SOUTHERN FOOTBALL WEEKLY ROUND UP WEEKEND 3rd MAY

Dunedin City Royals’ Unbeaten Run Ends at Tahuna Park

Dunedin City Royals were unable to extend their unbeaten run to five games, falling 2-0 to Christchurch United at Tahuna Park.

The opening exchanges were promising, with both teams working to settle into the game and adapt to a very slow and sandy surface. United threatened early, with probing runs from Eddie Wilkinson keeping the Royals’ defence on high alert.

Just as the Royals began to find their rhythm, they were caught napping. Ben Campbell brought down his opponent on the edge of the box and was shown a red card in the 17th minute—a moment that would prove pivotal.

Despite the setback, the Royals made necessary tactical adjustments and continued to push forward with offensive attacks. They troubled a United side not accustomed to facing such pressure in key areas of the pitch. However, it wasn’t until the 40th minute that United broke the deadlock. A free kick was poorly cleared, allowing Daniel Meyn to score at the far post.

The Royals came out focused in the second half and continued to frustrate United. The introduction of Will Turner, Rhys Christie, Luke Salisbury, Max Davidson, and Luis Deaker shifted the balance in their favour, resulting in multiple attacking opportunities that ultimately went unconverted. Turner, after starting a move and receiving a through ball, went one-on-one with the goalkeeper but curled his shot agonisingly wide.

Playing nearly 80 minutes with 10 men, the Royals showed plenty of bite and resilience. However, they were unlucky to concede a second goal with the final kick of the game, as Waisea Henry tapped home in the 5th minute of stoppage time to seal the win for Christchurch United, who remain top of the table on 16 points.

Elsewhere in the Southern League

Wanaka also suffered a home defeat, going down 3-2 to Nomads and losing their perfect home record. Wānaka dominated the first half, enjoying two-thirds possession and taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the break through Ronan Dillow’s 11th-minute goal. Nomads equalised via a Caleb Cotton penalty in the 63rd minute and added further goals through Guy Reeves and Cooper Goldsmith to lead 3-1 with five minutes remaining. Dillow pulled one back in injury time, and Wānaka had chances to equalise, but couldn’t find the breakthrough.

Coastal Spirit moved into second place, one point behind Christchurch United, with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Nelson Suburbs. Riku Ichimura scored twice, taking his season tally to nine goals.

Cashmere Tech welcomed back Garbhan Coughlan, who made an immediate impact by scoring a brace against Ferrymead Bays. His decisive goal in the 59th minute secured a 3-2 victory. With wins for Cash Tech and defeats for both the Royals and Nelson, all three teams now sit on 10 points.

Selwyn looked to have secured their first win of the season, leading the University of Canterbury 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play. However, goals in the 81st and 82nd minutes saw the students snatch a 2-2 draw.

Women’s South Island League

Both the University of Otago and Dunedin City Royals women’s teams continue to set a blistering pace, each recording their fifth consecutive victory.

University defeated Coastal Spirit 4-0 away in a clash of early title contenders. Ruby Braithwaite opened the scoring in the 7th minute, finishing a cutback. Hayley Julian was alert in goal to deny an equaliser, and University’s midfield dominated the first half. Leila Hausia-Haugen and Georgia Nixon both scored to give the visitors a 3-0 halftime lead. In a more balanced second half, Nixon broke through to add her second goal with 18 minutes remaining. Coach Hamish Phillip praised the performance, stating: “Everything we had them working on during the week was done on field.”

The Royals also won 2-0 in Christchurch against the University of Canterbury. Hannah Mackay-Wright opened the scoring to give the Royals a 1-0 halftime lead, and Shelby Jones added a second in the 74th minute. Both University and the Royals sit on 15 points with an identical goal difference of +20, the Royals staying top by the slimmest of margins.

Roslyn Wakari earned a vital 6-3 win over Halswell United, with Amelie East-Gillies scoring a hat trick. She opened the scoring in the 7th minute and completed her treble in the 79th. Isa Smith, Zara Pratley, and Morgan MacCormick also scored to secure the win. Roslyn now sits mid-table with 7 points.

Men’s Southern Premier League – Round 4

Northern and University both maintained their perfect records. University sit top on goal difference following a 9-1 demolition of Northern Hearts. Ashton Hodson opened the scoring in the 11th minute, and it was 3-0 before Bailey Chambers pulled one back. Simba Muwunganirwa netted a hat trick, while Blake Allison and Oscar Crowe each scored twice. Sam Clegg completed the rout in the 76th minute.

Northern had a far tougher challenge against the previously unbeaten Royals. Despite dominating early in wet and windy conditions, Northern went 1-0 down when George Barker converted a 16th-minute penalty. The Royals looked set to lead at halftime, but Toby Orchiston headed in an equaliser in stoppage time.

The second half was fiercely contested, with both sides sharing possession. Northern created the better chances, while the Royals remained a threat on the counter. The winner came in the 60th minute as Asti Wallace whipped in a free kick from 30 metres out that flew into the top corner, leaving Royals keeper Jonathan Tucker no chance.

Queens Park left it late to claim their first win of the season, scoring twice in injury time to beat Green Island 3-1. Sebastian Castillo Viveros opened the scoring in the 8th minute, but Harrison McLean equalised from the spot on 60 minutes. In added time, Zac Owen-Gear smashed in a loose ball and Ryo Okuyama, who started the move, drifted into the box to finish at the far post.

Roslyn Wakari beat Mosgiel 4-2. After an early goal from Hamish Mair, Mosgiel’s Reese Burtenshaw equalised. George Holland restored Roslyn’s lead just before halftime. Ben William-Davies then scored two near-identical breakaway goals in the second half to make it 4-1. Although Harvey Stevens pulled one back for Mosgiel, Roslyn held on for all three points.

Article added: Monday 05 May 2025