Find out what is in store in the ISPS Handa Premiership this weekend with the official preview of Round 10, the first round back after the Christmas break. All 10 teams are back in action this weekend with a number of intriguing local derbies to kick off the New Year. Up in Auckland, six-time champions Auckland City host Waitakere United, while Tasman United will host Canterbury United and in the capital defending champions Team Wellington will host the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Only six points separate the league leaders Team Wellington and the seventh-placed Southern United side so the semi-final places are still very much up for grabs in the business end of the ISPS Handa Premiership.

Eastern Suburbs AFC v Southern United FC
Bill McKinlay Park, Auckland
Saturday 6 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #ESvSU

Referee A Maharaj
Assistant Referee 1 A Verolino
Assistant Referee 2 S Merriman
Fourth Official A Wilson

Eastern Suburbs: 1. Lewis CAUNTER, 3. Ryan ELDER, 56. Jordan VALE, 7. Tim PAYNE, 8. Moses Dyer, 9. Max MATA, 10. Andre DE JONG, 11. Ben THOMAS, 12. Hayden Johns, 13. Kingsley SINCLAIR, 14 Hayden JOHNS, 17 Michael BUILT, 18. Tristan PRATTLEY, 20. Derek TIEKU, 21 Sam TWIGG,
Coach: Danny HAY

Southern United: 16. Liam LITTLE (GK), 1. Tom STEVENS (GK), 2. Conor O’KEEFFE, 3. Tom CONNOR, 4. Kristian GIBSON, 5. Stephen LAST, 6. Daniel LEDWITH, 7. Omar GUARDIOLA, 8. Jared GROVE, 9. Garbhan COUGHLAN, 10. Danny FURLONG, 13. Tim McLENNAN, 14. Andrew RIDDEN, 15. Hamish COTTER, 18. Roland BALA, 22. Michael HOGAN
Coach: Paul O’REILLY

Lowdown:
Eastern Suburbs will look to continue their momentum leading into the Christmas break where they turned around a run of frustrating results with an invaluable 2-0 win over Waitakere United. Danny Hay’s team has plenty of young talent on offer with the likes of Max Mata, Moses Dyer and Andre de Jong and former All White Tim Payne played a leading role from centre half in that Auckland derby win. The Lily Whites, who have a game in hand on league leaders Team Wellington, currently sit in third place on the ladder on 14 points, only three back from the defending champions and will be targeting all three points at home. Meanwhile, Southern United are looking for revenge after their 1-0 loss to Suburbs in Dunedin in Round 2 in October. The match was an even contest until a goal from de Jong late in the match proved the difference. The Paul O’Reilly coached team are seventh on the leaderboard and will look to build on their gutsy 0-0 draw at Team Wellington in round nine. They have a fully fit squad with striker Danny Furlong and midfielder Danny Ledwith returning from injury. Captain Conor O'Keeffe and Sam Carmichael are both suspended. O’Keeffe has played 27 consecutive matches since arriving in Dunedin and has been in excellent form. Centre-back Stephen Last will wear the captain's armband in O’Keeffe’s absence. New midfield signings Nick Treadwell and Luke McKay are not yet available until transfers clear.

Quotes
Paul O’Reilly, Southern United Coach:

“The first half of the season has been good, but that’s all it is, a good couple of games. It’s good to have a good start, but we really do need to kick on now in the second half of the season. The first four games, in particular, are certainly massive games for us. Certainly, the first two, we need to get some points out of those games. It won’t be easy going up to Auckland two weeks on the bounce. If we can get something out of the game this coming weekend that will hopefully give us a good platform to kick on in the second half of the year as well."

Hawke’s Bay United v Hamilton Wanderers
Bluewater Stadium, Napier
Sunday 7 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #HUvHW

Referee P Linney Shirt Colour
Assistant Referee 1 M Rule
Assistant Referee 2 G Sheehan
Fourth Official A Riley

Hawke’s Bay United: TBC 

Hamilton Wanderers: 1. Matt OLIVER (GK), 3. Joseph NOTTAGE, 5. Samuel O’REGAN, 6. Dave SAMSON, 8. Sam DE ST CROIX, 10. Armin PASAGIC, 11. Jordan SHAW, 13. Tommy SEMMY, 14. Patrick ASIA, 15. Flynn O’BRIEN, 16 Hamish SMYLIE 17. Xavier PRATT, 18. Alexis CARCAMO VARELA, 20. Jerahl HUGHES, 21. Steffano RILEY, 23. David MASTERS (GK)
Coach: Ricki HERBERT

Lowdown: Hawke’s Bay United have not had the season they had hoped for so far in the ISPS Handa Premiership. But they have shown their quality over time and are a perennial semi-final contender for good reason. They need to win this weekend against the 10^th placed Wanderers. The Brett Angell coached team, who have appealed the decision of his one match suspension from 2017, are currently in ninth place and have plenty of work to do. In their final five games to close 2017 they managed one draw and four losses to Canterbury, Waitakere United, Auckland City and Southern United. They are on nine points – only five points back from the fourth-placed Waitakere United – but their resurgence must start now. Hamilton Wanderers meanwhile, will want to continue their improvement throughout the season. The Ricki Herbert coached side have shown real progress in recent weeks and earned their first point of the season when they drew 2-2 with Southern United and led Waitakere United at half time. Herbert is focusing on using local talent and is building some great foundations for the future of the club. A first win for Wanderers this season would be a great confidence boost for his young side.

Quotes
Brett Angell, Hawke’s Bay United coach: “It is good to have another game at home and obviously it would be great to begin 2018 on a winning note. That is what we need to do. We have made life more difficult for ourselves with trying to make the top four. At home we have been the stronger team but we haven’t been able to come away with the maximum points so that is what we are looking to do on Sunday.”

