16 May 2026

May 18
11 min read

Division 1: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 1st XI Division 2: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 2nd XI Sprig + Fern Tahuna 3rd XI Division 4:

Sprig + Fern Tahuna 4th XI

Women's Premiership: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Womens XI Masters Football: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Masters

1st XI 4 - 3 Rangers AFC

Location: A&P Park, Blenheim

Goals: Gregor, Ethan, Danny, Van

Match MVP: Seth Watson After a disappointing result in the Cup it was back to league action for the boys from Tahuna. A tough away trip over the hill to high flying Blenheim Rangers was made more difficult without our number 1 goalkeeper Joe Roberson (Concussion). Without another club keeper being available it was up to the ever willing Seth Watson to guard the onion bag.

The game started of at a frantic pace with Rangers dominating early possession, utilizing the experience players and a mix of energetic high school talent. However it was Ethan Skinner who broke the deadlock forcing a Rangers defender to put the ball in his own net, 1-0 Tahuna.

Within 5 minutes the dangerous Rangers forward found a channel between the Tahuna centre backs and scored the equalizer, 1-1. In the 36 minute Van Roland scored to put the beach boys back in front 2-1, the pace of the game continued and it wasn't long before Rangers had equalized to go into the half time sheds 2-2.

The second half continued in the same way with Rangers playing good football and Tahuna relying the counter attack through the non stop running of Gregor Peacock. Unfortunately in the 66th minute Tahuna failed to clear a Rangers corner and found themselves down 3-2. Instead of letting the game run away from them Tahuna grabbed the game and swung the momentum back in their favour with some ferocious tackling and impressive counter attacking moves, which eventually led to a forced own goal from Danny Hampton.

The game now in the balance at 3-3. Football games sometimes come down to small moments and it was one of these that changed the game. A poor challenge in the box from a Tahuna defender gave the Rangers Captain the chance to win the game from the penalty spot, Tore Waechter hit the ball sweetly into the bottom corner, only for Seth Watson to come up with a top class save down to his right. This changed the game, Tahuna immediately put Rangers to the sword and in the 84th minute Gregor Peacock came up with a superlative winning goal, beating the Rangers defence to drive the ball into the home teams net, 4-3.

The boys threw everything into the last 5 minutes of the game to maintain the score line and ensure the historic Win was achieved. MVP went to Seth for his save, however there were some epic performances from Jepo, James, IT, Van, Ethan and Luc, with Gregor back in the side and looking very dangerous. The boys go into the final game of the first round on Tuesday against Richmond under lights.

Match report by Dave

2nd XI 2 - 0 FC Nelson 2nd XI

Location: Neale Park

Goals: Pedro (2)

Match MVP: Pedro

Player/coach Jose Mundinio went with a back four for the trip to FC Nelson Reserves and was rewarded with a clean sheet. Sam Fitzgerald started at right back and put in a great performance having not played much recently.

FC Nelson Reserves were on top for much of the first half but didn’t create much. Tahuna struggled to string three passes together and the ball felt like a hot potato at times. The game was goalless at half-time.

The first goal was always going to be important in this game and Tahuna started the second half much better. Blessings created the link between midfield and attack that was missing in the first half leading to Tahuna taking the lead with a goal by Pedro who was playing his first game of the season.

FC Nelson Reserves pushed for an equaliser but Tahuna dug in and with a lot of determination protected their lead, limiting them to one or two chances. Joe shielded the defence magnificently while carrying a knock and the Tahuna back line stood firm.

With the clock ticking down, Tahuna won a throw in high up the pitch. Some of the more cautious players wanted the game to be slowed down, but Dan Smith took a quick throw in and the ball was cut back for Pedro to score his second of the game. The final whistle blew soon after. A hard fought victory for Tahuna.

Match report by Adam

3rd XI 2 - 5 Suburbs Seals

Location: Tahunanui S1 Goals: Wayne, Sayha

Match MVP: Fraser, Ollie

Day for it at KFC Arena as the Tahuna 3rds took on the table topping Suburbs Seals. With 7 players out prior to kick off Tahuna lined up with a bare 11 and a hope of maybe 1 or 2 subs appearing at half time. Stu deputising in goal and Lukey Nev making his second appearance on loan from the 4ths in at CB. Tahuna came into the game knowing a result would be a massive morale booster in what has been a season of learning and change so far.

Straight away Tahuna took straight to the Seals with Wayne and Sayha combining to get a shot off, just wide mind you. The midfield of Sobi, Will, Panith and Binh was looking pretty solid as they were moving the ball around between them making life very difficult for the Seals. Seals managed to pop off a couple of shots but the combination of the backline and Stu in goal was going well so far.

