The WaiBOP United Thread

Hawke�s Bay 4 Waikato 0.

It was a strange game, in that the scoreline gave no indication of the relative merits of either team.

I don�t mean to be disparaging of what looks on paper a clearcut win to Hawke�s Bay, but I left Crown Park with little feel for how competitive they would be in the national league this summer.

That was because in the first half � where they took a 1-0 lead in about the 18th minute through a snap Sam Margetts toe-poke close to goal � Hawke�s Bay hardly ever had the ball.

Waikato would have enjoyed close to 85 per cent possession, but could not do enough with it in the attacking third to make it count.

Waikato made mass changes at half time and as a result were nowhere near as competitive, and this allowed Hawke�s Bay to finally boss the game, though against a line-up containing too many second-string players to be meaningful.

For Waikato, I was disappointed with Adam Thomas. He is the Waikato kingpin, but was well off his usual standard. Having said that, when he and Jason Hicks went off at half time, the gig was up for Waikato.

I was impressed with Mark Jones. He is not a natural for the style declan Edge is pursuing, but his raw-boned pace and aggression is a good counterpoint for the rest of the team, and apart from a shot from distance from Matteo Ballan, which was deflected over the top, he created the best openings. David Samson, on the other flank, also has possibilities, and the pleasing thing from him was I don�t think he coughed up possession at all until he also went off at half time.

Tyler Lissette and Raymond How played the full 90 for Waikato and both did quite well in spite of the scoreline.

What we did learn in the second half is that Anthony Hagan is definitely not a back four player, and it remains to be seen if he has completely played his way out of the Waikato squad. Sub Tyer Boyd had a couple of bursts in the second half, but Hawk�es Bay were largely untroubled in the second 45.

For Hawke�s Bay Margetts got two from close range and Adam Cowan got one. Bay had two players "sinbinned" for 10 minutes during the match � though with a rolling sub brought on to cover for them.

Bill Robertson was first for clattering through the back of a Waikato player with his elbow in challenging for a header. The comedy value here was Matt Hastings earnestly trying to tell the ref he was only leading with his elbow to protect himself. The second came from repeated fouling by the snowy-haired right back. I�m not sure the kid was meaning to foul, I think he was just clumsy and unco.

Waikato second half keeper Danyon Drake was due to join them after taking out an attacker in racing from his area to clear. But with only 5 minutes remaining and no other keeper kitted up, the ref let him play on.

For Waikato, the match result was a good reality check. They played some nice football, and kept possession for over 50 passes at a time in the first half, but did not engineer enough shots.

In the second half they found out some of their players still have much to learn about how to play when the other team has the ball.

For Hawke�s Bay, they had the satisfaction of a morale-boosting win, but it was a weird day, in which they seldom got a kick in the first half � but still led � and a second half of modest value where they over-ran a bunch of kids with a further 3 goals.

Humbug, firstly my comments here have nothing to do with Melville. Like everyone, I am simply giving my impressions of a Waikato FC game. Can you not accept that? I don�t understand why you have a bee in your bonnet about Melville. It has nothing to do with them, OK? Indeed, why don't you pretend I am an anonymous poster, and just address the issues rather than club affiliation?

The scoreline did flatter HBU, insofar as it was not what I would expect in the league, for the reasons I explained. But I also have no illusions that Waikato FC will be "challengers� in the ASB Premiership.

HBU did not "allow" Waikato possession in their own half � they chased and harried for it continually.

I have personally never compared Waikato with barcelona but they do appear to similarly press immediately after losing possession. Waikato played good possession football in the first half.

There was no prospect of replicating last year�s events in brining in a whole load of Aucklanders. Apart from everything else � like wanting to put more waikato in the Waikato team - there was no money.

Again, I don�t understand what you are so bitchy and snippy about, but hope you get over it.

Waikato 6 Youngheart Manawatu 5

When he landed the job, Waikato FC coach Declan Edge promised his team would be entertaining.

They certainly lived up to that pledge pre-season at Taupo with a 6-5 win over Youngheart Manawatu.

However Edge might like to more forensically define what he means by entertainment, because the delightful attacking play which his team produced was almost completely negated by Keystone Cops comedy at the back, which led to Waikato conceding some real howlers.

So, Waikato "entertained" at both ends, but I�m picking none of their fans would complain if they did away with the Laurel & Hardy schtick at the back, entertaining though it may be.

Just as some people find entertainment in horror movies, there was a morbid fascination in watching aspects of this game.

In particular it was a game that keeper Max Tommy will want to forget.

Nobody wants to be too hard on a young keeper, but even in being charitable you would have to put him in the dock for four of these goals, while his general play was enough to send shiver through the sideline, let alone the Waikato team. There was one bit at the end where a backpass travelling about 2mph, rolled straight under his foot.

