Hawke's Bay United

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11159412

good work CG love the comment about Bertos and Lochead!

Hard to argue with that!

L:ive updates here for you HB folk: http://asbpremiership.co.nz/index.php?id=2100

nice one n-bomb

how was mulligan today?

He was fine without being a standout, WaiBOP do a good job defensively in the middle of the park so he ended up spraying a lot of speculative long balls around. 

Mulligan was entirely competent, but never really imposed himself on the game. I've often wondered if he should have had an All White recall, but there wasn't enough evidence here to deserve one. He was in cruise mode, but not a leading influence on his team the way Clapham can be for Canterbury.

HB'sUK import Morris was a lot better this time around than when the teams met in Taupo pre-season. 

Agreed, Morris was very good, apparently he is from Seattle, not the UK: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=11161577

Robertson and Gould were also very good, WaiBOP dominated the chances but HB were far more clinical and defended well.

I disagree N bomb that WaiBop dominated the chances. How many clear cut chances did they create. They had one cleared of the line but apart from that I can't recall too many chances. They style of play is one dimensional, route one football. Too many times they knocked the ball long and tried to feed of the scraps. No wonder the kid Up front from three kings was getting pissed off , you can see his reaction when we got subbed

They will struggle to beat the top sides playing that style. The best player on the pitch was Tyler Lissette

I agree Lissette was immense, but did you watch them against Auckland or Canterbury? There was plenty of nice buildup play, and in this game while it still wasn't as good, there was plenty of interchanges, it was just mainly players being released down the wings, rather than through the middle, as that was where HB could be attacked. While it wasn't their flashest game, they have shown signs of some excellent football this year. And Bredeveldt is just a bit crazy, he always does that when he gets subbed.

It's pretty hard to say they didn't dominate the chances, the half-chances were in double-figures, they all count - WaiBOP had far more shots than Hawkes' Bay, but HB took theirs when they mattered.

Alan, I agree Waikato need much improvement down both flanks, perhaps the weakest sphere of their game.

Lovemore gets a bit out of control, but generally I appreciate the manner in which Nick Waldron officiates. He allows more robustness in the challenge than other refs, but is consistent with it, for players clever enough to "play the ref". I think he's one of our very best refs.

Some interesting reading in tonight's on line Hawkes Bay Today

Seems as though Chris Greatholder is having some time off - I have not heard anything on the grapevine

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503462&objectid=11167627

An interesting time to have an early holiday

Big game this weekend vs waitak. Bout time the bay got a win up there

Heard from a good source that Central Football have started 'interfering' with the franchise. Their word, not mine. See that Brent Angel is coaching while CG is away [Angel works for Central Football]. Heard nothing else as the person that told me the story didn't even know that CG had gone.

Interesting situation here in the Bay.   HBU has its' own Board, but all of the administration is done by Central Footy.   They (CF) have also employed a commercial manager who has obligations to CF during the "off" season.   Have not heard any stories of interference, but there will no doubt be some crossover somewhere which will cause problems.

HBU is also owned by all of the clubs in the province - senior and any junior clubs not affiliated/part of a senior club. They all have a vote at the AGM.  I'm racking my brains here but I seem to remember that CF did have a representative on the board [may still have] but CF do work very closely with HBU.

Well, the perceived problems off the field don't seen to have progressed to on the field - a good away draw against Waitakere last week has been eclipsed by a good home win against Canterbury today.   Wasn't a bad game to watch but a pretty poor crowd.   Mind you, a lot of things on today (and it was another great day in the Bay) - Christmas in the Park just down the road.

Big game today against auckland, would be a season defining result i feel if we got up and won.

Well played lads - you took your chances and got the draw. The game had everything!

Yes congratulations HBU, thought you really took the game to ACFC. It was a real Christmas cracker! Play like that and you'll certainly make the playoffs. Looking forward to coming to Park Island in February. You're a credit to the ASBP.

how did mulligan play?  i thought he did well against waitak.  i also thought morris was quite good and bill robertson is always solid.  the rest of the team aren't much chop for me - more like a good central league side made good by some outstanding coaching

I didnt' rate Hawke's Bay very highly after watching them both in pre-season and the first few weeks of the regular season, but they've been proving me wrong so far - an excellent defensive unit (when they have their full complement), their midfield is pretty decent, Morris certainly wins a lot of tackles, and then while Lovemore and Mosquera have their flaws, both have significant skills at this level, which have been utilised rather well so far.

