Waikato Youngheart oooh!

Waikato Youngheart oooh!

Well what a game!! Some great football and some inept stuff!

sounds like an epic OOE glad you got value for your petrol money, there was a bit of a noise round newtown park as the score for that game came through

Waikato FC 4 (Own goal 6, Holloway 13/56/77)
YoungHeart Manawatu 5 (Gouzalo Nieres 1/21/80, Ian Robinson 27, Daniel Chavez 48)
Halftime: 2-3

Nice work Steve... are we in danger of actually having some goal-scoring stocks in this country ?

Yeh HN, we're definitely in danger, courtesy of defenders mostly!

This sounds like the Manawatu of old. Concede 4 but just score more. Nieres is class but has often been made to play up front on his own and have to take on the whole opposition back 4. Sounds like it was a great game.

The uruguayan was class, always dangerous, as was the giant Fijian for Manawatu. But you would go a long way to find a more accomplished finish than Steven Holloway (a young Kiwi lad!) with his first goal, running through the middle with a step and curving it around the keeper while running at pace. Waikato were woeful at the back but actually looked good going forward in spite of having just the lone striker. It helped that they were able to play the ball quickly through midfield with Luke Findley, and to a lesser extent Sam Wilkinson, not on the pitch instead of having to fanny around all day.

Yes the switch from 4 4 2 to 3 5 2 paid immediate dividends against Waikato, with the defence exposed and a goal conceded. I thought the American should have gone more central in the midfield to control the play as he obviously likes to do instead of being stuck out wide. Yes I thought the central midfield Waita and Simpkins did a good job when they had the ball, esp in the first half. Agreed, that goal of Holloways was classy, equal to the chip of Nieres.

Stanley Waita deserves some credit, one of waikatos problems this season has been getting the ball forward, they hardly ever get it past midfield, and he has done it. The Nieres chip was pure gold, almost a piss take it happened so slowly. But if waikato hadn't fielded a fatty at right back he would never have got there in the first place.

That Steven Holloway is a quality marksman... If NZ soccer had any sense they would include him in the Olympic suqad ahead of people like Sam Messam!

Sam Messam is a nuisance but at the higher level the nuisance doesnt work. I would take a player like Holloway instead.

Holloway for prime minister!

Holloway's presence would probably only work if there was an intelligent midfielder to give the sort of service waita gave him... feeding his clever runs. He's not big enough or fast enough to  make an impression at international level unless NZ was going to play smart football, which is always doubtful.

Sam Messam isn't a skilled striker but he is very strong on the ball accounting for the fact that he is cut like a rock and built like a tank.

Stanley Waita isnt playing on sunday not because he didnt make the squad but he wanted to play for his winter club Ngaruawahia instead........what does that tell you, a first division northern league club. 

That Ngaruawahia are paying his bills?? That he is loyal to his old coach Dave Edmondson?? You tell us.
Agent 472008-04-05 00:06:45

Another double for hollway - defo got to be in the olympic squad now... and im still voting for him in the elections!

Considering how much of the season he was injured or on Oceania duty, his goals per game must stack up with most of the others in the NZFC goal scorers race.

Hello there. I am overseas at present and not such a regular visitor to this forum, but to reply to a couple of things in this thread...

Bruce,

Wow great to see a father have sooo much love for his son!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's alright Semipro, I'm sure your father loves you just as much...

I detect a hint of sarcasm from you Semipro?

Let's try not to be retards about this lads.  Bruce has every right to be proud of Steve, as a journalist he spends most of his life trying to be un-biased about sports results so when he is free to be a proud father he has every right to be.

Steve flies under the radar a lot, but his form is starting to make people take notice.

Before sl*gging Bruce off lads, in defense he isn't hiding behind a nom de plume and did say it was subjective review. Whats he going to do, rubbish his son in a national media forum..?? He has listed some facts and largely left his opinion out of it until the end.

I've never really seen the lad play so I can't comment on how good he is/isn't but I would say that if he is as good as he is made out to be, then why is he not looking to go to bigger/better clubs? He has finished his scholarship so why not overseas? I doubt Jordan and Young wont be there next year so why not to an NZFC contender and play winter at Central?  I can respect loyalty to Melville but if he is good and wants to make a name as a footballer, then I don't understand why you would choose Melville in Hamilton when in Wellington, there are Central League clubs that play in the back yard of the Phoenix and in Auckland there are winter league clubs in the backyard of Waitakere and Auckland City. Melville just seems like an unusual place to try make a name for yourself when there are easier avenues.Agent 472008-04-08 12:06:06

Part of his location decision might be his employment.  He works for Oceania (OFC) so I imagine he can't really consider doing the job from Wellington.

Oh I can understand why Wellington is ruled out but its still strange to me. Works for Oceania in Auckland but plays for Melville in Hamilton?

Again the easier avenue would be at Central?

They are in the same league this year, maybe you get a better chance to be noticed scoring goals against Central than scoring for them ?

Steven plays for Melville because if he doesn`t his dad will stop bigging him up on football forum`s.

feedback2008-04-08 16:05:28

Typical Waikato football isn't, just look at some of the Waikato FC midfield and paternal loyalties...

As a follower of Melville, i think it is a little short sighted of people saying that Steven is only there due to his father - Steven has played with Melville off and on for the last 5 or 6 years and must enjoy the atmosphere as comes back. Give the father/son thing here a rest as it is completely different from the wilkinson one.

Yup your right, Sam can't play football and only his old man keeps picking him.... Agent 472008-04-08 22:17:50

That Wilkinson (Jnr) is a quality player and I cant believe that you guys cant see it. He has it all - What do you think he is lacking??? coz it cant be much?

What do i think he's lacking? Any talent whatsoever.

I am awfully tempted to out some of those posting in this thread.

Let's try and avoid personal abuse.  Bruce manages not to hide behind an anonymous ID, perhaps others might think of doing the same if they are going to get personal.
Hard News2008-04-09 12:18:38