Central League Round 9 and Chatham Cup
Napier City Rovers travelled to Wellington for the second last time this season and emerged victorious to continue to put pressure on the top 3 in the Central League. Napier have been scoring freely in recent weeks and with 6 games to play at Park Island in the second round, as well as an away trip to Taranaki, must fancy their chances of finishing the season with an outside shot at the title. They had the luxury of leaving Sam Jenkins and David Gearey on the bench against Wellington United who have had an up and down season. United started well and dreadlocked Andy Christenson�s well hit half volley was cleared off the line when a yard either side would have opened the scoring. The teams looked to be heading into the break all square at the end of a scrappy half of football. However, the unlucky Dave McCallum got a faint touch to turn in a Graham Fyfe cross to put the visitors ahead.
The second spell unfortunately matched the first for quality and Greg Henslee turned in a second after a corner was poorly dealt with by the United defence. Napier�s approach to the two nil scoreline was a little casual and Eddie Mason, playing against his old club, scored a peach of a goal with ten minutes remaining. Turning inside the box he struck a neat left footed drive to give his side a chance. However, the final whistle blew without further incident and Napier headed home happy.
Miramar Rangers continued their recent good form, with a 3-1 defeat of winless Stop Out, who only remain above Taranaki on goal difference. In a dire first half at Centennial Park, it was the visitors who looked the most likely to score, with the pace of Garry McDermott causing the Rangers defence numerous problems. Twice in the first 20 minutes, he managed to latch on to through balls played behind a flat Miramar defence although he was unable to get either effort on target. Miramar�s passing game was being effectively negated by a disciplined Stop Out defensive display, limiting them to long range efforts, although Allen Chote came close when he skimmed the top of the bar from 25 yards. Stop Out keeper Dave Finlay was finally called into action 10 minutes before half time when he tipped a long range Tim Butterfield effort round the post.
During the break, Miramar substitute and crowd favourite PJ Lupi entertained the crowd with some acrobatics, before both teams came back onto the pitch to ruin the fun. Miramar immediately took control of the game in the second half, and nearly took the lead when a cross from the right wing by Graham Little was floated in. Little was starting to find space in the inside right channel and had an excellent chance well saved again by Finlay. Moments later Rangers wonder-kid Michael Eagar was presented a similar chance when put through one on one with Finlay, but the keeper stayed on his feet and managed to parry Eagar�s shot. Miramar finally took the lead after 65 minutes when Butterfield found space on the right wing and crossed for Chote to drill home. Five minutes later, the lead was doubled when a right wing cross from Graham Little was pounced on again by Chote to double his, and Ranger�s, tally. While most of the crowd called for the introduction of �Disco� Lupi, Stop Out breathed life into the game with a goal almost immediately from the kick off. The ball was sent through for McDermott to chase, although Rangers keeper Sacha Nathu raced from his goal to head clear. Unfortunately for Nathu, the ball was headed straight to midfielder Danny Moriarty who volleyed into the empty net from 40 yards. Although Allen Chote failed to complete his hat-trick, his attempt to chip the on-rushing keeper sailing wide, the game was finally finished as a contest when wonder-veteran David Batty rounded the keeper and slotted into the empty net from a tight angle.
Wests remained top at the half way point in the Central League after negotiating a tricky away tie with Gisborne. Wests ground out a 2-0 win although the Sky Blues showed that they will have an impact on the title race in the second round, making it a very tough day at the office for the Chatham Cup holders. Ben Feld capitalised on a defensive mix-up midway through the first spell to leave Wests 1-0 up at halftime largely against the run of play. Gisborne peppered the Wests goal in the second half with Robert Gill and Jakob Sinkora both going close but neither were able to find a way past Wests custodian Phil Imray who was in fine form. Captain Adam Birch was upended in the 90th minute in the Gisborne penalty area and Dave Johnston converted the spot kick to give Wests the 3 points against an improving Gisborne side.
Olympic remained third after Anthony Neonakis scored an impressive hat trick to overcome Marist in Palmerston. Despite Cory Chettleburgh�s brace Olympic put more pressure on the Marist side who haven�t won since Round 4.
Finally, Lower Hutt hit their straps with a 9-1 thrashing of Taranaki which gives more ammunition to the suggestions that Taranaki�s inclusion at the expense of more Wellington sides cheapens the competition. Lower Hutt turned in the performance that the Bell Park faithful have been expecting leading six nil at half time. Adam Church, Mike Garnett and Roy Clarke all grabbed doubles with Steve Gulley, Matt Adams and Luis Corrales completing the rout. Scott Smith grabbed a late consolation for the amber and blacks who were wearing one of the worst strips seen in the capital for some time.