Wanderers club members in attendance said they had never seen him play so bad. The leavening aspect for Waikato was that Manawatu seemed to be having similar problems with their two keepers.

As one spectator said to me after the game: "it�s quite an entertaining spectacle when neither side has a goalkeeper."

Waikato went 3-0 down in the first 15 minutes. In the first instance it was sloppy passing which coughed up cheap possession and Manawatu netted a dinky little chip, though even then you feel a more flexible keeper may have collected the softest of chips before it bounced over the line.

The third goal was the worst, as Tommy appeared to trip on his own feet in moving to collect a backpass.

Waikato then fought back with two nice finished to Jason Hicks after increasing Waikato pressure. Hicks clinically chipped the keeper, then added a second with a fine drive from distance.

New signing Mike Thompson drew Waikato level, getting in front of his marker to a ball from the right to nudge home. Thommo owed Waikato this goal, having butchered a one on one in the first two minutes when he robbed a centreback, strolled through and was too lazy to go around the keeper and had his shot saved. He then hit the crossbar and had a header over the keeper cleared off the line.

Sixteen-year-old Ryan Thomas then made it 4-3 to Waikato at half time by nicely finishing at the far post from a cross from fellow youth player Tyler Boyd.

In the second half Thommo added a second at the far post from another Boyd cross to make it 5-3.

Suele Soromon made it 5-4 with a run through the middle for Manawatu, going around Tommy, (who fell over at the wrong time).

Waikato again made loads of subs in the second half and one of them, Mark Jones, scored a blinder after beating three players down the right and slamming home for 6-3.

Manawatu dropped a real softie into the net following a corner from the right but couldn�t quite find another goal to make it a round dozen for the afternoon.

Waikato almost had another when sub Harry Edge played a superb ball in behind the back four but Jones couldn�t quite finish.

I don�t know enough about Manawatu to put this match into any sort of holistic perspective. But from Waikato�s view it was encouraging to beat a fellow league team despite the absence of what you would expect to be starting XI players Matt Williams, Adam Thomas, Mike Kramer and Mark Fulcher, and possibly also Jesse Smith.

For Waikato Hicks was superb after a couple of sloppy passes in that first 15 minutes, Jesse Edge was good value at left back, and has pretty much made that position his own.

David Samson is getting back to his best form with some lung-busting runs down the right and has nicely tempered his natural blood and snot style to fit the type of game Edge demands.

Raymond How gave another very honest performance at the back, alongside Tyler Lissette. I have warmed to How�s game in recent weeks and it will be tough on him if he has to make way for a fit-again Mike Kramer.

Further forward, young Ryan Thomas continues to impress. He is only elfin size �smaller thank Hicks � but very mobile and has a sharp brain. Matteo Ballan sometimes looks awkward and gangly with his body shape, but usually distributes well, has a good shot on him, and works hard.

Boyd should definitely be in the starting XI for the league despite his youth. He did miss a golden opportunity to score in the first half, but this is unusual for him. Over winter, when he shot, he almost always scored, and he is a nuggetty, skilful attacker, who will surprise a lot of defenders.

And it must be said Waikato look an awful lot more formidable with Thompson up front. He confesses to not being fit after a few weeks off, but he is among the very best imports we have ever seen in the Waikato and can really play. If he had been truly on song here of course, he would have scored five.

Of the numerous subs, Jones made a definite impact. He is rough and raw, but pacy and direct. If he can hone those strengths, and add thought and vision to his game, he will also push for the starting XI.

The real conundrum Edge has it what he does on the goalkeeping front. Does he disregard this as a bad dream, have confidence in Tommy and carry on regardless?

Or does he promote his assistant coach, Neil Mouncher, up the ranks. Mouncher had a super winter, even at 43, and Melville supporters had him as runner-up to Thompson as their player of the year.

This takes on extra relevance because my spies tell me Fulcher is unavailable for Waikato�s first match, at home to Auckland. If Auckland put eight past the All Stars, what they would do against even slightly sub-par keeping does not bear thinking about.

Edge�s other selection headaches are more pleasant. Thomas, Kramer and Williams will most likely force others to the bench, while Smith may also come into the frame, though on the Taupo showing may now be behind Samson and Jones in the pecking order for work on the right.

As for Manawatu, I wasn�t really focusing on them. They look lively on attack, but even apart from their goalkeeping woes, were far too square and brittle at the back.

Hawke�s Bay beat Waitakere 1-0 in the early match, through a Milos Nikolic goal. I only saw the last 30 minutes, so won�t comment on it.

But I will relay an end-of-the-afternoon comment from a spectator who did see both games and nicely related it back to the entertainment factor mentioned at the start of this report.

"I saw two sh*t matches today," he said. "But at least Waikato�s was entertaining."