Perfect record for Futsal Navy Blues
TAURANGA, New Zealand - The Futsal Navy Blues have secured maximum points in their Northern Travel Series winning all 4 games against their Northern rivals Waikato Rapids and Bay of Plenty Surge.
Following two comprehensive wins on Saturday 8-4 over the Bay of Plenty Surge and 9-2 over the Waikato Rapids the Futsal Navy Blues carried on from where they left off with an impressive display on Sunday morning against the Bay of Plenty Surge.
After a slow start through the first two rotations the Futsal Navy Blues hit their stride before the end of the first half with Eduardo Exposito Espinosa breaking the deadlock followed by quick goals to Bahram Ahmadi and Dom Hawkins leaving the score at 3-0 heading into the half-time break.
After his four goals against the Surge yesterday Thomas Picken found himself on the scoresheet again when the home side gave away a silly foul in the circle and Picken put away the resulting spot kick to make it 4-0.
RESULT - 7-2
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) March 12, 2023
Congratulations to the #FutsalNavyBlues who have secured maximum points from their Ford Futsal Superleague Northern Travel series in Tauranga this weekend after a 7-2 win over the Waikato Rapids in Tauranga this afternoon. #FutsalNavyBlues #FordFutsalSuperLeague pic.twitter.com/ZNjfpcYdEl
The lead was soon extended when Sam Twigg latched on to the end of a ball it looked like there was a degree of luck in it but the score was further stretched to 5-0.
Bay of Plenty to their credit didn’t stop trying to create chances and Keenan Howard’s surge up court led to a nervy moment only for Vaughan Somerville to deny him with a great block.
Not long later the Surge were on the scoresheet when Thomas McMillan lashed home a fantastic shot from distance past Somerville to give them hope of staging a late comeback.
This goal appeared to give the Surge a renewed sense of vigour and led to a few good spells on the ball and a few good chances but any hopes of a comeback were put to bed when captain Stephen Ashby fired the Futsal Navy Blues into a 6-1 lead followed by quickfire goals securing braces for Ahmadi, Hawkins and Exposito Espinoza completing the 9-1 rout.
In the day’s second game against the Waikato Rapids the Futsal Navy Blues were on the scoresheet within the first 10 seconds through Thomas Picken.
The lead was doubled by a brilliant shot into the bottom corner from Dom Hawkins with 9 minutes remaining in the first half followed by a quick third for Adam Paulsen soon afterwards Sam Twigg was in with the Futsal Navy Blues fourth of the afternoon before Denny Twigg was in for the fifth.
The Waikato Rapids after a time out got themselves on the scoresheet through Casey Sharplin with a good finish past Mike Antamanov with 4 minutes remaining in the first half. Soon after the Futsal Navy Blues restored the 5 goal advantage when Josh Margetts fired into an empty net when the Rapids were playing 5th man leaving the scores at 6-1 heading into the half time break.
Picken got the second half scoring underway with a clinical move off a set piece before Casey Sharplin secured his brace for the Rapids rounding out the scoring and a 7-2 win for the Futsal Navy Blues.
For head coach Nic Downes it was a good day “They went really well everyone is happy we got maximum points we also played the style we wanted to play the guys were ruthless in front of goal so maximum points and a few goals along the way” as for standouts “It’s hard to pull out exact moments as there were lots across the games we scored incredible goals and moments of combination play and guys recovering back and saving goals and the goalkeepers making incredible saves so you could make a huge highlights reel across the weekend.
FULL TIME - 9-1
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) March 11, 2023
Another clinical performance from the #FutsalNavyBlues comprehensively defeating the Bay of Plenty Surge 9-1 in Tauranga this morning. #FutsalNavyBlues #FordFutsalSuperLeague #StrengthInUnity pic.twitter.com/Hg7CHY85VX
The Futsal Navy Blues are next in action next weekend for National Series 1 of the Ford Futsal Super League where they face Capital Futsal, Hawke’s Bay Futsal, Canterbury United and Southern United over 6 games across Saturday, Sunday and Monday at Trusts Arena in Waitakere.
Ends
Ford Futsal SuperLeague - Northern Travel Series
Match Day 1
Match Result
Ford Futsal SuperLeague Northern Travel Series
Saturday 11 March 2023
Bay of Plenty Surge 4 (Arran CARTER 3, Mario RAMOS)
Auckland City FC 8 (Thomas PICKEN 4, Bahram AHMADI 3, Shaun MORGAN)
Match Result
Ford Futsal SuperLeague Northern Travel Series
Saturday 11 March 2023
Waikato Rapids 2 (Max ERIKSEN 2)
Auckland City FC 9 (Aalok PAUDEL, Art TWIGG 2, Eduardo Exposito ESPINOSA, Bahram AHMADI 2, Sam TWIGG, Dom HAWKINS, Stephen ASHBY-PECKHAM)
Ford Futsal SuperLeague - Northern Travel Series
Match Day 2
Match Result
Ford Futsal SuperLeague Northern Travel Series
Sunday 12 March 2023
Auckland City FC 9 (Eduardo Exposito ESPINOSA 2, Dom HAWKINS 2, Bahram AHMADI 2, Thomas PICKEN, Sam TWIGG, Stephen ASHBY-PECKHAM
Bay of Plenty Surge 1 (Thomas McMILLAN)
Match Result
Ford Futsal SuperLeague Northern Travel Series
Sunday 12 March 2023
Auckland City FC (Thomas PICKEN 2, Dom HAWKINS, Adam PAULSEN, Sam TWIGG, Denny TWIGG, Josh MARGETTS,
Waikato Rapids (Casey SHARPLIN 2)
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Table
| Position | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | AC | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 15 |
| 2 |  | WS | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 12 |
| 3 |  | BU | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 9 |
| 4 |  | BO | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 9 |
| 5 |  | MN | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 7 |
| 6 |  | AU | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 |
| 7 |  | ES | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
| 8 |  | TC | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 |
| 9 |  | MU | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 3 |
| 10 |  | WR | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 2 |
| 11 |  | HW | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 1 |
| 12 |  | EB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
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