Western and Pacific Premierships

Haven’t seen too many results preseason.

Gisborne Thistle played Taradale CL2 team last weekend 5-3 to Taradale 

Western Rangers drew 4-4 with what appeared to be a short of numbers Wellington Marist CL2 Side 

Western Rangers also beat Napier City ‘prems’ 1-0 during a midweek game.

Port Hill beat Napier City 4-2 a few weeks ago as well.

Though the pre season Napier City and the team that actually takes the field for game one will be quite different I would think. Particularly when their CL side is at home. 

mraotxt2

Haven’t seen too many results preseason.

Gisborne Thistle played Taradale CL2 team last weekend 5-3 to Taradale 

Western Rangers drew 4-4 with what appeared to be a short of numbers Wellington Marist CL2 Side 

Western Rangers also beat Napier City ‘prems’ 1-0 during a midweek game.

Port Hill beat Napier City 4-2 a few weeks ago as well.

Though the pre season Napier City and the team that actually takes the field for game one will be quite different I would think. Particularly when their CL side is at home. 

Western Rangers got pumped 5 - 0 at Levin on 1st March.
Completely mixed bag of lineups this time of year especially with travel so who knows how good any of these teams will be.

Some preseason action coming up this weekend:

Whanganui Athletic 1st's vs Levin 1sts
Whanganui Athletic Reserves vs Takaro 1sts
Feilding 1sts vs PNU Reserves

All Western Prems teams except Athletic Reserves.

Couple more Pre season from HB

Western Rangers 3-2 Pnth Marist (I’m assuming prems?)

Napier Marist 6-1 Port Hill 

NCR Prems played Taradale Prems, haven’t seen or heard the result. 

Whanganui Athletic 4 Levin 2
Athletic Reserves 1 Takaro 1
Feilding 3 PNU Reserves 4

Only friendly I've heard about for this weekend is Marist Reserves vs Feilding.

Play each other first game of the league season too.

Western Prems starts a week later than just about everywhere else for some reason, but we have a bit of Charity Cup action in all three regions:

Takaro 1sts vs Levin 1sts, Skoglund Park 245pm
Whanganui Athletic 1sts vs Wanganui City 1sts, Wembley 245pm
Moturoa 1sts vs FC Western Reserves, Onuku Taipari Domain, 3pm

Eastern Premiership Round 1

Gisborne Thistle host Taradale 
Gisborne United home to Western Rangers.
Napier Marist home to Havelock.
NCR host HSOB from Gisborne on Bluewater.
Port Hill host Maycenvale.

Hard to pick the league, but surely the top few sides will be Thistle, NCR and Havelock. I’m sure both Thistle and Havelock keen to contest the CL2 playoff. 

NCR 7-3 HSOB
GIS Utd 2-1 Rangers 
Marist 2-1 Havelock - Havelock played very well, but Marist held on and scored a crucial winner.
Thistle solid win over Taradale reserves 4-1. 
Port Hill v Maycenvale 8-3 FT. At HT 3-3. Port took the lead shortly after half time 4-3 before Maycenvale had two second yellow cards in the space of 10 minutes to reduce them to 9 men. Last few minutes Port scored a few more to make the final score 8-3. Port deserved the win, but maybe not by so much.  

Whanganui Athletic 2 Wanganui City 1. Surprisingly close scoreline expected Athletic to dominate even having a man sent off.

Moturoa 0 FC Western Reserves 1

Takaro 3 Levin 2. Absolute smash and grab for Takaro. Turned up and parked the bus in a 5 4 1 pumping the ball up to the 9. Managed to grab the lead against the run of play which suited them down to the ground. Levin absolutely battered them but took until about the hour mark to equalize then took the lead ten minutes later. They seemed to take their foot of the gas but Takaro weren't up to much until their left back appeared at back post and equalized in the 90th minute. I couldn't hang around for extra time unfortunately but the left back nabbed them a winner in extra time.

The Western Premiership kicks off this week a week later than everyone else.

Marist Reserves vs Feilding, 1230pm, Skoglund
FC Western Reserves vs NPBHS, 245pm, Lynmouth Park
Wanganui City vs PNU Reserves, 245pm, Wembley
Moturoa vs Levin, 245pm, Onuku Taipari Domain
Takaro vs NP Rangers, 245pm, Skoglund

Whanganui Athletic have the bye

Results:

Marist Reserves 4 Feilding 0. Watched a bit of this, but gave up because of horribly wet conditions. From what I saw fairly even but costly individual mistakes by Feilding defenders. Suprised to see Josh Cremen who is clearly a step above this level and scored in the first team's CL2 win last week, few other Marist lads dropping down also. Presumably a few of the first team lads can't be bothered travelling out of Palmy.

