The Ultra Football Central League title race reaches a crucial juncture at Endeavour Park on Sunday.

That’s when second-placed Western Suburbs host leaders Napier City Rovers.

Three points currently separates the two sides, with Wests holding a six-goal advantage on goal difference.

Given the teams have combined for just three losses this season, the winner of this match could well go on to take the title.

Wests won the first round matchup between these two teams 2-1 on April 22.

A Napier win would push them six points clear of Wests with five games to go, although Stop Out could remain four points behind Napier if they were to beat Waterside Karori at Hutt Park on Saturday.

Wins for both Wests and Stop Out would see the top three sides separated by just one point.

Elsewhere, Havelock North Wanderers will be looking to move out of the relegation zone when they host Lower Hutt City at Guthrie Park on Sunday.

Lower Hutt sit on 12 points, just three ahead of Havelock North, so will be wanting a win to give themselves some breathing room on the bottom two.

Wairarapa will be looking to do the same when they travel to Newtown Park to take on Wellington United on Saturday. They sit on 11 points, but showed their form is starting to head in the right direction with a 5-0 thumping of Wellington Olympic in the Chatham Cup last weekend.

Olympic have a derby match against Miramar Rangers on Saturday at David Farrington Park with both teams comfortably in mid table.

In the Capital Premier division, North Wellington will look to continue their charge to the title when they meet Kapiti Coast United at Weka Park on Saturday.

Petone will try maintain the nine-point gap when they play Upper Hutt City, while Olympic’s reserves will hope to haul themselves off the bottom of the ladder when they play Tawa on Saturday.

Island Bay United take on Wests’ reserves and Lower Hutt’s reserves meet Miramar’s reserves meet in the other matches.

In the W-League, Wellington United face a tricky assignment against Western Suburbs at Newtown Park on Saturday.

The runaway leaders would appear to be too strong on paper given their 6-0 win over Wests in round one, but Wests have gone from strength to strength this season, winning their last three games in a row.

Wairarapa United are five points behind Wellington in second and meet Palmerston North Marist in their match on Saturday.

Seatoun and Upper Hutt City clash in the other match.
In the Women’s Premier League, leaders Waterside Karori square up to Island Bay United at Wakefield Park on Sunday.

Karori are level on points with Victoria University, who play Brooklyn Northern United at the same park at the same time as Karori, but have a game in hand after reaching the third round of the Kate Sheppard Cup last weekend.

Third-placed Wellington United reserves play Kapiti Coast United, while Petone face Stop Out in the other games.

Fixtures

Ultra Football Central League

Saturday

Wellington United v Wairarapa United, Newtown Park, 2.30pm

Stop Out v Waterside Karori, Hutt Park, 2.30pm

Miramar Rangers v Wellington Olympic, David Farrington Park, 2.30pm

Sunday

Havelock North Wanderers v Lower Hutt City, Guthrie Park, 2pm

Western Suburbs v Napier City Rovers, Endeavour Park, 2.30pm

Capital Premier

Saturday

Kapiti Coast United v North Wellington, Weka Park, 2.30pm

Petone v Upper Hutt City, Petone Memorial, 3pm

Wellington Olympic v Tawa, Wakefield 2, 3.30pm

Island Bay United v Western Suburbs, Wakefield 1, 3.30pm

Sunday

Miramar Rangers v Lower Hutt City, David Farrington Park, 1pm

W-League (all Saturday)

Wellington United v Western Suburbs, Newtown Park, 12pm

Seatoun v Upper Hutt City, Seatoun Park, 12pm

Palmerston North Marist v Wairarapa United, Memorial Park, 2.30pm

Women’s Premier League (all Sunday)

Petone v Stop Out, Petone Memorial, 1pm

Waterside Karori v Island Bay United, Wakefield 2, 1pm

Wellington United v Kapiti Coast United, Newtown Park, 1pm

Brooklyn Northern United v Victoria University, Wakefield 1, 1pm

Article added: Friday 29 June 2018