WaiBOP's Premiership frontrunners Papamoa and Taupo look likely to miss out on the chance to earn promotion to football's Northern League as a result of the competition running over time.
Both clubs had their matches postponed on the weekend adding to a fixture backlog which is likely to mean the title won't be decided until late September, too late for the winner to enter the Northern League playoffs.
The Loaded WaiBOP Premiership champions play off every year with the winner of the Auckland Federation's top league for the right to enter the Northern Region Football League division two. Auckland Football have said WaiBOP must have its challenger lined up by mid-month to be eligible.
With just three points between the top two contenders, and both still having five matches to fit in, there seems no prospect of the title being decided in time.
Further complicating the picture is the fact Waikato Unicol are just a point behind Papamoa. They still have four matches remaining so haven't written off their title chances.
Weather and extended Chatham Cup runs for several teams have caused the postponements through the season, and both Papamoa and Taupo missed the chance to fit a game in on the weekend because their respective opponents, Tauranga Boys College and Hamilton Wanderers who include a number of Hamilton Boys' High School players, are involved in this week's national secondary schools champs in Christchurch.
In two of the games that were played on Saturday Western Bay teams Otumoetai and Tauranga Blue Rovers both had reasons to smile.
Otumoetai, who opened the season looking like relegation contenders, moved up into the top half of the table, leap-frogging their opponents on Saturday Matamata Swifts with a comprehensive 3-0 home victory at Fergusson Park.
First half goals from Rowan Martin, Sam Flatt and Daniel Miller got the job done for the greens.
Tauranga Blue Rovers eased their relegation fears, albeit just by a point, with a dramatic 5-all draw with West Hamilton United at Pemberton Park.
West Hamilton lead 2-1 lead at halftime, before the Blues took the ascendency in the second spell. Luke Barlow with two, Jared Bailey, Marcus Bathan and Thomas Crane were the scorers for the home side. If not for Hashim Noorzai's equaliser for the Hamiltonians four minutes into added time it would have been an even better day for Rovers.
The outcome was Rovers are now three points ahead of second to bottom Tokoroa, who went down to Melville United 1-0. The second relegation spot is far from settled though as Tokoroa still have two games in hand over the Tauranga side.
Hamilton Wanderers, who have not won a match in the league, are confirmed as the first relegated team.
In Saturday's other game Waikato Unicol kept themselves in title contention with a 1-0 win at Te Awamutu.
This Saturday a number of catch-up matches are scheduled, with Papamoa playing their home match against Hamilton Wanderers at Matamata Domain in a 12:30 kickoff, ahead of Otumoetai's second encounter with Matamata Swifts in a week, at 2:45.
Tauranga Blue Rovers will be hoping to do themselves a big favour with an away win over Taupo, an outcome which would also suit Papamoa very well as they would expect to bank the three points from their Wanderers clash.
Tauranga Boys' College will again sit this weekend out as a result of the Christchurch tournament.
Loaded WaiBOP Premiership results:
Mercury Tokoroa 0-1 Melville United (ht: 0-1)
TOK: none.
MEL: Ben Wheatley.
Tauranga Blue Rovers 5-5 West Hamilton United (ht: 1-2)
TBR: Luke Barlow 2, Jared Bailey, Marcus Bathan, Thomas Crane.
WHM: Alex Whitehead, Chris Gardiner 3, Hashim Noorzai.
Otumoetai 3-0 Comag Matamata Swifts (ht: 3-0)
OTU: Rowan Martin, Sam Flatt, Daniel Miller.
MAT: none.
Te Awamutu 0-1 Waikato Unicol (ht: 0-1)
TAW: none.
UNI: Riku Soejima.
Papamoa v Tauranga Boys' College - postponed
Hamilton Wanderers v Taupo – postponed
Full Loaded WaiBOP Premiership details at http://www.waibopfootball.co.nz/DRAWS/Seniors-2
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