Unbeaten Northern on target in bad weather

Otago Daily Times

03-07-2025

Northern overcame atrocious conditions to complete a 100% record in the Southern Premiership's first round.
Nick Treadwell and Amasio Jutel scored to beat Queens Park 2-0 at Logan Park on Saturday, taking them eight points at the top of the table.
Queens Park defensive pairing Tom Kent and Rodrigo Schmidt De Camargo were keeping Northern strike force Rory Hibbert and Treadwell quiet.
For the opening period they looked the more likely side to break the deadlock.
Northern came into the match midway through the first half and their first attempt on 20 minutes was a 25-yard effort from Nicholas Brett that went narrowly past the post.
Northern were starting to gain ascendancy and four minutes later Kim Gorman got to the byline and saw his cross hit the crossbar.
A minute later Northern took the lead through Treadwell.
He was in the right spot to react to the loose ball to tap home from close range.
Just before the halftime break Queens Park nearly equalised when a long-range free kick was sent into the penalty box and Zack Owen-Gear saw his header flash narrowly wide of the far post.
Northern did hit the post in the opening seconds of the restart when Hibbert's shot came back off the post.
Queens Park again threatened from a long free kick that saw Schmidt De Camargo's bicycle kick land on the roof of the net.
However, Northern rode the storm and made the game safe in the 54th minute when the ball was played across field to Jutel in an advanced position on the left.
He cut inside, beating his man and bending his shot into the top right-hand corner, giving goalkeeper Mitchell Fowler no chance.
Otago University finished the round in second spot, beating Dunedin City Royals 4-1, also at Logan Park.
The Royals started well but University took the lead with their first serious attack after a series of corners Warryk Hodson scored on 13 minutes.
The students doubled their lead six minutes later when Josh Kotkamp combined with Sam Murray and Kotkamp bent his shot past keeper Jonathan Tucker.
Tucker did extremely well early in the second half to deny Simba Muwunganirwa from point blank range clattering into the post as a result, but wasn't able to deny Ashton Hodson making it 3-0 after 54 minutes.
Kantaro Nagata pulled one back for the Royals just after the hour mark, however the final scoring was Ashton Hodson's injury time penalty giving University the win.
Green Island beat Old Boys in Invercargill 3-1 to pull away from the relegation zone.
First-half goals to Ryan Walker and Phil Yeardley were added to by Harrison McClean's 50th minute strike, William Fleming scoring Old Boys consolation goal.
In the men's South Island league, the Otago derby between Wānaka and Dunedin City Royals was washed out due to an unplayable field.
The Dunedin City Royals women's South Island league team were able to get their match under way and had a comfortable routine 2-0 victory over NW United at Logan Park.
Raegan Potter bagged her sixth goal of the campaign in the 20th minute and Hannah Mackay-Wright's 51st minute goal made sure the Royals 100% record remained intact after nine rounds.
Yesterday, Georgia Nixon scored twice as Otago University drew 2-2 with Halswell United at Logan Park.
Halswell took an early lead through Ella Hartel, before Nixon equalised in the 49th minute.
Amelia Wilson edged the visitors ahead once more 10 minutes later, but Nixon drew level and secured a point for University from the spot in the 71st minute.
By Neville Watson