Rotorua closer to relegation

File photo.

Loaded WaiBOP Premiership champions Cambridge completed their 2017 league campaign with a routine 3-1 victory at Melville United and now look forward to the business of gaining a Northern Region Football League spot over the next couple of weeks.

In their final tune-up before the home and away NRFL play-offs against Auckland club Beachlands-Maraetai, the red and whites had to wait until the final quarter hour to put their opponents away.

Callum MacLeod, Tom Woutersen and Donovan Latham all scored during that period after Melville had kept Cambridge at bay for the majority of the match.

Patrick Hinchcliffe netted Melville's consolation goal, also during the goal laden final fifteen minutes.

Cambridge will head north for the first leg of the NRFL play-offs this Saturday, then will host Beachlands-Maraetai at John Kerkhof Park on Saturday September 30 as they look to go one step further than their previous attempt to return to NRFL division 2. In 2015 they narrowly lost out to a Waitemata side that went on to gain immediate promotion to NRFL division 1.

Prior to the kick-off against Cambridge Melville knew they needed a win to be absolutely sure of their spot in the 2018 Premiership, but come late Saturday afternoon they were safe despite defeat. That was due to Rotorua United failing to win at home in their final match of the season.

Rotorua had their opportunities against Comag Matamata Swifts, but fell behind to a Jasom Khatkar goal just after half time. United found an equaliser but ex-Rotorua player, Dayne Willemsen, sealed their fate in the final five minutes to give the Swifts a 2-1 win.

United now have a nervous wait as catch-up fixtures are played over the next couple of weeks. They ended their season on 17 points and still sit third from bottom but the team just below them, Tauranga Boys', College, need to find three points from their remaining two games to draw level. If they can find those points the students' superior goal difference should be enough to drop United into the bottom two.

Boys' College showed some fight in their match at the weekend and that bodes well for the task ahead of them. Down by two at the break away to Taupo, they got back into the match through Danny Warrilow but couldn't find a second and lost 2-1.

The race for second took an interesting turn. Waikato Unicol struck once in each half, through Riley Rigden and Luke Goodwin, to win 2-1 at an Otumoetai side that hadn't played for several weeks. This moved Unicol to 44 points ahead of their final match of the season, at home to Taupo, next Saturday.

Tauranga Old Blues missed a trick after losing 5-3 at West Hamilton United in the undoubted match of the round. The Blues led 3-2 at the break thanks to goals from Andrew Cooper, Andrew Carter and Franz Marko, but Dan Finlay added three second half goals to the two he scored before the break to win it for the maroons. The defeat left Old Blues on 40 points with one game remaining, level with the Swifts who have two left. These two sides face off on the final weekend of the month.

In the WaiBOP Championship, Unicol Reserves took advantage of champions, Cambridge Reserves', decision to default the match between the two sides to move into clear second on 43 points ahead of their final match of the season. Tokoroa, who won 3-1 at home against Otumoetai Reserves, joined Taupo Reserves on 41 points with both sides also having one game remaining.

Tauranga City United and Hamilton Wanderers completed their season by playing each other in a match that finished 3-1 to Tauranga. That ensured a sixth place finish for Tauranga, one point and one spot behind Wanderers.

In the only other Championship match played at the weekend, Edmonds Judd Te Awamutu Reserves ended a forgettable 2017 campaign for Rotorua United Reserves by thumping them 13-0.

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