The ISPS Handa Premiership returns on Sunday after a brief hiatus for the festive season, check out what’s in store in match week 11 with the official preview.

Hawke’s Bay United vs Wellington Phoenix Reserves
Bluewater Stadium, Napier
Sunday 6 January, 1pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #HBvWP

Referee: C-K Kawana-Waugh
Assistant Referees: E Cook, G Sheehan
Fourth Official: M Rule

Squads

Hawke’s Bay United: 1. Mackenzie Waite (GK), 3. Liam Schofield, 4. Cameron Lindsay, 5. Dilan Nanayakkara, 6. Daniel Allan, 7. Cory Chettleburgh, 8. Paul Ifill, 9. Sam Mason-Smith, 10. Sho Goto, 11. Maxime Oliveri, 12. Ben Lack, 17. Jordan Lamb, 21. Bjorn Christensen, 22. Karan Mandair, 23. Jorge Akers, 26. Alexander Britton (GK)
Coach: Brett Angell

Wellington Phoenix Reserves: 1. Zac Jones (GK), 2. Kurtis Mogg, 4. Boyd Curry, 5. Ronan Wynne, 6. Gianni Stensness, 7. Benjamin Waine, 8. Tacettin Kumsuz, 9. Maximilian Batchelor, 10. Willem Ebbinge, 11. Sam Sutton, 13. Noah Tipene-Clegg, 15. Stephen Sprowson, 16. Kieran Richards, 21. Owen Smith, 40. Alexander Paulsen (GK)
Coach: Paul Temple

Lowdown

Both these sides were left to stew on disappointing defeats over the break but the Phoenix had even longer to reflect on their eighth consecutive loss as they had a bye in the final week of 2018. The Bay can’t afford to be the first victims of the Phoenix as they are five points off the play-off spots and have a lot of work to do to force themselves into the reckoning.

Quotes

Paul Temple (Wellington Phoenix Reserves coach): “Brett’s teams are always organised, they’re always fighting against the odds and do better than everyone thinks they’ll do. It’s a tough place to go and it will be a challenge up in Hawke’s Bay but this is what the national league is about and we’re looking forward to it.”

Southern United vs Eastern Suburbs  
Sunnyvale Park, Dunedin
Sunday 6 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #SUvES

Referee: C Berg
Assistant Referees: A Verolino, C Campbell
Fourth Official: D Woulahan

Squads

Southern United: 1. Stewart Catto (GK), 2. Conor O’Keeffe, 3. Tim O’Farrell, 4. Stephen Last, 5. Erik Panzer, 6. Danny Ledwith, 7. Sam Pickering, 8. Tony Whitehead, 9. Garbhan Coughlan, 10. Abdulla Al-Kalisy, 11. Benjamin Wade, 12. Adam Hewson, 13. Rory Findlay, 14. Oliver Colloty, 16. Thomas Poole (GK), 18. Markus Fjortoft
Coach: Paul O’Reilly

Eastern Suburbs: 1. Andrew Withers (GK), 3. Kelvin Kalua, 5. Adam Thomas, 6. Harry Moss-Edge, 7. Tim Payne, 8. Owen Parker-Price, 9. Callum McCowatt, 10. Andre de Jong, 11. Mohamed Awad, 12. Kingsley Sinclair, 14. Elijah Just, 15. Dalton Wilkins, 16. Dominic Wooldridge, 17. Michael Built, 21. Justin Biega (GK), 24. Jack Duncan
Coach: Danny Hay

Lowdown

The Eastern Suburbs camp would have had a very enjoyable Christmas after sweeping aside Hawke’s Bay United 4-1 just before the break but it was a different story for Southern United, who will be itching to get back to winning ways after signing off on the year with two straight losses. Southern have a game in hand on most of their rivals though so an upset win would put them right in play-off contention.  

Quotes

Danny Hay (Eastern Suburbs coach): “It’s a bit of an unknown, especially coming off the break. The one thing we do know is that Paul O’Reilly has got them super organised, they’re clearly a fit team and all know their roles and responsibilities really well. They work really hard for each other and I guess that’s the reason they’ve conceded very few goals so far.”

