HB vs Waikato
Watched this game in taupo on my way from Auckland to palmy! Hawkes Bay are looking good! Pretty dominant display probably should have won by 4 or 5 they played some great football especially in first half where they scored a couple of quality team goals.
Hawkes Bay lined up if im correct - O'Brien, Hogg, Parkin, Peverley, Jenkins, Cudd, Fyfe, Brinie. Brockie, Mcivor and Smith. Most of the hawkes bay team impressed me they had good games in the middle from birnie, fyfe and cudd, there fullbacks hogg and jenkins were good going both ways and Brockie looks quite sharpe and Smith will cause teams a few problems with his pace and skill up the top. Waikato lined up something like robinson, simpkins, bunce, watene, williams, van rooyen, sinkora, williams, gill, holloway not sure who else....For Waikato Gill and Holloway should trouble most teams defenses as they look sharp up top and They have a decent midfield but they really did struggle at the back.
I agree with the previous post here that Hawke�s Bay could have beaten Waikato FC by more than 3-1.
In nothing else, HB will be the most improved team this season, they were lively up front and showed good vision in the midfield. They were good to watch.
Going forward they were a lot more cohesive than Waitakere in Waikato�s first pre-season game.
Both teams played 4-3-3, though it is hard to imagine Waikato sticking with such a formation in the season proper.
The match was probably of more benefit to Waikato than Hawkes Bay as it has at least shown who is not up to scratch.
Hawke�s Bay�s opening goal came courtesy of excellent work down the right by Jarrod Smith. Che Bunce should have bumped him or the ball out close to the touchline, but was probably over-confident. Smith hit the byline and crossed for a good early goal after about 7 minutes. Smith moved well, with no sign of hamstring problems.
Brockie made it 2-0 about 10 minutes later after HB had carved through the middle and he could have had another. My shots-on-goal count was 15-8 in HB�s favour.
Waikato had their best spell in the final 20 minutes of the first half, though the difference was their strikers never got any early ball, as by the time Waikato�s midfield or backs had fannied around with it, the strikers only ever played in front of the HB defenders.
After about 30 minutes Waikato worked the ball down the left, and Dale Williams crossed low. Steven Holloway made a diagonal run to the near post and got there before the defenders and the keeper to nudge it into the net. 10 minutes later he drew a good save after muscling through the middle.
If there is a worry for Waikato, it is that a fortnight before the season starts, Holloway is the only guy who has found the net for them. And the probably need him and Rob Gill playing closer together up front in a 4-4-2 formation for maximum effect.
The young Hogg made it 3-1 in the second half, capitalising on a gaffe by right back Joe Simpkin. Waikato had several more close escapes, and were also helped by Stu Hogg being repititiously caught offside in the second spell. Sam Messam came on for Smith in the second half for HB. Messam is an unusual lad. If only someone had got hold of him as a kid and showed him how to play, because he is a great athlete, very direct and fast, but just a touch too wooden � almost like a rugby league player � to really fit the mould in football. Still, you can see him doing the odd bit of damage.
I liked Cudd in midfield for HB.
Afterwards Waikato coach Roger Wilkinson said he was not showing his full hand at this stage. I don�t completely buy that � you need a few decent dress rehearsals for your own benefit, never mind anyone else � but can see the need to bring in at least one more defender and a couple of midfielders who can distribute better. Wilkinson is looking to complete a couple of signings next week.
Waikato were very loose at the back, with Hone Fowler struggling for the first time in his adpated centreback role. Stu Watene had a tough first spell and was replaced by Paul Stewart at left back in the second half. Simpkin played most of the game at right back, though the HB openings down that flank only really closed up when David Samson came on for the last 20 minutes.
Dale williams was given about 75 minutes. He played two excellent balls, but overall is far too slow for this level, with dodgy fitness, and negligible work rate. A luxury player Waikato may not be able to afford.
This was how Waikato�s starting line-up looked:
Dan Robinson
Joe Simpkin, Che Bunce, Hone Fowler, Stu Watene
Matt Williams, Jacob Sinkora, Shaun Van Rooyen,
Steven Holloway, Rob Gill, Dale Williams
Subs: Paul Stewart, Luke Findley, Nathan Holten, David Samson, and the bald headed guy who was crap.
And this is how I would expect them to start the season (if it was down to me)�.
Dan Robinson
David Samson, Che Bunce, Aaron Scott, Hone Fowler
Matt Williams, Sam Wilkinson, New Signing, Stanley Waita,
Rob Gill, Steven Holloway