Seals then broke into the area and Stu came out to chase down the striker. The latter going down and the referee pointed to the spot. The Seals striker stepped up to bury it but missed! Tahuna went straight on the attack knowing they had gotten away luckily. Binh flicking the ball out to Panith who set Wayne through on goal. The big man burying his shot to send the home crowd into raptures! Tahuna 1-0 with 25mins on the clock!

Tahuna kept pressing hoping to find a second goal with both Sayha and Binh coming close. Seals knew they had to pull something out of the bag as they started pressing hard in the dwindling minutes of the half. And sure enough they got their goal and their striker lost his marker and slotted it into Stu's bottom left corner. 1-1 as the ref blew for half time.

Tahuna knew it would be an uphill battle as the lads all trotted out onto the field ready for the 2nd half. Seals struck first in the half to go 2-1 on the day. Tired legs starting to show on the Tahuna side. Things took a turn when Seals had a man unmarked at the back post to on a corner and a cheeky header allowed it to become 3-1 to Seals.

Sobi then picked up a yellow card for a tug on a shirt, a valid yellow to be fair. Sobi then had a fantastic freekick saved off the line by the Seals GK, then Tahuna's heads went down for about 15-20mins after that incident, Seals scoring again, from distance this time.

A booking for Eric was followed by Fraser handling the ball in the area, penalty.

Up stepped the Seals midfielder, Stu going the right way and getting fingertips to it, but it wasn't enough 5-1 on the day.

After the 5th goal went in Tahuna suddenly shuddered back into reality. As they started playing the football they had done in the first half, tearing through the Seals like they weren't even there. Sobi then angled a shot and looked like it was going wide until Sayha did a cheeky backheel to send it past the GK. 5-2.

And that was that as the referee called time. A spirited performance from the 3rds with the first half being the best football they have played all season. Another loss but another learning experience. Up next Nelson Development.

Match report by Stu

4th XI 4 - 2 Nelson Suburbs Sky Blues

Location: Ngawhatu

Goals: Josh, Brad, Ryan, Adam

Match MVP: Mike

Tahuna 4ths stormed out of the gates with two early goals and looked set for a relaxing afternoon… which, in hindsight, should’ve been the first warning sign.

The opener came courtesy of Josh launching a hopeful ball into the mixer. No Tahuna striker could get a touch, but the Sky Blue centre-back kindly stepped in and nodded it past his own keeper instead. Generous stuff. Goal credited to Josh, who will absolutely be claiming it.

The second was far less debatable. Josh whipped in a deep free kick that found the towering forehead of Brad “Eiffel Tower” Jessop, who guided it home with grace. 2–0 Tahuna. At that point, Tahuna collectively decided football was probably finished for the day and proceeded to concede two horrendous goals — one either side of half time. To Sky Blue’s credit, they pressed hard and punished some very questionable decision-making.

With 20 minutes left and pride beginning to wobble, Tahuna finally returned from their extended holiday. Mike, earning a well-deserved MOTM, absolutely marshalled the defence and restored some order to proceedings. Ryan grabbed his first goal for the season after reacting quickest to a spilled save from the keeper, poking home from close range.

The icing on the cake came when Jed slipped Adam through beautifully, and Adam calmly slotted bottom right while the keeper launched himself left approximately three business days too early. A chaotic but entertaining 4–2 win for Tahuna.

Match report by Adam

TFC Womens XI 2 - 1 Mapua Cougars

Location: Tahunanui S1

Goals: Ruby

Match MVP: EJ, Rebecca It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at Tahuna S1 as Tahuna Women's XI took on Mapua in what proved to be a fast-paced and entertaining contest. The slightly wider pitch gave both sides plenty of space to move the ball around, and both teams looked to make the most of the open areas with some positive passing football.

The game began at a strong pace, immediately testing the fitness of both teams. There were plenty of back-and-forth passages of play, with impressive moments at both ends of the field. Mapua struck first with a well-taken shot that found its way past Tahuna’s strong defence.

The physicality of the match continued to build, testing the resilience and composure of both sides. Mapua then doubled their lead after a cross was driven across the Tahuna goal and unfortunately deflected off a Tahuna player into the net.

Tahuna responded brilliantly in the dying minutes of the first half. Ruby produced a clever chip over the Mapua goalkeeper, with just enough precision for the ball to roll over the goal line and bring Tahuna back into the match before halftime.

