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The Mangawhai Football Club (MFC) Mens First team has hit the ground running in the Northland 1st Division, winning three of their opening seven fixtures.
The club announced its move from the Rodney Otamatea Soccer Association (ROSA) to the Northern Football Federation (NFF) in December last year.
Coach Matt Rowe says it has been an eye-opener going into a new competition.
“It’s a bigger competition and we have struggled against the more experienced top teams,” Matt says. “We planned to be competitive in our first year in the competition, and we are ahead of where we thought we would be.”
The team is currently sixth out of 10 teams after opening up their season with a 1-0 win over Tikipunga Orange and a 5-0 win over Madhatters Blue.
They have suffered two heavy defeats, losing 5-1 to Tikipunga Reserves and 6-1 to Kerikeri Reserves, but claimed another win and a draw to maintain a mid-table position.
“Every week we are learning more about our new opposition, which will prepare us for the second half of the season when we play each side a second time.”
Matt says the men’s team has a mix of experienced footballers and new players who have been training together since February.
“It’s been an early start to the training year, but the extra work has put us into 1st division and given us a good foundation to work off.”
While in the ROSA competition, MFC fielded two senior mens teams, but have just one larger squad in the NFF.
Matt says this means injuries have less effect on the team, which plays in a 4-1-4-1 defence orientated formation to absorb the attacking impact of the stronger sides.
