Find out what’s in store in the ISPS Handa Premiership this weekend with the official preview of Round 12. Once again, the ISPS Handa Premiership is close at the top of the table with Team Wellington leading on goal difference from Eastern Suburbs. Seven points separate the top seven teams with seven rounds remaining in the season.

Hamilton Wanderers v Eastern Suburbs
Porritt Stadium, Hamilton
Sunday 21 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #HWvES

Referee: CK Waugh
Assistant Referees: B Norman, A Lamberth
Fourth Official: AM Keighley

Squads

Hamilton Wanderers: 1. Matt Oliver (GK), 3. Joseph Nottage, 5. Sam O’Regan, 7. Patrick Aisa, 8. Liam Hayes, 10. Armin Pasagic, 11. Jordan Shaw, 12. Raheem Hunter, 13. Tommy Semmy, 15. Steffano Riley, 17. Xavier Pratt, 18. Alexis Varela, 20. Jerahl Hughes, 22. Liam Fellowes, 23. David Masters (GK)
Coach: Ricki Herbert

Eastern Suburbs: 1. Lewis Caunter (GK), 3. Ryan Elder, 6. Jordan Vale, 7. Tim Payne, 8. Moses Dyer, 9. Max Mata, 10. Andre de Jong, 11. Ben Thomas, 14. Leon van den Hoven, 17. Michael Built, 18. Tristan Prattley, 20. Derek Tieku, 22. Hayden Johns, 29. Matt Palmer, 33. James Dunn, 36. Kelvin Kalua
Coach: Danny Hay

Lowdown

Hamilton Wanderers are proving to be a team you underestimate at your peril. The Ricki Herbert-coached side has improved their performances in recent times and picked up their third point of the season when they came from behind to draw 4-4 with Tasman United. The 10^th-placed Wanderers are searching for their first win of the season and would like nothing more than to upset second-placed Eastern Suburbs in the Waikato. The Lily Whites have been the star turn of the competition in recent weeks. They finished the year on a high note when they defeated Waitakere United and have backed that up in 2018 with wins over Southern United and defending champions Team Wellington last week. They will head down State Highway 1 full of confidence and looking to keep pressing their claims for a semi-final berth. Andre de Jong, who scored the late winner over Team Wellington, is having a fine season so far with seven goals to be third on the Golden Boot standings (soon to be second with the departure of Ryan de Vries from Auckland City). Danny Hay’s side will not want to take the three points for granted as they look to continue their three-match winning streak.

Quotes

Danny Hay (Eastern Suburbs coach): “We know that they’re starting to play really well. They’ve started 2018 playing some good football and are super dangerous up front. The addition of Tommy Semmy to the side has added a lot but they’re not just a one-player team. They’re particularly dangerous going forward so we’re going to have to be wary of that. We’re starting to play fairly well ourselves at the moment but we know it’s a different Hamilton side to what we played in the first round.”

Southern United v Tasman United
Sunnyvale Park, Dunedin
Sunday 21 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #SUvTU

Referee: M Conger
Assistant Referees: M Rule, J Cowie
Fourth Official: C Berg

Squads

Southern United: 1. Tom Stevens (GK), 2. Conor O’Keeffe, 3. Tom Connor, 4. Kristian Gibson, 5. Stephen Last, 6. Danny Ledwith, 7. Omar Guardiola, 8. Jared Grove, 10. Danny Furlong, 13. Tim McLennan, 15. Hamish Cotter, 16. Liam Little (GK), 18. Roland Bala, 19. Sam Carmichael, 20. Alex Ridsdale, 23. Ben Wade
Coach: Paul O’Reilly

Tasman United: 1. Corey Wilson (GK), 2. Luca Perico, 3. Edward Sillars, 4. Cameron Lindsay, 5. Mark Johnston, 6. Brian Kaltak, 7. Ryan Stewart, 8. Paul Ifill, 9. Maksym Kowal, 10. Kieran Smith, 12. Cory Chettleburgh, 13. Tinashe Marowa, 16. Daniel Allan, 20. Alex Britton (GK), 21. Yousif Ali Al-Kalisy, 22. Abdulla Al-Kalisy, 23. Sammy Ayers
Coach: Davor Tavich

