Goals rain in as Lamb shines for Taupo

One of the more compelling story lines of recent weeks in The Soccer Shop WaiBOP Premiership has been the amount of goals scored in matches involving 2018 champions Taupo.

Prior to Saturday's visit of Gisler Architects Te Awamutu, Taupo's three previous matches (two in the league and one in the ISPS Handa Chatham Cup) had seen the ball hit the back of the net no less than 25 times.

While that may have been impressive, the Lakesiders chose the Te Awamutu match to double down on this ongoing campaign of manic fan engagement. Taupo came close to hitting double figures as they rolled over the top of their Waikato visitors, running out 9-4 victors in a match that was one long highlight real.

The opening was something else. Jordan Lamb scored twice in the opening ten minutes, but after each goal the visitors swiftly levelled the match, through Hamon McKay and Tawhiri Ball, before Lamb completed his hat trick inside 20 minutes. Matthew Lewis extended Taupo's lead before 30 minutes had passed.

After more than half an hour of relative calm, either side of half time, Rowan Beaumont Bell hauled the visitors back into the match, before Lamb hit back twice more to effectively seal the match. But, at 6-3 heading into the final minutes, that was far from the end of the scoring. Scott Voorend scored Te Awamutu's fourth in the 89th minute before Taupo iced the cake with three more goals in added time, including a sixth for Lamb.

The win drew Taupo level on points with Premiership leaders, Waikato Unicol but remarkably, after all their goals, they still sit in second on goal difference. While they've scored ten more times than anyone else in the league, only one side has let in more than Taupo's fifteen.

Unicol would have expected to take three points from the visit of Ngaruawahia but, for the second consecutive home game, they dropped points as the match finished 1-1.

Ibrahim Ismail put the visiting Green Machine in front midway through the first half before Unicol failed to convert from the spot. A point was finally rescued for Unicol three minutes from time when substitute Kieran Payton fired home.

A week after their first defeat Flying Mullet Papamoa ended Comag Matamata Swifts' unbeaten record with a 1-0 on the road. Colm Kenny's close range strike midway through the first half was the only time a goal even looked remotely like being scored in this match as two strong defensive teams effectively cancelled each other out.

Papamoa, who welcomed back ex-All White Cole Peverley for this match, stay in third one point ahead of an Otumoetai side that dispatched visitors Melville United 4-1 for their third win in five. Otumoetai raced into an early two goal lead, through Ryan Peddle and a Melville own goal before the visitors halved the deficit just before the hour mark. Late goals from Peddle and Nick Barnes eased any chance of a nervy finish for home fans.

In other games, Tauranga Boys' College brushed past West Hamilton United 3-0 thanks to goals from Liam Knight, Stan Rust and Mathew Schoonderwoerd, while Tauranga Blue Rovers won 3-1 at bottom side safer Te Puke United. Daniel Kent, for Rovers, and Atsuhito Kageyama traded goals inside the first twenty minutes, before Reuben Wood's first goal of the day, just after the half hour, restored the visitors' lead. Wood struck his second three minutes into the second half.

Claudelands Rovers won the first big three battle of The Soccer Shop W-League season on Sunday, maintaining their 100% start to the season with a 2-0 win over Papamoa at Galloway Park. Rachel Porteous and Stacey Palmer scored the goals, one in each half, that kept Claudelands level with Tauranga City at the top of the W-League table, but in first on goals scored, ahead of their first clash of the season in a fortnight.

Tauranga eased past bottom side Otumoetai 5-1 thanks to double doubles, from Annaliese Heuvel and Danaya McKenzie. Nicola Hingston also got on the score sheet for City, while Liv Donovan-Grammer's goal was small cheer for an Otumoetai side that is yet to take a point this season.

Whakatane Town stayed in fourth after a 3-0 win at Tauranga Blue Rovers. Goals from Sinead Doherty, twice, and Naomi Courtney-Tennant helped them to their second win in four matches.

The weekend's Hamilton derby ended up being a comfortable victory for Melville United. Shannen Perry, Emma Sizer, Johnelle Wereta and Katie Marshall all found the back of the net as Melville returned from the cross-town sortie after a 4-0 win, their first of the season.

Waikato Unicol's reserves continue to lead The Soccer Shop WaiBOP Championship table after Saturday's opponents, Hamilton Wanderers, gifted them three points by defaulting. Otumoetai's reserves moved into second after a 4-2 home win over early season pacesetters, Bulk Lines Otorohanga, thanks to goals from Richard O'Regan, Ben McLean, with two, and Liam Duncanson.

Cambridge moved into the top five after a 7-2 home win over Tauranga Blue Rovers' reserves, due largely to a five goal haul from Adam Brady, while Tauranga City replicated that score line in winning at Taupo's reserves.

Ash Gower-Rudman's hat trick couldn't prevent Claudelands Rovers from dropping points after being held to a 3-3 draw at Tokoroa, while Papamoa's reserves picked up their second win of the season with a 5-3 victory at Waharoa Transport Matamata reserves.

Match details here: http://www.waibopfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/76413

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