Te Awamutu will seek to end a winless run that dates back more than a year when they host Tokoroa in a Waikato division one football clash on Saturday.
The Reds managed four draws in 21 outings in the Southern Conference last season, and the demise this season of the Southern Conference Championship has them effectively stepping down two rungs.
The league, an amalgam of last year’s Southern Conference championship and Waikato first division, threw up a couple of surprises last weekend.
Among them, for at least one coach, was news that the competition allows up to 10 rolling substitutions during a game.
Claudelands Rovers have two teams in the league – Wallys and Squatters – and they accounted for Te Awamutu, 3-2, and southern neighbours Ōtorohanga, 4-0, last weekend.
At the same time Tokoroa completed a come from behind win over a talented Wanderers.
At Armstrong Avenue Te Awamutu led Claudelands Wallys 2-1 at half time, Nicky King-McRae netting on half time after Bradley Egglestone’s 20th minute opener. But in the second half the visitors scored in the 60th and 69th minute to take all three points back to Galloway Park.
Thomas Henry in goal was the host’s man of the match and King-McRae, skipper Dylan Brett and Aaron Mills turned in good performances.
Other club results, Men, Div 3 0-1 v Northern United Numpties, Div 4 0-2 v Huntly, Over 35s 6-0 v Melville. Women, Premier 4-1 v Melville, Reserves 1-14 v Cambridge.
The Ngahinapouri Knights, pictured after winning last week’s junior tournament.
The Ngāhinapōuri Knights, pictured after winning last week’s junior tournament.Youngsters congregated at Te Awamutu’s Sherwin Park last Friday for the annual Fred Amess Festival competition to determine primary school supremacy.
The festival was first established by Fred Amess, the first Patron of Te Awamutu Association Football Club, and was played in Te Awamutu in the 1970s. The trophy was put away and not thought of again for many years until it was discovered and resurrected by Billy Carter in 2006 and has been a regular tournament fixture for the last 19 years, expanding to have cup, plate and shield trophies.
This year a record 35 teams, 24 boys and mixed teams and 11 girls teams, from 13 schools took part in the day long competition that saw 122 games completed to find the Cup, Plate and Shield final winners.
Results: Final, Ngahinapouri Knights 4, Ohaupo Red 2. Plate, St Patricks Panthers 0(4), Ngutunui Boys 0(2) – St Patricks won on penalties, Shield, Korakanui 1(3), Ngutunui 1(1) – Korakanui won on penalties.