Have to agree that it has been an excellent coaching job

Greatholder has done good things with that team considering other coaches. Playoffs last year and if they take their catchup game, they'll be second.

Greatholders back in the coaches role this week, after his break.

Was ana rticle in the local rag where he was interviewed. Looks like it was a stress induced break. While it is generally good for the soul to take a break and come back all rejuvenated my observations are that it is only a matter of time before people end up flagging it altogether. i think it would be a pity if this was the cas ehere CG has done a good job in his short time with the club.

On another note, the article also mentioned that Central Football now carry out the administration functions of the franchise. That will probably involve a cost saving, don't know if Barrie Hughes is till there or Ant Floyd, Ant would of been on a salary and maybe an honoraium for Barrie.

Barrie Hughes free ride has come to an end!

CG & Perry doing a good job hope it continues in this way.

Interesting to see that CG thought the job was a full time one? its a 14 game season, and that he was scouting all over the country during the winter. wasn't he playing for Havelock most weekends? can understand that pre and in season will take alot of time but the other 6 months of the year...   

Read on here a few months back that there is a big lack of depth in Hawkes Bay and therefore they have had to go out of the area to recruit this year. Welly, Waitakere, ACFC and maybe even Canty and Waikato have decent player pools and local leagues to choose from. HB, Southern, YHM etc don't have the depth. 

Has always been the case. Always a good group of locals bolstered by a handful of players from other areas

Yeah, which might explain why CG may have a more difficult job than some of the other coaches. Very hard to magic up 10 new players from nowhere each year.

I agree that the players are not in the bay to make a national league side and he has to go "scouting" to get players, but i'm pretty sure he will know who is out there. Just don't agree with his full time comment. 

Saw my first HBU game today, albeit against Nix A. There were a couple of players that didn't have their names/numbers in the programme so I don't know who they were. Numbers 20 and 21 and 22. Barrie Hughes was there in his official capacity [for whoever was interested before], Number 20 only played the 1st half but was exceptional I thought. Matt Hastings played the whole game and only got skinned badly once. He certainly didn't look out of place at this level and I think he might even be better than he was 2 years ago. Tom Biss had the 2nd half, very busy player, I've still got a lot of time for him. Apparently has scored a few goals so far in the ASB. Mosquera [sp] looks better than Hamish Watson was for HBU. First time I'd seen young Killkolly play as an adult and he scored a good goal. Mulligan shows class even though he sometimes makes a wee mistake, at least you can see he's trying something, he's not a lazy player. I tell you who I liked and that was the American midfielder. Only played the 1st half but he is quick, very busy - always getting into position to receive the ball and looks like he's their set move kicker. Nathaniel Hailemarian is Sudanese or something I think. There was an article on him in the local rag the other day. Plays for Lower Hutt perhaps? C-DIDDY said that he was quite impressed with him and he's not wrong. Runs some very good lines, good close ball control and looks very dangerous. HBU are spoiled having those 2 to choose from upfront [Mosquera]. So I liked what I saw and I'm going to make sure I get down to see some of their games. Just on tonight where they didn't even win - I'd rate this team close to the best HBU team I've seen.

that's good to hear NP. greatholder has obviously done a good recruitment job and he and cotton have also put them together well

i've always liked hastings, nice and direct a player who plays the channels well and hit's good crosses

number 21 may have been the american scott robson and 22 was declan's kid harry edge on sunday against wanderers

You're right, I did hear Harry called. Was he number 20 because I thought 22 was a tallish player, 20 looked more Declan' height and build.

Declan is a hobbit compared to Harry being a lanky bean pole

So is that Harry 2nd from right in the wall?

thought Hastings might of retired again as he hadn't been involved in the last 4 games.