Team Wellington v Wellington Phoenix Reserves
David Farrington Park, Wellington
Sunday 7 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #TWvWP

Referee C Mills
Assistant Referee 1 E Cook
Assistant Referee 2 A Clarke
Fourth Official J Rowbury

Team Wellington: 1.Scott BASALAJ (GK), 2. Justin GULLEY, 3. Scott HILLIAR, 4. Mario ILLICH, 5. Erik PANZER, 6. Taylor SCHRIJVERS, 7. Eric MOLLOY, 10. Nati HAILEMARIAM, 11. Mario BARCIA, 12. Andy BEVIN, 13. Roy KAYARA, 14. Jack-Henry SINCLAIR, 15. Joel STEVENS, 16. Angus KILKOLLY, 17. Louis FENTON, 22. Marcel KAMPMAN (GK),
Coach: Jose FIGUEIRA

Wellington Phoenix Reserves: TBC

Lowdown:

Team Wellington received a late Christmas present when they were informed of Auckland City forfeiting their round nine win over Tasman United which saw them go top of the ISPS Handa Premiership heading into Christmas. The Jose Figueira coached side, who were held to a 0-0 draw in round nine by a 10-man Southern United, will look to respond in this Wellington local derby. The defending champions won three of their final five games of 2017, losing to Waitakere United 2-1 in their only loss in that run. They will be without prolific striker Tom Jackson. Meanwhile the Wellington Phoenix Reserves have shown plenty of character in recent weeks and are certainly capable of an upset at David Farrington Park. In their last four outings, the Chris Greenacre coached team has beaten Wanderers (3-1) drawn with Eastern Suburbs (2-2), beaten Tasman United (2-0) away from home and drawn 2-2 with Southern United to show they are a dangerous side. Expect the wee nix to come out with a point to prove.

Auckland City FC v Waitakere United
Kiwitea Street
Sunday 7 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #ACvWU

Referee M Conger
Assistant Referee 1 S Lount
Assistant Referee 2 T Makasini
Fourth Official A Wilson

Auckland City: TBC

Waitakere United: TBC

Lowdown: Auckland City and Waitakere United will have no shortage of motivation for the second Super City Derby. The Navy Blues went into the break on top of the table after putting away Tasman United 3-1 to have a record of 25 goals for and two against in their last six outings. But New Zealand Football determined that Auckland City had fielded an ineligible player in Micah Lea’alafa and Auckland City forfeited their three points. They are currently one point behind defending champions Team Wellington and have one game in hand. The Ramon Tribulietx coached team, who won the opening Super City Derby out West earlier in the season, will look to complete a prized double on home turf. Waitakere United will look to make amends for the way the last Derby result and also the way they closed out 2017 with a 2-0 loss to Suburbs. The Chris Milicich coached side have enjoyed a fine season to date and currently sit in fourth place, level on 14 points with the Lily Whites. After they drew 0-0 with Tasman United, they defeated Team Wellington, Hawke’s Bay United and Hamilton Wanderers in a fine run of form which saw them climb to third. They will want resume that form as quickly as they can to keep pressing for the playoffs. Auckland City FC and Waitakere United have met 39 times in the ISPS Handa Premiership with the Navy Blues winning 23, drawing four and losing 12.

Quotes:
Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx:  “We’ve had a good week of training and this game will not only be difficult in a technical sense but the fact it is a derby always adds an extra bit of intensity. These games are very difficult to predict how they will go and Waitakere have recovered some form after a difficult start. This is a tough game to start 2018 with but it’s always a fixture everyone wants to play in.”

Tasman United v Canterbury United Dragons
Trafalgar Park, Nelson
Sunday 7 January, 4:35pm Live on SKY Sport
#ISPSHandaPrem #TUvCU

Referee N Waldron
Assistant Referee 1 C Gruschow
Assistant Referee 2 S Reilly
Fourth Official H McCabe

Tasman United: 1. Corey WILSON (GK), 2. Luca PERICO, 4. Cameron LINDSAY, 5. Mark JOHNSTON, 6. Brian KALTAK, 8. Paul IFILL, 9. Maksym KOWAL, 10. Kieran SMITH, 12. Cory CHETTLEBURGH, 14. Robbie PEARSON, 15. Tinashe MAROWA, 16. Daniel ALLAN, 17. Callan ELLIOT, 18 Matthew Tod-Smith, 23. Sam AYERS, Yousif Ali
Coach: Davor TAVICH

Canterbury United Dragons: TBC.

Lowdown:

There is always plenty riding on this South Island derby but even more so in 2017 – 18 with both teams firmly in semi-final contention. Tasman United moved into fifth place on the ISPS Handa Premiership ladder when their 3-1 loss to Auckland City in round nine was overturned because of the Navy Blues fielding an ineligible player. They welcome back the experience and class of Paul Ifill from injury and will look to secure their first win of the season at home after three draws and a loss at Trafalgar Park so far. The story has been a different one at English Park as the Dragons have recovered superbly from a slow start. Canterbury won four of their last five games, only losing to Team Wellington, to get firmly back into the hunt for the playoffs. They will be targeting all three points on Sunday to keep climbing the ladder and overtake Tasman United.

Quotes:

Canterbury United Dragons coach Willy Gerdsen: “We have come back together very well after a short break and we are looking to build on the momentum we had before the break. We want more good performances and more results and we hope that will continue this weekend at Tasman and for the next few weeks. We know the league is very tight. We still have a game in hand so we know that every game in this competition is very important.”