Douglas Villa
Seatoun Reserves
Tumu Douglas Villa kept their winning streak alive with a hard-fought 5-3 away victory over Seatoun Reserves at the weekend – their fourth win in a row in Capital Division Two.
The 12pm kick-off at Seatoun Park had fine playing conditions, with the fulltime whistle blowing as the wind and rain set in.
Douglas Villa took an early lead with a goal each from midfielders Kurits Paine and Josh McMenamin in the opening 15 minutes.
A few minutes later, Seatoun brought down Simon Mazey in the box, and McMenamin scored from the penalty spot.
Seatoun was still in the game and had some attacking chances, but a few good saves from goalkeeper Jayden Watt kept the score at 3-0 at halftime.
The home side mounted a strong comeback in the second half, scoring two quick goals and a third a short while after to level the scores at the 60-minute mark.
But Douglas Villa tightened up their defence and immediately regained control of possession, with Paine restoring Douglas Villa’s with his second goal a minute after the equaliser.
The fight went out of Seatoun after that – which Douglas Villa captain Chris Cox capitalised on, scoring off a header shortly after to finish the match 5-3.
Coach Mark Taylor said it was good to get a win away from home and he was happy to be on a winning streak after a slow start to the season.
“It was going to be a tough match: they were second on the table, we were third.
“We’ve put up four wins and started scoring some goals, but we need to tighten up defensively and stop giving our opposition chances – when we get the opportunity to kill them off, we need to do that,” he said.
“Our attacking players have put in some really good performances – they’re using possession well and creating chances, and so we’ve got ourselves into a good spot on the table, so I’m hoping we can keep that up.”
The win has lifted Douglas Villa to second in the league.
This Saturday’s fixture is a top-of-the-table clash against current leaders Wellington Marist, who are ahead of Douglas Villa by two points. Kick-off is at 2:30pm at Queen Elizabeth Park.
Greytown
Wellington United
Greyfriars Motel Greytown is still undefeated in Capital Division Three after defending its table-top position with a 5-3 win over second-placed Wellington United at Soldiers Memorial Park on Saturday.
Prolific striker Joshua Stevenson opened the scoring on 28 minutes before Wellington United equalised shortly after.
Wellington had an opportunity to take the lead after an accidental handball in Greyown’s box, but goalkeeper Gary Hewson athletically saved the penalty.
Two goals in quick succession from Greytown’s Landon Palmer and another from Stevenson had the home side returning to the changing sheds up 3-1 at halftime.
Wellington tried to switch their game plan in the second half to stay in the match – bringing on four substitutes, receiving a yellow card in the 75th minute, but then scoring twice, levelling the contest with just five minutes left on the clock.
But under pressure, a charging Greyown retook the lead, with reserve Ryan Butler finding the back of the net with a minute to go before Stevenson put the game to bed, making his hat-trick in the 90th minute to finish the game 5-3 to Greyown.
Coach Phil Keinzley said, that after a stellar first half for Greytown, it was panic and complacency that allowed Wellington United to get back in the game.
“We took our foot off the accelerator and made the game a bit tougher for ourselves, but once the composure was there, it came right in the end,” he said.
“Josh Stevenson used to play in the Central League, so he’s a class act at this level; we just need to get the ball to him, and he will turn it into goals, and Harvey Parker in the midfield played extremely well.”
Keinzley said it was now Greytown’s season to lose.
“The team have good chemistry on and off the field. They’ve all got high expectations of each other and don’t settle at all for mediocrity,” he said.
“It’s totally up to us to keep consistent and put teams away.”
Greyown leads the league with 19 points, with second-placed Wellington United sitting three points behind in second place.
Greytown’s next fixture is away against Naenae, with a 12pm kick-off at Rugby League Park this Saturday.
