Greytown 8
Stop Out thirds 1
In the end, Greyfriars Motel Greytown ran out comfortable winners, but they were made to work hard by a determined Stop Out Thirds side, who played much of the match with 10 players.
The visitors gained the early ascendancy at Soldiers Memorial Park with a goal to Max Odgers after 19 minutes before Rhys Gwyther equalised in the 35th minute, and Max Mitchell gave the home side the lead six minutes later.
Shortly afterwards, the game swung in Greytown’s favour when Odgers was shown two yellow cards in the space of eight minutes and was sent from the field.
Greytown made full use of the numerical advantage, dominating possession and territory, and that told with goals to Alex Penman and Gareth Gwyther and two each to Josh Stevenson and captain Jarrod MacDonald.
Stevenson’s brace took his goal tally to 21 for the season, 10 ahead of MacDonald in the golden boot.
Stop Out finished the game with nine players after substitute Amir Addullahi was shown a red card two minutes after coming onto the field. By that time, though, Greytown led 7-1 and added only one more goal.
Greytown head the Capital Division Three standings on 25 points and are unbeaten after nine rounds – their only glitch being a 3-3 away draw with second-placed Upper Hutt City.
Their dominance of the league is best illustrated by a goal difference of 40, having scored 55 goals [an average of six a game] and having conceded just 15.
Greytown’s next outing is away to fourth-placed Petone Under-20s on Saturday.
WOMEN
Wairarapa United 2 Wellington United Opals 3
Wairarapa United conceded a late goal to go down 3-2 to an experienced Wellington United Opals in their Capital Women’s Division One game at Hullena Park on Sunday.
Two goals in five minutes to Joanna Crook gave the visitors a 2-0 lead after 19 minutes. That was the catalyst for United to lift their effort, and they were rewarded with goals to Meisha Boon and Romy Ifill.
However, Crook had the final say and was on hand to snatch the winner in the last five minutes and complete her hat-trick.
United coach Radha McGlashan was happy with the result against their more experienced opponents, saying her young side fought to the end are getting better with each game.
United are seventh in the league with a two-win, four-loss record.
LOCAL LEAGUES
Big scores highlighted the latest round of Wairarapa Divison One matches on Saturday.
Carterton Redbacks were untroubled in extending their unbeaten run to 26 games with a 6-1 defeat of Featherston United Property Brokers.
Douglas Villa Drake notched up the biggest score of the round, thrashing Carterton Reapers 8-1. DV Skulls were easy 5-0n winners over Douglas Villa Cams Flooring, Progressive Engineering Masterton Athletic won the club derby over Masterton Ziggy’s Glass Presidents 5-01, and Greytown Property Brokers got the better of McAuley’s Masterton with a 4-2 victory.