Lowdown

Southern United just keep hanging in there and if they have a couple of results go their way, they will propel themselves firmly into semi-final contention. The Paul O’Reilly-coached side is currently eighth on the ladder but not out of it yet. They are on 12 points and only five back from fourth-placed Canterbury United. They should take huge confidence from their 1-1 draw with Auckland City last weekend – their second draw with the Navy Blues this season – and look to build on that performance in a South Island derby with Tasman United. The Davor Tavich-coached team walked off the park shaking their heads after conceding a last-minute equaliser against Hamilton Wanderers in the previous round. They looked certain to secure their first home win of the season after a superb hat-trick from Paul Ifill but couldn’t finish the job. But it was a good response from Tasman who were thumped 6-0 by Canterbury United a week earlier and they remain in semi-final contention. They will travel to Dunedin looking to prove a point against Southern in a match that will have significant bearing on both sides’ playoff chances. It will be a special day for new Southern signing Alex Ridsdale, who is in line to make his first appearance against previous club Tasman. Southern will be delighted to finally be back at home after playing their last three matches on the road against the top three teams in the league.

Quotes

Paul O’Reilly (Southern United coach): “It was a good performance last week and a great point. It’s crucial we bring the same performance level into this weekend because we’ve been guilty of being a little inconsistent. This is one of those games that you get excited about because if we get three points we’ll leapfrog Tasman so it’s all to play for. But they’re going to be thinking the same so it won’t be easy – they’re a decent side and have got lots of quality. We’ll have to be at our best to get a win.”

Canterbury United Dragons v Auckland City
English Park, Christchurch
Sunday 21 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #CUvAC

Referee: C Mills
Assistant Referees: I Trevis, J Henderson
Fourth Official: B O’Connell

Squads

Canterbury United Dragons: 1. Coey Turipa (GK), 2. Dan Terris, 3. Aaron Spain, 4. Harrison Bowman, 5. Tom Schwarz, 6. Gary Ogilvie, 7. Travis Nicklaw, 15. Andreas Wilson, 10. Futa Nakamura, 12. George King, 14. Sean Liddicoat, 16. Cory Mitchell, 17. Stephen Hoyle, 19. Francis de Vries, 21. Tom Batty (GK), 23. Sebastian Schacht
Coach: Willy Gerdsen

Auckland City: 1. Enaut Zubikarai (GK), 3. Takuya Iwata, 4. Mario Bilen, 5. Angel Berlanga, 6. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi, 7. Cameron Howieson, 8. Albert Riera, 9. Darren White, 11. Fabrizio Tavano, 13. Alfie Rogers, 17. Reid Drake, 19. Micah Lea’alafa, 20. Emiliano Tade, 21. Harrison Moss-Edge, 24. Conor Tracey (GK), 26. Callum McCowatt
Coach: Ramon Tribulietx

Lowdown

This will be the game of the round. Canterbury and Auckland have a fierce rivalry in most codes and football is no different. The Dragons will be up for this one as the host the Navy Blues in a rich vein of form. They went into the Christmas break winning four of their final five games and have continued that form with a win over Tasman United and a draw against Waitakere United last weekend in Auckland. Willy Gerdsen’s side has climbed to fourth place on the ladder and will fancy their chances of overtaking third-placed Auckland City on their home turf. The six-time champions need to get back to winning ways. They were held to a 1-1 draw last weekend at home against Southern United, drew 2-2 with Waitakere United and before that forfeited their win over Tasman United after fielding an ineligible player. They have recently lost their star striker Ryan de Vries as well as defender Daewook Kim. Auckland City will know that this is an important fixture when it comes to securing a home semi-final. They will also know they are in for a challenge at English Park. City are set to be boosted by the return from injury of star striker Emiliano Tade.

Quotes

Ramon Tribulietx (Auckland City coach): “Emiliano should be all good to go on Sunday – he had a minor muscular injury and we decided to not risk him last weekend understanding the demands of the period of consecutive games we have ahead of us. With the departure of Ryan de Vries and the injury to Kris Bright, Emi is probably our only out-and-out striker available at this stage and therefore it is great to have him available.”

Dan Terris (Canterbury United defender): “We’re expecting what they always bring, they’re quite an organised side and have a really defined style of play. They’re going to bring a lot of quality in terms of their individual players and as a unit. We need to be on our game and concentrating for the full game to get anything out of it. The big games have that bit of edge to them and you always want to pit yourself against the best players in the country.”

