Laser Plumbing Gore Wanderers continued their challenge in the Donald Gray with a tightly contested 3-2 win over McIntyre Dick Thistle FC at O’Rorke Park on Saturday.
Gore took the lead on 25 minutes through Mac Heaps, but Thistle levelled the score 15 minutes later courtesy of Nshuti Honore, only for Rithvy Gounder to put Gore in front again just before the break.
Thistle again levelled the scoreboard through Sheraan Mohammed as the game opened up.
With just over 15 minutes still to play, Gounder grabbed his second, and Gore’s third, to take the lead and set up a tense finish to the match. Gore held on, taking all three points to remain in the hunt, two points behind league leaders Queens Park, although the Surrey Park side has a game in hand.
In the early kick-off, Level One Queens Park had already comfortably dispatched Kowhai Roofing Waihopai 6-1 to keep their lead at the top of the Donald Gray Premiership table.
It was a comfortable win for Park, although Waihopai showed some spirit in the second half, putting pressure on Park and grabbing a goal back to make it 3-1. However, tiredness set in, and Park were able to extend their lead to take out the game with ease.
In the SPL, Park beat a visiting Queenstown outfit in a much more dominant display than the 3-2 scoreline indicated.
Park went ahead on 19 minutes through Cam Johnson, with David Mwangi adding a second on the 24-minute mark, followed by a Rodrigo Camargo goal five minutes before the break, to cap off an excellent first half for the home side.
Queenstown came out fighting and grabbed a goal back 10 minutes into the second half, but Park coped well, and it looked to be a comfortable win for Park before Rayn Walden popped up in stoppage time to add what was ultimately a consolation goal for the visitors. Park will be pleased with the win but will be unhappy to have let Queenstown back in the game, rather than putting it beyond reach.
Park face Thistle this Saturday in the early kick-off at 12.30pm at Surrey Park, while Old Boys welcome Waihopai at Waverley Park, kicking off at 3pm, in the other Donald Gray fixture.
The Park women’s side made no such mistake beating Dunedin City Royals 3-1 in its SPL tie.
Goals from Rebecca Walker and a double from Isla Smith were enough to see off the Royals despite a Maggie Burgess goal to make it 2-1 before Walker put Park’s third away to seal the win.
The win puts Park at the top of the SPL table, albeit on goal difference, and third-placed University have a game in hand, but I’m sure they will enjoy the time at the top in what has been a productive opening season in the league.
Park’s men face Dunedin City Royals in the SPL this week at the ILT Turf, while the women head to Dunedin to face University where a win could have them keep top spot.
- By Chris Montgomery
