ultimate destination of the 2018 title. Both teams picked up three more points on Saturday, while current leaders Tauranga Boys’ College were held to a draw at Otumoetai.

Taupo had the luxury of sitting back and waiting for the afternoon’s results to roll in after securing their win following Friday evening’s default by scheduled opponents, Tauranga Blue Rovers. They were awarded the regulation 3-0 victory in such circumstances which, as a tidy boost to their goal difference, could prove vital over the closing weeks.

Papamoa, on the other hand, were made to work very hard for their points at a Waikato Unicol side that knew defeat would all but extinguish their already slim title hopes. All the goals were scored during the first half. Riku Soejima kept his golden run going for Unicol with another one, but a Dean Styles special and a Cole Peverley penalty had given the visitors a 2-1 advantage by the break. They held that through a niggly second half and now sit level with Taupo on 32 points but ahead of the Lakesiders on goal difference.

Boys’ College now head the table by a solitary point after being held to a 0-0 draw at Fergusson Park. They have, however, played two more games than both Papamoa and Taupo, but have yet to play Papamoa and must still travel to Taupo, so there are some cracking games to look forward to. Otumoetai’s point moved them up to fifth in what’s a congested mid-table.

Melville United consolidated fourth spot after winning by the odd goal in five at Comag Matamata Swifts. Harry Coulson’s long range effort was the difference between the two sides at the break before Jordi Ditfort doubled their lead early in the second half. Brayden Lissington slid home a free kick for the Swifts on the hour, before Raukawa Raynel, for Melville, and Lissington traded late goals to see the game finish 3-2 to the visitors.

In the other games, Te Awamutu edged past bottom side Hamilton Wanderers 3-2 thanks to goals from Joel Roil, with two, and Steffan Foulkes, while West Hamilton United snapped their losing run with a 4-1 win over Mercury Tokoroa. Nathan Holten scored twice for West Ham, while Hashim Afghan and Jarred Tooley goals helped secure a tidy victory.

The WaiBOP Championship’s top two have now been confirmed after the weekend’s results, with Ngaruawahia United and Kawerau Sports confirming promotion. There is, however, for the first time this season the very real prospect of a title race, after Ngaruawahia suffered their second defeat of the season, which allowed Kawerau to move to within a point of the Green Machine.

Otumoetai’s reserves put the spanner in Ngaruawahia’s works with a 4-3 win at Centennial Park, while Kawerau were always comfortable in winning 4-1 over a Blue Rovers club that, despite their first team’s default, was still able to field a reserve team. Krishaant Singh’s double went a long way to helping secure the points for Kawerau.

Ngaruawahia, crucially, has a game in hand over Kawerau, but the two sides meet at Tarawera Park on August 11 in what’s already looking like a cracker.

In the Championship’s other games, Waikato Unicol’s reserves all but sealed third with a 5-1 win over Cambridge, while Te Puke United won 3-0 against Taupo’s reserves.

The top two in the WaiBOP Women’s Premier League both picked up comfortable home wins to move the title race into another week. Tauranga City Bay SportsMed easily dispatched McKay Tokoroa 4-0 and have the chance to seal a second consecutive Premier League title when Whakatane Town come visiting on Sunday. Danaya McKenzie, Talia Entwisle, Nicola Hingston and Alice Cotter scored Tauranga’s goals in this one.

 Whakatane stayed four points behind Tauranga with two games to go after a 4-1 home win over Papamoa. A tight first half saw Maree Wooddin’s goal give the visitors the lead before Naomi Courtney-Tennent levelled things up ten minutes before the break. In a neat piece of symmetry, Kaelee Doherty scored ten minutes after half time to break the game open for Whakatane, before Courtney-Tennent completed a hat trick with two goals in the final twelve minutes.

Match details here.