Waitakere United v Wellington Phoenix Reserves
The Trusts Arena, Auckland
Sunday 21 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #WUvWP

Referee: A Riley
Assistant Referees: M Batoor, S Merriman
Fourth Official: A Wilson

Squads

Waitakere United: 28. Liam Anderson (GK), 3. Stewart Mackay, 5. Julyan Collett, 6. Jordan Hearn, 7. Yuki Ohtsuka, 9. Ryan Cain, 10. Eder Franchini Pasten, 11. Keegan Linderboom, 14. David Parkinson, 15. Horace James, 17. Jake Butler, 18. Kris Carpenter, 19. Tom Shaw, 21. Dylan Windust, 22. Josh Dijkstra (GK), 23. Dylan Manickum
Coach: Chris Milicich

Wellington Phoenix Reserves: 1. Oliver Sail (GK), 2. Pranay Singh, 3. Jacob Williams, 4. Liam Moore, 5. Liam Wood, 6. Liberto Cacace, 8. Ollie Whyte, 10. Willem Ebbinge, 11. Sam Sutton, 12. Ollie Valentine, 19. Sam Philip, 23. Benjamin Waine, 44. Hamish Watson, 46. Logan Rogerson, 77. Oscar Spragg, 78. Oscar Browne
Coach: Chris Greenacre

Lowdown

Waitakere United will be looking for their first win since round eight this weekend when they host the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. The Chris Milicich-coached side have been held to draws in successive weeks by Auckland City and Canterbury United after they lost their final game of the 2017 season at home to Eastern Suburbs. They will fancy their chances against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves at home. Keegan Linderboom will look to continue his good run of goal-scoring form. He has found the back of the net six times to be fifth equal on the Golden Boot standings. The five-time ISPS Handa Premiership champions currently sit fifth on the ladder, one point back from Canterbury United and know games like this weekend are must-wins if they are to make the playoffs. The Wellington Phoenix are not eligible to make the playoffs but are capable of having a big say on who goes through in the final seven rounds. They could easily have claimed a point on Saturday at the Cake Tin when Hawke’s Bay United held on for an important 3-2 win.

Team Wellington v Hawke’s Bay United
Porirua Stadium, Wellington
Sunday 21 January, 4.35pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #TWvHB

Referee: N Waldron
Assistant Referees: S Lount, A Devenport
Fourth Official: R Fleetham

Squads

Team Wellington: 1. Scott Basalaj (GK), 2. Justin Gulley, 3. Scott Hilliar, 4. Mario Ilich, 6. Taylor Schrijvers, 7. Eric Molloy, 10. Nathanael Hailemariam, 11. Mario Barcia, 12. Andy Bevin, 13. Roy Kayara, 14. Jack-Henry Sinclair, 16. Angus Kilkolly, 18. Sekou Diane, 30. Marcel Kampman (GK)
Coach: Jose Figueira

Hawke’s Bay United: 1. Ruben Parker (GK), 2. Hayden McHenery, 4. Graham Craven, 5. Bill Robertson, 6. Alex Palezevic, 7. Wesley Cain, 8. Sam St De Croix, 9. Samuel Adjei, 10. Adam Thurston, 14. Gavin Hoy, 15. Jim Hoyle, 19. Birhanu Taye, 21. Bjorn Christensen, 23. Jorge Akers, 24. Karanjit Mandair, 26. Mackenzie Waite (GK)
Coach: Brett Angell

Lowdown

Jose Figueira’s side will look to get back to winning ways at home this weekend in a local derby with Hawke’s Bay United. The defending champions were beaten 2-1 in Auckland last week thanks to a last-minute goal from Eastern Suburbs’ Andre de Jong. Team Wellington still remain in first place on the ladder (ahead on goal difference) but they are now level on points with Suburbs. From the past two successful seasons, they know how important it is to have home advantage in the playoffs. They also know they are coming up against a desperate side in Hawke’s Bay. Brett Angell’s men, who seemingly make the playoffs every year, are in a position where they need to win nearly all of their remaining seven games to sneak into the top four. They got some of their mojo back in their 3-2 win over the Wellington Phoenix Reserves and need to continue that momentum at Porirua Stadium in front of the Sky Sport cameras.

Quotes

Andy Bevin (Team Wellington striker): “It’s always a tough game against Hawke’s Bay, they’re a really well structured and organised team and they don’t concede many goals so we know it’s going to be hard to break them down. We’re just going to hopefully find a way to score some goals and get the three points that we desperately need.”

Brett Angell (Hawke’s Bay United coach): “We’re hoping getting three points last week changes the mind-set of the players a little bit and gives the boys a bit more added confidence going into what we know will be a very tough game. Wellington are top of the league and are there for a reason – we have to respect that but we’ve got to go there and take the game to them and hopefully come away with all the points. I think, realistically, we need to win six of our last seven games to give ourselves the best opportunity to be in the playoffs.”