WOMEN’S FOOTBALL
Anna O’Connor and Violet Fisher both found the back of the net twice as Wairarapa United defeated Wellington United Opals 4–1 in the latest round of the Capital Division Championship on Sunday.
It only took eight minutes for 14-year-old Fisher to open the scoring at Solway Showgrounds before O’Connor doubled the lead late in the first half and added United’s third after 54 minutes. The Opals got on the scoresheet five minutes later, but Fisher had the final say with her second goal, taking her tally to seven in two games for the team.
The win lifted United to fourth equal [fifth on goal difference] with the Opals. Their next game is on Sunday, away to third-placed Victoria University Reserves.
LOCAL LEAGUE FOOTBALL
Douglas Villa Cam’s Flooring were the big winners in the latest round of Wairarapa Men’s Division One, thumping Featherston Property Brokers 6–1 to move into a clear second. DV Skulls hold a two-point lead after their 3–3 draw with Progressive Engineer Masterton Athletic, while Carterton Redbacks and Greytown Tremains drew 4–4.
Douglas Villa Vets retained their perfect record in the combined division two and three championship with an easy 8-0 win over McAuleys Masterton. Greytown Property Brokers accounted for Evergreens 8–2, Masterton Lions defeated DV Mitre 10 Megabeens 6–2, Masterton Ziggy’s Glass Presidents edged Carterton Reapers 2–1, Greytown Umbrella Group Spartan were too good for Greytown The Offering 7–1, and Martinborough had a 3–1 win over Featherston.
The championships will take a break over King’s Birthday Weekend, and the first round of the Wairarapa Knockout Cup will be played.
In the women’s local league, Wairarapa United Reserves were comfortable 7–1 winners over Greytown Gems, and DV Mitre 10 Mega Geebeez had a 9–3 victory over Martinborough.
RUGBY
Wairarapa Wahine Toa continued their improvement with a 43–7 loss to unbeaten leaders Old Boys Marist in the fifth round of the Manawatu Premier Women’s Championship at the Solway Showgrounds on Saturday.
Although conceding seven tries, Wairarapa turned in another solid defensive effort against a team featuring several Manawatū Cyclones and Hurricanes Poua. Coach Brent Gare was thrilled with the progress of the team, saying that the players are starting to perform consistently, and that is showing with the improved results against strong opposition.
The highlight for Wairarapa was a brilliant individual try to first-five Darian Walker, when she beat four defenders in a 25-m run to the line. Wairarapa College students Lexi MacPherson and Maia Svenson were outstanding in their loose forward roles.
Wairarapa Bush premier club rugby will be played under lights tomorrow and Friday night, with Copthorne Wai Bush to play their first representative game of the season against Central Hawke’s Bay at Eketāhuna on Monday.
Tomorrow, Marist play Carterton at Trust House Memorial Park at 7 pm, and Masterton Red Star tackle East Coast at Colombo Road at 6.45pm.
On Friday, Greytown and Martinborough clash at Gladstone, and Eketāhuna are at home to Pioneer. Both games kick off at 7 pm.
ATHLETICS
Veterans Tony Price and Graeme Butcher led the way for Athletics and Cycling Masterton [ACM] at the 100th running of the Vosseler Shield cross-country race held on the steep up and down slopes of Mt Victoria on Saturday.
Price added to his bulging trophy cabinet with victory in the men’s 65-69 grade, and Butcher was runner-up in the men’s 60-64 grade over 5 km. Two of ACM’s younger competitors, Esther Gleeson and Brooke Duffy, also shone with third placings in the women’s under 12 and under 14 events, respectively.
Other top 10 finishers were Whana Gordon, Norm Chu, Franky Spite and David Farlow.
HOCKEY
One-sided games were the order of the day in the latest round of Hockey Wairarapa’s Men’s Division One. Gladstone Bulls demolished JNL 13-0, Carterton Vets put 11 unanswered goals past Featherston, and Comvita Kia Kaha thrashed Tremains Red Star 9-0, while Dalefield Dodgers scored a rare win, 4–3 over Old Boys.
Dalefield suffered their first loss in Women’s Division One, going down 3–2 to East Coast. Tremains Red Star were easy 6–0 victors over Featherston, and Comvita Kia Kaha and Gladstone Gold battled to a 1–1 draw.
In Women’s Division Two, Coasties dispatched Gladstone Heifers 6–0, Wairarapa Mitsubishi edged Featherston Force 1–0, Eketāhuna Tuis sneaked past Property Brokers 2–1, and Martinborough accounted for Featherston Foxies 7–1.
INDOOR BOWLS
Donald Leighton took the major spoils in the Wairarapa Indoor Bowls Open Singles Championship on Sunday.
Ten of the 21 entrants qualified for the playoffs, with Leighton, Elva Simonsen, Presley Williams, and Marilyn King progressing to the semifinals. Leighton defeated Simonesen 10-9, and King defeated Williams 11-9. Leighton comfortably won the final 14-5.
In interclub, the second round of the Hikawai Trophy was played with Horseshoe winning 4-0 over Central and East and Clareville drawing 2-2. Horseshoe lead on 12 points, with East and Clareville on eight and Central on four.
