The Wanaka premier football team played out a thrilling 3-3 draw against University AFC on Saturday (3 April) at the Wanaka Recreation Centre.

Wanaka coaches Bell Scoullar and Thomas Van hees were looking for a positive response from their squad after a 10-2 drubbing the week before at the hands of top of the table South City Royals.

Wanaka’s squad was strengthened with returning players Paul Hodgson, Barry Grehan and

Fletcher Cavanagh but it was University who struck early in the match when a loss of possession by Wanaka had University scoring in the tenth minute.

Wanaka had dominated the early exchanges and the goal, which was against the run of play, sparked them into life as Wanaka worked hard to deny the University midfield trio of Hawkins Stewart and Ben O'Farrell time and space. 

Barry Grehan, Thomas Tinka and Fletcher Cavanagh worked in unison to pressure their opposites and prevent University playing their short passing game. 

WAFC Paul Hodgson (black shirt) challenges for the ball against University.

This gave Wanaka’s attacking players of Toa Roode, Steve Pleskun and Ethan Arratia more possession in University’s half.

The pressure paid off in the 20th minute when Thomas Tinka slid a short pass diagonally through to Roode just inside the University penalty area and Roode delicately dinked the ball over the keeper to level the scores.

Wanaka continued to attack and drive down the right side with full back Paul Hodgson linking well with young Arratia who benefitted from the precise passing of centre back Scott Mitchell.

In the 40th minute Wanaka took the lead when Grehan found Arratia with a well placed pass. Arratia drove forward and shot past the University keeper to make the score 2-1 going into halftime.

Wanaka continued to dominate in the second spell and scored in the 50th minute when a Hodgson cross was partially cleared and fell to Cavanagh, whose volley went high into the roof of the net to the delight of Wanaka’s home town supporters.

That joy was short lived when Chang calmly curled in his and University’s second goal just three minutes later. 

University had a breeze at their back and continued to push for an equaliser but weren't creating clear chances as both teams started to feel the effects of a hectic game.

Injury time ticked by and University forced a corner in the 94th minute. With 20 players in the Wanaka penalty area University won the first header and the ball went back across goal and Dom Scahill volleyed the ball through the Wanaka players to draw the game at 3-3.

Wanaka’s standout players were Scott Mitchell, Thomas Van Hees and Thomas Tinka, but man of the match went to Fletcher Cavanagh for his all round game in the middle of the park.

The result lifts Wanaka off the bottom of the Southern Premier League table and this week they will travel to play last year's champions Green Island in Dunedin, 2.45pm kick off at Sunnyvale.

In other matches:

Table:

PHOTO: WAFC