Waitakere United vs Auckland City
The Trusts Arena, Auckland
Sunday 6 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #WUvAC

Referee: C Mills
Assistant Referees: S Merriman, C Tseng
Fourth Official: A Wilson

Squads

Waitakere United: 1. Silvio Rodic (GK), 2. Luke Jorgensen, 3. Niko Steinmetz, 7. Oscar Browne, 8. Sam Burfoot, 11. Sanni Issa, 12. Matthew Conroy, 13. Dane Schnell, 14. David Parkinson, 15. Ignacio Machuca Maturena, 16. Reilly O’Meagher, 17. Jake Butler, 20. Oliver Bassett, 21. Andrew Abba, 22. Nick Draper (GK), 23. Jake Mechell
Coach: Chris Milicich

Auckland City: 1. Enaut Zubikarai (GK), 4. Mario Bilen, 5. Angel Berlanga, 6. Brian Kaltak, 7. Cameron Howieson, 8. Albert Riera, 9. Javier Lopez, 10. Micah Lea’alafa, 11. Fabrizio Tavano, 12. Dylan Manickum, 14. Jordan Vale, 15. Daniel Morgan, 17. Reid Drake, 18. Ruben Parker (GK), 19. David Browne. 23. Alfie Rogers
Coach: Ramon Tribulietx

Lowdown

With Waitakere no longer the force they once were, some of the sting has been taken out of this once title-deciding rivalry but the west Aucklanders would still love nothing more than to become the first side to take any points off Auckland City this weekend. Waitakere are without a win in their last five matches but actually have a good recent record in this derby, winning two and drawing one of the last four.

Quotes

Ramon Tribulietx (Auckland City coach): “We’re lucky to have a dedicated group who have looked after themselves after two weeks without competition and training but of course they had a lot of family time, big meals and a chance to rest, so there is always a question mark over how they will respond when they return to action.”

Team Wellington vs Hamilton Wanderers
David Farrington Park, Wellington
Sunday 6 January, 2pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #TWvHW

Referee: A-M Keighley
Assistant Referees: M Whitehead, A Clarke
Fourth Official: P Linney

Squads

Team Wellington: 1. Scott Basalaj (GK), 2. Justin Gulley, 3. Scott Hilliar, 4. Mario Ilich, 5. Liam Wood, 6. Taylor Schrijvers, 7. Eric Molloy, 8. Henry Cameron, 10. Nathanael Hailemariam, 11. Mario Barcia, 14. Jack-Henry Sinclair, 16. Angus Kilkolly, 18. Aaron Clapham, 19. Ross Allen, 21. Hamish Watson, 22. Marcel Kampman (GK)
Coach: Jose Figueira

Hamilton Wanderers: 1. Matt Oliver (GK), 2. James Hoyle, 3. Joe Nottage, 4. David Samson, 5. Stafford Dowling, 6. Agustin Contratti, 8. Brad Whitworth, 9. Martin Bueno, 10. Rhys Ruka, 11. Jordan Shaw, 13. Tommy Semmy, 14. Paul Clout, 15. Joseph Terry, 18. Steffano Riley, 20. Derek Tieku, 23. Jonathan Mannes (GK)
Coach: Ricki Herbert

Lowdown

This is Team Wellington’s return to the ISPS Handa Premiership after their FIFA Club World Cup exploits and the main task of coach Jose Figueira will be to re-focus his troops’ attention on the weekly grind of league action. They haven’t been given a cushy fixture to ease back into it with Hamilton Wanderers ending their year with back-to-back wins and looking odds on for a historic first ever play-offs berth.

Canterbury United Dragons vs Tasman United
English Park, Christchurch
Sunday 6 January, 4.35pm
#ISPSHandaPrem #CUvTU
Live on SKY Sport

Referee: N Waldron
Assistant Referees: C Gruschow, J Henderson
Fourth Official: R Mahalm

Squads

Canterbury United Dragons: 22. Conor Tracey (GK), 3. Aaron Spain, 5. Tom Schwarz, 7. George King, 8. Luke Tongue, 9. Maksym Kowal, 10. Adam Thurston, 11. Haris Zeb, 12. Jacob Richards, 13. Lewis Gordon (GK), 14. Sean Liddicoat, 15. Andreas Wilson, 16. Cory Mitchell, 17. Stephen Hoyle, 18. Juan Chang Urrea, 21. Seth Clark
Coach: Willy Gerdsen

Tasman United: 1. Nick Stanton (GK), 2. Corey Larsen, 3. Jake Williams, 4. Ryan Worrall, 5. Fox Slotemaker, 6. Sam Ayers, 7. James McClay, 8. Matt Tod-Smith, 9. Liam MacDevitt, 10. Kiernan Hughes-Mason, 11. Ahmed Othman, 12. Keegan Smith (GK), 13. Ben Kiore, 14. Max Winterton, 15. Chester Gaskin
Coach: Andy Hedge

Lowdown

South Island derbies are always keenly contested but Tasman will need to take even more bite into this one as they must get points on the board very promptly in the new year to have any chance of launching an unlikely bid for the play-offs. Andy Hedge has boosted his side’s chances of doing so by picking up striker Liam MacDevitt – previously on the books of Yeovil Town, Swindon Town and Bristol City – from Southern.

Article added: Saturday 05 January 2019