It was a goal-fest in the opening round of the Ultra Football Central League as defending champions Western Suburbs saw a two goal lead pulled in, while Napier City Rovers and Wellington United made big statements.

Twenty-six goals were scored across five games in the wild Easter Monday action.

Napier led the way with an astonishing 7-3 demolition of newly-promoted Waterside Karori. The visitors went up early at Park Island through a debut goal to Kyung Dong Kim, but Napier hit back before halftime through a brace from their own debutant, Patryk Misik, a former Canadian youth international who joined Rovers from Spanish fourth-tier side SD Ordenes. The 2015 champions ran away with things in the second half, before Karori’s Ryan Cain hit back with a late brace to give the scoreline a modicum of respectability.

Wests appeared to be in control against Lower Hutt City at Endeavour Park when jumping out to a 2-0 lead within 24 minutes thanks to goals from Xavier Green and Mohamed Awad. But Lower Hutt showed their fighting spirit to first pull one back through William Ankarahake midway through the second half, before an error from Wests goalkeeper Isaac Tetteh - who slipped as he tried to dribble the ball - 15 minutes from time gifted an equaliser to Jack Imray. They then hung on to grab a solid point first-up.

Wellington United celebrated their 125th anniversary with a 6-1 thumping of traditional rivals Miramar Rangers. It was 1-1 after halftime when Calvin Harris took control, netting four goals in 24 minutes in the second-half hat-trick to secure all three points for his side. Harris, originally from Hong Kong, has been unable to play a competitive game for the Wellington Phoenix academy for the better part of four years due a Fifa rule preventing under-18 players moving countries without their parents. But he recently turned 18 and made a big impression in his Central League debut.

Perennial contenders Stop Out got their campaign underway with a comfortable 2-0 victory over competition newcomers Havelock North Wanderers. A two-minute brace from Jerram Tuck in the first half did the trick at Hutt Park.

The late game saw 2016 champions Wellington Olympic get the better of last year’s runner-up Wairarapa United with a 2-1 victory. Christian Baz got the winner in the 50th minute.

In Capital Premier, North Wellington’s new signings made an immediate impact. Chas Lawrence and Martin Packer scored their new side’s first two goals of their 4-2 win over Miramar’s reserves after transferring from Olympic and Stop Out respectively in the off-season.

Elsewhere, Petone were held to a 1-1 draw by Island Bay United, Tawa beat Western Suburbs’ reserves 2-1, Lower Hutt’s reserves beat newly-promoted Kapiti Coast United 3-2 and Olympic’s reserves grabbed a 90th-minute equaliser against Upper Hutt City.

Ultra Football Central League first round results

Stop Out 2 (Jerram Tuck 28’ 29’)  Havelock North Wanderers 0. HT: 2-0.

Napier City Rovers 7 (Patryk Misik 13’ 33’, Wesley Cain 68’ 90’, Martin Bueno 61’, Liam Schofield 72’, Josh Stevenson 78’) Waterside Karori 3 (Ryan Cain 83' 85’, Kyung Dong Kim 7’). HT: 2-1

Wellington United 6 (Calvin Harris 60’ 66’ 69’ 84’, Ben Waine 11’ 90+1’)  Miramar Rangers 1 (Ruari Cahill-Fluery 30’). HT: 1-1.

Western Suburbs 2 (Xavier Green 6’, Mohamed Awad 24’) Lower Hutt City 2 (William Ankarahake 64’, Jack Imray 75’). HT: 2-0.

Wellington Olympic 2 (Seth Ward 9’, Christian Baz 50’) Wairarapa United 1 (Paul Ifill 26’). HT: 1-1.

Standings: Wellington United 3, Napier City Rovers 3, Stop Out 3, Olympic 3, Wests 1, Lower Hutt 1, Wairarapa 0, Havelock North 0, Karori 0, Miramar 0

Golden Boot: 4: Calvin Harris (Wgtn Utd) 2: Jerram Tuck (SO), Wesley Cain (NCR), Patryk Misik (NCR), Ryan Cain (Karori), Ben Waine (Wgtn Utd)

Capital Premier first round results

Tawa 2 (Mike Ramaekers 31’, Reh La Soh 80’) Western Suburbs 1 (Oliver van Rissel 53’)

North Wellington 4 (Chas Lawrence 3’, Martin Packer 36’, own goal 81’, Maksym Kowal 87’) Miramar Rangers 2 (Charles Atkinson-Kos 25’, Jarom Brouwer 27’)

Lower Hutt City 3 (Mohammad Hekmatzadah 14’, Ghattas Farah 62’, Munashe Zitye 90’) Kapiti Coast United 2 (Peter Moger 36’, Magno Vieira 72’)

Wellington Olympic 1 (Facundo Dione 90’) Upper Hutt City 1 (Matthew Fong 62’)

Island Bay United 1 (Luciano Colucci 32’) Petone 1 (Taeh Hser 31’)

Standings: North Wellington 3, Lower Hutt 3, Tawa 3, Island Bay 1, Upper Hutt 1, Petone 1, Olympic 1, Wests 0, Kapiti Coast 0, Miramar 0

Image: Wellington United got off to a flyer in their 125th year, beating Mirarmar 6-1 in the Central League. Photo via Yomcat Shoots, click here for the full album from the game