The second half saw both teams pushing hard to add another goal. Although the half remained scoreless, it was a real spectacle to watch. There were assertive challenges, players putting their bodies on the line in one-on-one battles, and emotions running high as both sides fought right until the final whistle.

Player of the Day was a difficult choice this week, with every Tahuna player showing exceptional composure and maturity throughout the game. This week, the honours went to two players: EJ, for her outstanding efforts in goal, and Rebecca, for her relentless defending, including an incredible 50-metre sprint to chase down a Mapua player.

Match report by Cris

TFC Masters 4 - 5 Richmond Masters

Location: Jubilee Park

Goals: Paddy, Diego (3)

Match MVP: Diego

There was something a bit fishy about Jubilee Park this Saturday. It was coming from the Paddy wagon. Our resident Canadian had hunted early doors and brought some snapper along to the game. It’s a shame he couldn’t snag a keeper on his way too as Ollie was a gaping black hole on our team sheet. Kev turned to me to start as number 1.

I was a distant onlooker for the first twenty minutes as Tahuna went hunting up field. Cunny made early inroads on the right wing, carving out a chance for Goody. Again, he strode, riding along the byline and skipping past their left back. A cute cut back to Diego, who was on target straight away, 1-0 to the Huna. There was some nice interplay in the middle of the field. Sammy was like a spider spinning connecting passes all around the clock face. He worked well in tandem with Macca. And when Cunny hobbled off, Zane auditioned on the right wing with a spirited attack and cross that threatened the Richmond area. Goody was lurking on the 18 yard line. But like a tagged troublemaker, he was policed off the ball or resisted to taking shots in haste at best.

Cunny returned on the pitch and in a cast back to the days of Matty Rogers, tore down the wing, zipping a cross to an equally sprinting Paddy who clipped his effort wide (it would have been a thing of beauty if that had come off!). Everyone was pumping the ball into Richmond’s box. Cam took his turn from a free kick. The cross was begging to be headed or volleyed into the goal. But again it wasn’t to be. Richmond finally awoke from their slumber and ploughed the ball towards me. Our front post guardians watched a ball slink onto our goal post and out. “Soz, I thought that one was going wide,” said Cam. A shot come cross was attacked by the Richmond front line. I clipped it off the attacker’s head but the ball dropped to an empty space, it was gracefully swept up and siphoned into the bottom corner of our goal by Richmond, 1-1.

The half time whistle blew shortly after. Pete rallied the squad at half time, “guys you need to get it down, pass, support.” Sammi put his hand up. He had some words of inspiration too. “On the right side, there’s Cunny, and he is not good.” We all had a good giggle at that. Hopefully Sammi’s Facebook friends tally won’t suffer too badly.

We started on the front foot again. The sight of Goody’s six pack bearing down to their goal spooked the Richmond back line. He was able to lose the ball, ricochet it back into his path and get it to Paddy who slotted in Tahuna’s 2nd, 1-2 Tahuna. Cam wanted a piece too. He whipped a cross onto Gaz’s head who knocked it down to the path of Diego for our third, 1-3 Tahuna. This football lark looked so easy right then… Paddy was winging hard, Kev was taking shots, just one more and surely we could put this game to bed.

Richmond had other thoughts. Their number 20 started being a real menace and stealing behind Gaz and Cam’s centre back play – which had been solid all game till then. Richmond came close at short range first, but then at an equal can’t miss from there location, they didn’t, getting to the ball in between both of my hands, just before I brought them together, 2-3. Richmond were pressing hard. They were very dangerous at corners and an unmarked head managed to spoon one up, 3-3.

Richmond’s 20 stole through 1 on 1, twice in a row, seeking the winner. I managed to pluck out a lobbed shot effort first time and his second effort literally smacked me in the forehead. So on his next advance he took the shot from the edge of the box and throttled an absolute beauty, 4-3 Richmond. He rattled my crossbar with a whopping volley, moments later and then came again running at me with pace. “Get out to him!” shouted my team. I sprinted out of the box and when we met dived at his feet but realised I couldn’t touch the ball beyond my goalie zone. He took it around me and got it in the empty goal, 5-3 Richmond.

It felt like the game was over then. But an eagle eyed Taylah spotted some random goal keeping infringement and we were gifted an indirect free kick shortly off Richmond’s goal line. Diego found a way through the team’s legs into the goal, 5-4 Richmond. Richmond took the ball to our corner flag and messed around with it until the whistle blew and we were put out of our misery… How did that all happen? Come back soon Ollie, being a goalie is hard yards…

Match Report by Pete B