Rotorua United 2 - 2 Parent to Parent Ngongotaha
The Villagers came from behind to scrape a draw against an injury hit United at Neil Hunt Park. With ten minutes remaining former United U17 rep Hamish Utteridge drifted to the bye-line before pulling the ball back for a fortunate equaliser.
Former United star Dan Freeman (currently on loan at Ngongotaha) put the visitors ahead against the run of play after speculative long range effort bounced back from the keeper. United continued to press forward but chances were few in an even first half in which another ex-United player Warwick Esler played a dominant role at the centre of defence for Ngongotaha and his former team-mates Dan Cronshaw-Hunt and Scott Miller equally powerful for United.
Mitchell Miller and Kieran Vandergoot went close as United poured forward at the start of the second half. Jason Nottage was industrious in midfield and Wade Malony and Toby Jackson started to find space down the wings. United equalised with a long range strike from Kieran Vandergoot that dipped teasingly under the bar. United then dominated and deservedly took the lead with Mitchell Miller rifling a shot home from the edge of the box. United squandered several great chances to wrap the game up leaving the door open for Ngongotaha to scrape a point with five minutes remaining.
This was a promising start for the youthful and injury hit United line-up against an experienced Ngongotaha side. A philosophical Jim Nottage reflected on some unfortunate mistakes that cost the home side three points but conceded that this was a good first outing for the Blues.
Rotorua United from: Yu Lei, Toby Jackson, Josh Nottage, Scott Miller, Daniel Cronshaw-Hunt, Jason Nottage, Jordan Payne, Wade Malony, Joe Nottage, Mitchell Miller, Kieran Vandergoot capt, Matthew Wells, Chan Park.
