CAPITAL FOOTBALL
Wairarapa United made the perfect debut on their new home ground at Solway Showgrounds with an entertaining 5–4 victory over Waterside-Karori in Capital Women’s Division One.
United player-coach Holly Rausch described the match “as like a game of ping pong.”
“We got one, five minutes later they got one, 10 minutes later we got one, then a few minutes later they got one, and so on.”
The winning goal came with about 10 minutes to play, but United had to withstand a late onslaught after goalkeeper Bailee Robertson was forced off with an injury. Stand-in Annie Jones pulled off “some outstanding cracking saves to keep us at 5–4,” a satisfied Rausch said.
“We just finally clicked, and people finally understand where they need to be on the field now, and we just gelled.
“I don’t know how, but I said to everyone, whatever you had for breakfast, have it every week.”
The win was United’s first in the championship. They next play Western Suburbs in Tawa on Sunday.
WAIRARAPA LOCAL
LEAGUE FOOTBALL
DV Skulls have taken the lead in Division One with a 3–1 defeat of Carterton Redbacks, Douglas Villa Cams Flooring Reserves moved into second with their 2–0 defeat of Progressive Engineering Masterton Athletic, and Greytown Tremains held on to beat Featherston United
Property Brokers 2–1.
In the combined division two and three championship, Greytown Property Brokers were the big winners, trouncing Featherston 9–1, Masterton Ziggy’s Glass Presidents upset McAuleys Masterton 4–2, DV Mitre 10 Megabeens were 5–0 victors over Greytown The Offering, Carterton Goal Diggers edged Evergreens 3–2, Masterton Lions thumped Carterton Raiders 5–0, and Douglas Villa Vets defeated Martinborough 3–1.
Wairarapa United Reserves were convincing 10–3 winners over Martinborough, and Greytown Gems scored the only goal in their clash with Carterton Royals in the women’s championship.
WAIRARAPA HOCKEY
Comvita Kia Kaha retained their lead in men’s division one with a 3–1 win over Carterton Vets, Tremains Red Star had a comfortable 6–1 victory over Old Boys, JNL sneaked a 1–0 defeat of Dalefield Dodgers, and Gladstone trampled Featherston 15–0.
Dalefield worked hard to retain their unbeaten record in women’s division one, edging Gladstone Gold 2–1; East Coast cruised to a 6–0 defeat of Featherston, and Tremain’s Red Star triumphed 4–1 over Comvita Kia Kaha. In women’s division two, Eketāhuna Tuis blitzed Wairarapa Mitsubishi 7–0, Coasties also scored seven unanswered goals against Featherston Force, and Property Brokers beat Martinborough 2–0.
INDOOR BOWLS
Wairarapa went down 25–23 to Bush Ruahine in the traditional Tombs Trophy representative fixture with Bush-Ruahine in Pahiatua on Saturday. The home side held a four-point lead at the halfway stage, and although Wairarapa staged a mini-revival in the afternoon, they couldn’t catch the hosts.
Interclub rolled into action last Thursday night with the first round of the Hikawai Trophy. The matches between Clareville and the Horseshoe Club and Central and East both ended in 2–2 draws.
The Wairarapa Open Pairs will be played at the Hogg Crescent Complex on Sunday.