FC Western Reserves 3 NPBHS 3
Wanganui City 2 PNU Reserves 5
Moturoa 0 Levin 1
Takaro 1 NP Rangers 0. A very old looking Rangers team, perhaps they are going to struggle for numbers on the road. Dom Squatriti in midfield for Rangers running the show. Both teams looked poor and slow compared to Marist and Feilding. Takaro seem to play a 5 4 1 and look to hit their target man and break. Worked for them though.

This weeks games:

Marist Reserves vs Levin 1230pm Skoglund. My pick of the two best teams I've seen glimpses of so far.

Feilding vs Takaro, 245pm, Feilding
Whanganui Athletic vs Wanganui City, 245pm, Wembley
FC Western Reserves vs PNU Reserves, 245pm, Lynmouth Park

NP Rangers have the bye

Fed Cup Preliminary Round for the Western teams was done on Friday. Games to be played Easter Monday:

Hawera FC vs PNU Reserves, 1230pm, Hawera
Feilding Utd vs NP Rangers, 245pm, Feilding
Moturoa vs Wanganui City, 245pm, Onuku Taipari Domain.

Marist Reserves, Whanganui Athletic, FC Western Reserves, Takaro and Levin drew the bye.

Harsh draw for NP Rangers, travel to Wanganui on the Saturday then Feilding on the Monday, Feilding have a bye week in the league so will be rested too.

No prelim round in East as there are only 8 entrants

hotchips

Results:

Marist Reserves 4 Feilding 0. Watched a bit of this, but gave up because of horribly wet conditions. From what I saw fairly even but costly individual mistakes by Feilding defenders. Suprised to see Josh Cremen who is clearly a step above this level and scored in the first team's CL2 win last week, few other Marist lads dropping down also. Presumably a few of the first team lads can't be bothered travelling out of Palmy.

FC Western Reserves 3 NPBHS 3
Wanganui City 2 PNU Reserves 5
Moturoa 0 Levin 1
Takaro 1 NP Rangers 0. A very old looking Rangers team, perhaps they are going to struggle for numbers on the road. Dom Squatriti in midfield for Rangers running the show. Both teams looked poor and slow compared to Marist and Feilding. Takaro seem to play a 5 4 1 and look to hit their target man and break. Worked for them though.

Wouldn’t travel to Fielding you reckon? What’s that….15 minutes?!

Tyler

hotchips

Results:

Marist Reserves 4 Feilding 0. Watched a bit of this, but gave up because of horribly wet conditions. From what I saw fairly even but costly individual mistakes by Feilding defenders. Suprised to see Josh Cremen who is clearly a step above this level and scored in the first team's CL2 win last week, few other Marist lads dropping down also. Presumably a few of the first team lads can't be bothered travelling out of Palmy.

FC Western Reserves 3 NPBHS 3
Wanganui City 2 PNU Reserves 5
Moturoa 0 Levin 1
Takaro 1 NP Rangers 0. A very old looking Rangers team, perhaps they are going to struggle for numbers on the road. Dom Squatriti in midfield for Rangers running the show. Both teams looked poor and slow compared to Marist and Feilding. Takaro seem to play a 5 4 1 and look to hit their target man and break. Worked for them though.

Wouldn’t travel to Fielding you reckon? What’s that….15 minutes?!

Marists first team played @Seatoun

mraotxt2

Tyler

hotchips

Results:

Marist Reserves 4 Feilding 0. Watched a bit of this, but gave up because of horribly wet conditions. From what I saw fairly even but costly individual mistakes by Feilding defenders. Suprised to see Josh Cremen who is clearly a step above this level and scored in the first team's CL2 win last week, few other Marist lads dropping down also. Presumably a few of the first team lads can't be bothered travelling out of Palmy.

FC Western Reserves 3 NPBHS 3
Wanganui City 2 PNU Reserves 5
Moturoa 0 Levin 1
Takaro 1 NP Rangers 0. A very old looking Rangers team, perhaps they are going to struggle for numbers on the road. Dom Squatriti in midfield for Rangers running the show. Both teams looked poor and slow compared to Marist and Feilding. Takaro seem to play a 5 4 1 and look to hit their target man and break. Worked for them though.

