Western Suburbs and Wairarapa United continue to set the pace in football’s Central League and remain toe to toe for the title.
Wairarapa United made hard work of it, beating eighth-placed Wellington Olympic 3-2. Olympic played some of their best football of the season in the first half, but coughed up a sloppy penalty to give Wairarapa a 1-0 lead at the break. Wairarapa stretched that lead to two, before Luis Corrales pulled one back for the visitors.
Paul Ifill missed a sitter and then Wairarapa gave up a penalty of their own after Coey Turipa upended Corrales, which Mario Barcia slotted to bring Olympic level at 2-2. But they couldn’t hold on for the point, and Wairarapa closed the game out with a third to Ermal Hajdari.
Western Suburbs, in contrast, were relatively comfortable winners over Napier City Rovers. Scoreless at halftime, Wests took charge of the match in the second spell. Dalton Wilkins opened the scoring in the 53rd minute and a brace from New Zealand Under-20 midfielder Callum McCowatt rounded out the scoring for a 3-0 win.
RESULTS
Men’s Central League
Western Suburbs 3 (Dalton Wilkins, Callum McCowatt) Napier City Rovers 0
Wairarapa United 3 Wellington Olympic 2
Stop Out 1 Team Taranaki 0
Wellington United 7 Miramar Rangers 4
Palmerston North Marist 4 Lower Hutt City 1
AT A GLANCE
Central League standings after 11 rounds: Western Suburbs 26 points, Wairarapa United 25, Stop Out 20, Wellington United 17, Napier City Rovers 14, Miramar Rangers 14, Team Taranaki 11, Wellington Olympic 10, PN Marist 9, Lower Hutt City 8.
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