The Reds go top

Cambridge Football Club victorious last year

Cambridge leads the men’s football premiership after a 2-1 home victory over Hamilton Wanderers at John Kerkhof Park on Easter Monday.

Josh Clarkin

The top of the table Northern League clash came only three days after The Reds shared the spoils 1-1 in atrocious weather conditions against Melville United at Gower Park in Hamilton.

Goals to Blake Taylor and Joshua Clarkin gave Cambridge the lead against Wanderers with time up and extra time on the clock.

Right on 90, substitute Connor Cloete silenced the home crowd with a bolter of a strike on the angle and when Matthew Dale got his second yellow card, and had to leave the field, Wanderers went on the attack.

Bizarrely there were 13 minutes of extra time and when the ref blew full time, no doubt caused by the time it took him to issue 12 yellow cards, spectators breathed huge sighs of relief.

The Cambridge defence held firm – goalie Stefan Heuberger was outstanding – and the league’s newcomers showed last year’s results were no fluke. They have class aplenty and look at home in the higher league.

Heuberger had a busy night on Good Friday as well against Melville who peppered his goal with shots. Campbell Martin was player of the match for his relentless work in midfield.

Joshua Clarkin opened the scoring with a 52nd minute penalty in a game littered with yellow cards – three to Cambridge and four to Melville.

Victory was in The Reds’ sights – playing in black as the away team – until the memorable 90th minute when Ryen Lawrence scored for Melville and referee Andres Castros issued Clarkin with one of the yellow cards.

Bella Stark was player of the match and scored the only goal as Cambridge women beat Northern Rovers 1-0 away at McFetridge Park in the women’s championship.

Clubs like Cambridge Football, which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, have invested heavily into infrastructure. Photo: Mary Anne Gill.

More Recent Sports

Quarter century celebrated

Cambridge’s wheelchair athlete Maioro Barton has completed his 25th New Zealand Wheelchair Basketball season playing for Waikato. He told The News that halfway through 2024 he was asked to fill in as coach until the…

Double for Donovan

Cambridge’s Hugh Donovan collected  two golds at the South Pacific Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Championships over Labour Weekend. Donovan, a year 10 student at St Peter’s School, competed in both gi and no-gi divisions for his age and orange belt category in Auckland….

Know rugby… can travel

Cambridge mum Michelle Santy says there are loads of “amazing travel opportunities out there” for young rugby players. Her son Jordan is one of four former Cambridge High School students who have ended up playing…

Karter grew into jet skiing

Cambridge teenager Connor Brinck had been go-kart racing for four years before he slammed into a roadblock – his own height. “I’d been competing at national level, but I had to change because I got…