Wouldn’t travel to Fielding you reckon? What’s that….15 minutes?!

Marists first team played @Seatoun

Four players who played for their 1sts in their win versus TK in week one at home, including Creman who played 90 and scored, did not travel to Seatoun and instead played at home against Feilding. 

Guess we will see if they are back in the first team this week given both teams are at home, with only 30 minutes between kick-offs. 

Definitely know if my theory is correct if none of them travel when Marist Reserves have their first New Plymouth trip.

Results
Marist 0 Levin 6 - Marist missing Cremen and had their assistant coach who was a striker playing in goal!
Feilding 1 Takaro 2
Whanganui Athletic 2 Wanganui City 1
FC Western 1 PNU 2
Moturoa vs NPBHS postponed until late May.

Next week we have a spread of games across Easter.

Western Prems:
Wanganui City vs NP Rangers 245pm Friday, Wembley
PNU vs Moturoa, 245pm Friday, Massey
Takaro vs Marist, 1230pm Saturday, Skoglund
FC Western vs Whanganui Athletic, 245pm Saturday, Lynmouth Park
Levin vs NPBHS postponed until later in year, Feilding have the bye.


Fed Cup

Hawera vs PNU, 1230pm Monday, Hawera
Feilding vs NP Rangers, 245pm Monday, Feilding
Moturoa vs Whanganui Athletic, 245pm Monday, Onuku Taipiri Domain

Results

Western Prems:
Wanganui City 2 New Plymouth Rangers 1
PNU 4 Moturoa 1
Takaro 4 Marist 2
FC Western 0 Whanganui Athletic 7

Fed Cup
Hawera LBD PNU WBD
Moturoa 2 Wanganui City 2 (3-1 to Moturoa on pens)
Feilding 2 New Plymouth Rangers 8

Interesting bit of gossip is that the new Whanganui Athletic coach has them training four times a week! And this has caused a mass exodus of players to City.

Fixtures for this week, Fed Cup only:

Takaro vs Whanganui Athletic Reserves, 2pm Skoglund
Levin vs Marist Reserves, 2pm Levin
NP Rangers vs PNU Reserves, 2pm Merrilands
Moturoa vs FC Western, 230pm Onuku Taipari Domain

Eastern Side of Fed Cup
Havelock V NCR 2.45pm Guthrie 
Port Hill v Taradale 2.45pm Marewa 
Napier Marist v Maycenvale 2.45 Bond SF11
Not 100% sure but it looks like Gisborne United defaulted to Gisborne Thistle in the last game. 

Gisborne Old Boys did not enter and Western Rangers entered the Chatham Cup. 

I assume east and west combine for the QF’s?

Fed Cup results:

Takaro 2 Whanganui Athletic Reserves 0
Levin 0 Marist Reserves 3
New Plymouth Rangers 3 PNU 0
Moturoa 1 FC Western Reserves 3

Just goes to show with Marist it all depends on how many 1st teamers drop down week to week, losing 6 nil at home to Levin two weeks ago to winning 3 nil away.

Western Prems fixtures:

PNU Reserves vs Levin, 7pm Friday, Massey
Marist Reserves vs NPBHS, 1230PM Skoglund
Whanganui Athletic vs Moturoa, 245pm Wembley
Feilding vs Wanganui City, 245pm Feilding
NP Rangers vs FC Western Reserves, 1230pm Sunday, Yarrow Stadium

PNU Reserve 0 Levin 3
Marist Reserves 0 NPBHS 0
Whanganui Athletic 6 Moturoa 1
Feilding 3 Wanganui City 2
NP Rangers 1 FC Western Reserves 2

 
                             PlayedWinDrawLossForAgainstGoal DifferenceTotal
 Whanganui Athletic              | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 9
Levin AFC                             | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 9
 Takaro AFC Jokers              | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 9
Palmerston North United     | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 9
PN Marist Men's Reserves  | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 4
FC Western                          | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 13 | -7 | 4
 Feilding United                     | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 3
 Wanganui City FC                | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 3
 NPBHS 1st XI                        | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2
 NP Rangers AFC                  | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0
TSH Moturoa AFC                | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 11 | -9 | 0 


Massively surprised at Rangers start to the season. And great to see Athletic crowing all over social media about being top of the table three games into the season.

