After finishing as runners-up in The Soccer Shop WaiBOP Premiership in 2018 Flying Mullet Papamoa have gone one step better this year, wrapping up a maiden title following Saturday’s 4-0 home win over Gisler Architects Te Awamutu.

In what was their final match of the season, Papamoa knew victory would seal top spot, putting it out of reach of the only side that could catch them, 2018 champs ninetyblack Taupo. They completed a clinical job over their lowly rivals, with a Strauss Boom double supplemented by goals from player-coach Colm Kenny and Liam Molloy.

In truth, such a result was never really in doubt. Papamoa entered the match on the back of a thirteen win, one draw run in their previous fourteen games, which is exactly the sort of consistency that wins titles. So a team sitting in tenth spot was never really likely upset Papamoa’s big day.

As it turned out, Papamoa needn’t have bothered too much as Taupo was beaten 5-2 at Waikato Unicol. Joe O’Donoghue opened the scoring early for the deposed champions, but Matt Nixon levelled the scores inside the first quarter hour and the match entered half time all square. After the break, Unicol blew the Lakesiders away thanks to goals from Krishaant Singh, Thomas Wright, Shaun Morgan and an own goal in a result that now gives Unicol a sniff of a top three finish.

As an aside, Papamoa have declined the opportunity, afforded them for winning the Premiership, of playing off for a spot in the Northern Region Football League.

Otumoetai now look like finishing as runners-up after beating relegation haunted West Hamilton United 3-1. An own goal, alongside strikes from Jordi Langton and Scott Walpole, was enough to increase Otumoetai’s lead over Taupo to four points. They still have a game to play, against Matamata in a fortnight, while Taupo has two visits to Hamilton, to play Melville United and West Hamilton United, over the next two weeks.

West Hamilton must now win their final two matches, first against Unicol then Taupo, to claim the six points they need to jump ahead of tenth placed Te Awamutu.

Tauranga Boys’ College completed Safer Team Te Puke United’s tough season at the top, wrapping up a 2-0 victory over the league’s bottom side thanks to an own goal and one from Campbell Browne, while Noor Mire, with two goals, and Liban Mire, helped Ngaruawahia United to a 3-1 victory over Tauranga Blue Rovers.

Comag Matamata Swifts drew 2-2 with visiting Melville United. A brace from Andrew Clothier helped the Swifts twice peg Melville back, after Sok Ven, then David Vhavha had scored at the start of each half for the Hamiltonians. 

The Soccer Shop WaiBOP W-League was decided in Claudelands Rovers’ favour last weekend, but that didn’t stop the league’s current top two dishing out a tight, entertaining match at Tauranga City’s Links Ave on Sunday. Rovers were pushed to the end before prevailing 3-2.

Tauranga took a 17th minute lead through Talia Entwisle. In what was a bright opening to the match, Rovers struck back only five minutes later when Leanna Ryan was on hand to equalise. The visitors took the lead three minutes before the break, thanks to Olivia Schuler, then extended their lead just before the hour mark when Stacey Palmer fired home. Entwisle grabbed her second inside the final twenty minutes but Tauranga couldn’t manage a third as Rovers extended their W-League lead to ten points.

Sinead Doherty’s second half goal proved vital for Whakatane Town as they edged past Tilemax Papamoa 1-0 and they now have an excellent chance of finishing second in the league. Whakatane sit on 31 points, two behind both Tauranga and Papamoa. Their final match is at home against Melville United, while Tauranga will travel to Claudelands this coming Sunday. Papamoa cannot add to their points haul as they have completed their fixture list.

Otumoetai finished their W-League season on a bright note, taking a point from their 1-1 draw with Melville United. Melville had taken a first half lead through Katie Marshall before Kerry Sykes hit back for Otumoetai after the break.

Bulk Lines Otorohanga carried on as they have for most of the season, piling double figures on The Soccer Shop WaiBOP Championship’s bottom side, Waharoa Transport Matamata Reserves, for the second time this season. Jack Connor’s six goal haul was the highlight as Otorohanga rattled along to an 11-0 victory that took them one goal short of a century for the season.

Claudelands Rovers wrapped up second spot after their 5-1 victory at Otumoetai’s Reserves, with Ash Gower-Rudman’s brace helping them home. Otumoetai’s defeat, along with Waikato Unicol’s Reserves sixth defeat of the season, 3-1 at home to Taupo’s Reserves, meant Tauranga City have climbed into third on the table. Tauranga defeated Flying Mullet Papamoa Reserves 2-1.

In the other games, Tokoroa held on to beat Cambridge 2-1 at Strathmore Park, while Hamilton Wanderers ended what, at times, has been a season of struggle in the best possible way following their 9-0 hammering of Tauranga Blue Rovers’ Reserves.

Match details HERE.