Northern Premier League

Melville face double-header

Steve Williams would rather be on his boat for another month, savouring the final glimpses of summer.

Williams said the national summer league had impacted heavily on the make-up of many winter clubs and felt there should be a greater break between the two competitions.

"The majority of teams are probably three or four weeks from being fully regrouped. It's not ideal," Williams said. Melville lost 1-0 away to Three Kings in the division one season opener last weekend.

Melville have lost the services of last season's captain Matt Williams who, after starring for Waikato in the national league, has placed himself indefinitely on the sidelines after three successive years of play.

Nathan Holten has been unavailable for Melville in the opening rounds while fellow Waikato player Aaron Scott is only now returning to the side.

Williams said he had "a few fingers in a few pies" to counter the situation and fans could see some new faces as soon as today's home tie against Papatoetoe at Gower Park (2.45pm), but more likely in Monday's away trip to controversial side South Auckland.

Melville are awaiting the arrival of two UK-based players any day while Steven Holloway, who has been at an American college since 2004, is set to return to his home club in May.

In the meantime Papatoetoe, who along with Ngaruawahia were promoted from the second division last season, beat Ellerslie 7-0 last week and coach Williams is expecting the visitors to bring a lethal strikeforce.

In Monday's match Melville travel to South Auckland Rangers, who were the subject of much controversy last season after being accused of several incidences of violence.

Ngaruawahia United will be seeking to bounce back after a poor showing in their first division debut last weekend.

They were well beaten by an agricultural Lynn Avon side and playing Auckland team Metro today (2.45pm) and Northland on Monday (1.15pm) they will have to work hard.

Both games are played at Centennial Park as Metro's ground wasn't up to scratch.

Hamilton Wanderers have an easier set of matches than their first-up loss to Central United provided last weekend in the premier league.

Wanderers lost 2-0 to Central and will be all the wiser for the experience against last season's runners-up.

Their two games, today away to Waitakere and Monday at Porritt Stadium against Albany (2.45pm), are against sides who finished in the bottom third of the premier ladder last season and should make for an easier transition to the higher tier for Wanderers.

We Beat Birkenhead 6-2

Last season it was Melville United tradition to listen to heavy metal music ahead of their northern league first division soccer games.

After Saturday's get-out-of-jail performance against newly promoted Papatoetoe someone at the club should run out and buy Motley Crue's greatest hits for future games - well, at least until they get their first team on the paddock anyway.

Heading into the Gower Park sheds a sloppy Melville could easily have been several goals down at the break but a motley bunch of new faces, promoted reserve team players, defenders in striker roles and some who had eaten all the pies, somehow managed the win.

Nathan Rule converted his side's only real chance in the 61st minute after Papatoetoe had staggeringly missed an open goal amongst other good scoring opportunities.

Melville are having to make do with what squad they can muster in the season's early exchanges until some players return from breathers. They are also desperately waiting for two professional UK-based players to arrive.

However, the team Melville did field has plenty of potential.

Teenage central midfielder David Molloy impressed for the second week running and, despite being the smallest man on the field, showed more fight than many of his beefier teammates.

Aaron Scott almost single-handedly kept a leaky defence in check while 'keeper Eddie Trubshoe had a typically safe pair of hands.

Melville travel to South Auckland today in a match they would hope to win.

Meanwhile, Hamilton Wanderers have stayed true to last year's form after losing their second northern premier league match in a row, this time away to Waitakere.

"Both our first-up games haven't exactly been outstanding but we're not that far away from these teams," Wanderers coach Mark Cossey said.

"We always have slow starts. Last season we went four games for just one win."

Like last week's 2-0 loss to Central, Wanderers had a wealth of possession but were unable to turn that into goals.

They had four players pull out after coming down with a virus on Friday and captain Jeff Sole was missing due to a groin strain. It's not known whether they will play today's home game at Porritt Stadium (2.45pm) against Albany.

Cossey said his young side's fitness told in the end with Waitakere scoring two late goals. The first was slightly dubious with neither the referee or linesmen seeing a hand ball while the second was brought about by a late tackle by Paul Nobilo in the box.

Ngaruawahia earned a well-taken point in the first division at home to a Metro side featuring former New Zealand Knights player Sean Devine.

Ngaruawahia coach Richard Harris said the club were happy to walk away from the game with a 1-1 draw after losing 5-1 in the season opener against Lynn Avon.

Metro scored after 10 minutes while new Solomon Island signing David Firisua got the equaliser late in the match after a full field movement at Centennial Park.

Sammie Maposa is aware this season is do or die for the Cambridge Football Club in soccer's northern league second division.

But the former Botswanian international said he and his countryman Piero Dipheko can help win their adopted club the salvation it so desperately wants.

"I will do my best," Maposa, 23, said on the eve of Cambridge's season opener away to Manurewa today.

"There has been a lot of work put in to this season. Me and Piero coming down here is part of that."

The goal-scoring duo are part of Cambridge's drive to keep their northern league futures alive after the decision last year this season would be the last the second division would operate. The club wanted to compile a competitive squad as it's either win promotion to the first division or fall back into the weaker Waikato-Bay of Plenty federation league.

Maposa and Dipheko are somewhat soccer journeymen, having played in various African nations, and before arriving in New Zealand had trials in England and Germany.

At this stage they are only here for this season but as Maposa said �- "you never know where football will take you next".

Cambridge's coach Stu Robertson, who snared the players through a connection he had in African soccer, said there wouldn't be too many in the Waikato with the level of skill the Botswanians possess.

"They've got plenty of flair and pace and are good goal scorers," he said.

"Waikato FC would be silly not to have a good look at them."

Robertson said this season would be a fine balancing act for his side.

The team will need to have the belief it can win promotion but it cannot let emotions get the better of them.

"We need to have the belief that we're good enough to win promotion but that doesn't win leagues," Robertson said.

"We've got to work really hard and concentrate on all the small details."

Cambridge beat Manurewa 2-1 and 8-2 last season.

Meanwhile, Melville United face their sternest test so far this season when they host fellow first division leaders Mt Albert-Ponsonby at Gower Park (2.45pm) today.

A far from full-strength Melville have punched well above their weight in the season's opening three rounds and have been rewarded with two wins from three starts to sit with six other sides at the top of the ladder.

Melville will be nearing full strength today with the arrival of their UK-based professionals Richard Young and Troy Manning.

Melville beat Mt Albert 2-1 and 4-0 last season.

Ngaruawahia make their first road trip this first division season away to Papakura City today who placed second-to-last in 2006.

Hamilton Wanderers are away to Glenfield Rovers, who placed eighth in last season's premier league.

I hope not, the best thing for ACFC is if Steve Cain stays in the job. Hes a muppet. I agree with what you said about the africans and their accuracy in front of goal, when we played them at the cambridge tournament they beat us 2-0, one of the africans put it top corner from 20 yds and the second was a volley on the edge of the 18 yd box. not lookin forward to us playin them again after weve been playing pish.

You might be right there. He could be the NEARLY MAN. Nearly won the NZFC, nearly won the O-League....well he might yet win that but I hope not. Certainly it is highly amusing that they are the only NZFC side that can't beat Auckland City on the park. Had to resort to ridiculous protests over James Pritchett to get the points. Pretty low really. Had those points not been awarded to Waitakere they would have finished third behind Manawatu and ACFC.