Fixtures

Moturoa vs NP Rangers, 1230pm Onuku Taipari Domain
FC Western vs Feilding, 245pm Lynmouth Park
Wanganui City vs Takaro, 245pm Wembley
NPBHS vs PNU Reserves, 245pm Webster
Whanganui Athletic vs Levin postponed due to Chatham Cup
Marist Reserves have the bye

Chatham Cup
Marist 1sts vs Whanganui Athletic, 230pm Arena Turf

Taranaki teams doing it tough huh?  Early days I know but it's looking rough. 

I think travel has had a real effect on them, all FC Western's points have come in New Plymouth. NPBHS managed a draw in Palmy against Marist. And that's it...

Probably doesn't help Rangers that out of the 10 games before the league splits they've been drawn away 6 times, as opposed to PN Marist who are at home 6 times (and one of the away games is at the same ground...)

With all the postponements for Chatham Cup / school holidays it's going to take some time to figure out where everyone sits, loads of chances for teams to climb up the table.

Still a few weeks away, but I’m interested how the west and east sides go against each other.

Takaro v Napier Marist
Port Hill v FC Western 

Takaro look to have started really well, so I would think they are favourites. Napier Marist have a fairly strong 1st XI, but struggle to have that full team play every week. 

Not sure what Western side will show up, as their entire CL2 team are eligible to play after they defaulted the Chatham cup and do not have a CL2 game that weekend. Port Hill also have to travel the 3 1/2hrs to Gisborne on the Saturday before these Kings Bday Monday games. So you would think Western have the upper hand in that one. 

The other two games ensure a East and West Semi Finalist

NP Rangers v P/Nth Marist Reserves 
Napier City v Gisborne Thistle (Looks like Thistle have already defaulted)

Takaro are a weird one. They play 5-4-1 in a low block. Super defensive with a very isolated striker in Whitmore, he's just one of those strikers who only needs a sniff of the goal to score. They're happy for their opponents to dominate possession, and spend most of each game in their own half, but it's worked for them so far.

hotchips

Takaro are a weird one. They play 5-4-1 in a low block. Super defensive with a very isolated striker in Whitmore, he's just one of those strikers who only needs a sniff of the goal to score. They're happy for their opponents to dominate possession, and spend most of each game in their own half, but it's worked for them so far.

That was sounding uncannily like another team I know, right up until that last “but”.

Results

Moturoa 3 - 1 NP Rangers
FC Western 1 - 0 Feilding 
Wanganui City 2 - 3 Takaro 
NPBHS 0 - 4 PNU 

Chatham Cup 
Marist 2 - Whanganui Athletic 0, at least 4 players sent off in the last few minutes must have been a good scrap

Fixtures

Marist Reserves vs PNU Reserves, 1130am, Arena Turf
Feilding vs Moturoa, 1230pm, Feilding
NP Rangers vs Levin, 245pm, Merrilands
Whanganui Athletic vs NPBHS, 245pm, Wembley
Takaro vs FC Western, 245pm, Skoglund

Wanganui City with the bye

Marist Res. 1 - 2 PNU Res.
Feilding 1 - 10 Moturoa
NP Rangers 0 - 4 Levin
Whanganui Athletic 3 - 0 NPBHS
Takaro 0 - 1 FC Western Res.

Fixtures

PNU Res. vs Whanganui Athletic, 7pm Friday, Massey
NPBHS vs NP Rangers, 1230pm, Webster
Moturoa vs Takaro, 245pm, Onuku Taipari
Wanganui City vs Marist Res, 245pm, Wembley
Levin vs Feilding, 245pm, Levin

FC Western with the bye

Not meaning to sound disrespectful but when did Levin get good at football? I honestly hadn't registered them as a decent club. Anyone have any insight? 

They've been good the last couple of years in the Manawatu Prem. They've got a few good young players who've grown as a team together.

Have won all 4 of their games and yet to concede a goal. Although they were crap in the Charity Cup at the start of the season.

Results:

PNU 0 - 3 Whanganui Athletic
NPBHS 4 - 1 NP Rangers
Moturoa 3 - 0 Takaro
Wanganui City 0 - 1 Marist
Levin 4 - 0 Feilding

Tuesday night
PNBHS 2 - 0 Moturoa

Wheels come off for Takaro as their star striker copped a 10 game ban following his sending off last week.

Fixtures:

Marist vs Whanganui Athletic, Friday 7pm, Arena Turf
Takaro vs Levin, 245pm, Skoglund
Wanganui City vs FC Western, 245pm, Wembley
NP Rangers vs PNU, 245pm, Merrilands
Feilding vs NPBHS, 245pm, Timona

Levin vs Whanganui Athletic, Monday 245pm, Donnelly