Taieri has stormed out of the blocks in the Dunedin men’s competition registering two more wins in less than 24 hours.
Taieri started with a convincing 6-0 win over Albany to retain the Challenge Shield on Friday night.
Conceding a goal inside the first 50 seconds, Albany was on the back foot in the first half and the pressure told with Taieri registering four goals in a 10-minute stretch of the second quarter to lead 5-0 at halftime.
The second half did not have quite the level of intensity of the first and Albany enjoyed better possession and territory.
The goals were shared around for Taieri with Hamish Church, Jarrod Casey, James Nicolson, Matt West and brothers Patrick and Jordan Ward scoring.
In the solitary men’s game on Saturday, Taieri was again in action, this time against Kings United in its first match of the season.
The Tuatara scored early and enjoyed better territory and possession over the first quarter yet Kings were able to equalise just before the interval.
The jabs kept flying between the two sides up and down the field but halftime came with no further goals.
The third quarter continued the pattern of the second until Taieri, from a penalty corner, took an opportunity and went ahead.
Kings answered with an equalising goal from William McNaughtan and the minutes started ticking away as tensions increased with both teams desperate for a match winner that did not come and the game ended 2-2 leading to a shoot-out.
Both teams missed their first two shots on goal as goalkeepers, James Bishop for Kings and Felix Syme for the Tuatara, negated the attempts.
It proved third time lucky for both teams as goals were scored and Syme, with ice in his veins, saved the day for Taieri on the fourth attempt, giving the Tuatara a perfect record.
In the women’s competition, it was again a match-up between Taieri and Kings United and once again Taieri came away with the chocolates 3-2 while City Highlanders beat Momona A 2-1 in the battle for the Challenge Shield.