Monday�s Chatham cup games included some intriguing match ups but it was the unexpected defeat of Lower Hutt which surprised most. Fairy tale upsets have been lacking in recent years but Capital 1 side Wellington Marist�s defeat of Lower Hutt was a truly unexpected result. Marist scored twice in the first fifteen minutes against a lethargic Lower Hutt and managed to hang on for a famous win. Marist are so far unbeaten in Capital 1 and continued their fine form. Although drawing Wests in the next round is a difficult prospect, the Chatham Cup dream is still alive for the Kilbirnie club.
Tawa took on Wests in a combative local derby witnessed by one of the bigger crowds seen in Wellington this year. Tackles flew in from both sides but it was the quality of Wests� finishing which separated the teams. After half an hour David Johnston beat his man and his pin point cross was headed home by Ben Feld. Tawa equalised early in the second spell from the penalty spot after Daniel Wood was clipped from behind by Mike Smith. However, Smith atoned by converting two corners to make the tie safe.
Wairarapa beat Wellington United two nil in Mastertron in an upset foreshadowed by some perceptive followers of Wellington football. Always tough to play away, United didn�t help matters by getting lost on the way to the ground. Wairarapa�s aggressive defending was too much for the Wellington side who we understand did manage to find their way back over the hill. Wairarapa will go into the next round against a team from Federation 4.
Miramar beat run-away Wellington Premier League leaders Petone with 3 goals in the first 30 minutes. They totally dominated the first third of the game and it was no surprise when in form striker Allen Chote found space in the penalty and drilled the ball into the bottom corner of the net. Captain Timmy �Tim-Tam� Butterfield smashed home a free kick from the edge of the area after Keiichi Nguyen was fouled, and Chote killed the game as a contest on the half hour mark when he glanced in a cross from David Batty. Injuries to Nguyen and Chote just before half time forced a restructure for Rangers, who struggled to control possession in the second stanza. Petone had the best chance of lacklustre second half when Jonathan Winkworth volleyed just over the bar. Miramar will take on Olympic in what can only be described as a blockbuster clash.
In other matches, Olympic predictably beat University 6-0, Napier had a 9-1 win against Taradale and Gisborne also progressed 2-1 against Maycenvale United of which I know absolutely nothing.
Da Selekta2007-06-11 18:42:46
Superb as always - so how do we get
you onto submitting for the Dominion Post (no disrespect to Mr
Woodcock of course - he also does a good job too)!
Superb as always - so how do we get
you onto submitting for the Dominion Post (no disrespect to Mr
Woodcock of course - he also does a good job too)!
06.06.2007
BY GARY CAFFELL
Wairarapa United are hoping the element of surprise will help them continue their golden run in this season's Chatham Cup national knockout soccer competition when they play Palmerston North End at Palmerston North on a date still to be confirmed.
Upset wins over higher-graded central league sides Stop Out last month and Wellington United on Monday have catapulted Wairarapa United into the fourth round of the Cup, the furthest any team from Wairarapa has gone in this particular series.
And manager Phil Keinzley is delighted their next encounter will be against opposition which will probably know little, or nothing, about their individual or collective strengths.
"We didn't want to be drawn against a Wellington club because everyone down there now knows what we are capable of," Keinzley said."But hopefully they (Palmerston North End) won't have done their homework and we'll be able sneak up on them."
As it happens PNE should, on paper at least, be the weakest side Wairarapa United have met in this season's Cup matches thus far as they currently lie second in the Western premiership, a competition about equal in strength to that of Capital premier division where Wairarapa United are also placed second at the present time.
But Keinzley doesn't see their grading as necessarily a good thing. "Obviously they have knocked off some good teams too so they'll be full of confidence, won't they," he said.
While delighted with his side's latest 2-0 Cup win over Wellington United Keinzley said there was a downside to the victory.
This revolved around possible distractions to their main objective for 2007, winning the Capital premier division competition.
Presently they are in catch up mode, six points � or one win and a draw � in arrears of leaders Petone.
"The league title is still very much the big aim and that's where we need the focus of the players to be," he said.
"It's nice to still be alive in the Cup but it's secondary to the league, no question of that."
Keinzley said Wairarapa United had gone into Monday's encounter with Wellington United intent on making a start strong enough to upset their opponent's composure and structure.
"We needed to impress upon them that nothing would come easy and I think we managed to do that," he said.
"We got them on the back foot early on and they struggled to get any rhythm into their game after that."
Keinzley was especially impressed with the dominance achieved by his side in midfield despite the fact Wellington United utilised a format which had them with five players there compared to Wairarapa United's four.
"Controlling the midfield is so crucial in matches like this and that was probably the main factor in the win for us," he said.
"We looked after own ball well and picked up a fair share of theirs through aggressive defence � again it was just what we needed to do."
Keinzley was pleased too with the thrust shown by Wairarapa United on attack although he conceded that two or three goals had probably gone begging through poor finishing.
"They (Wellington United) only had a couple of really good scoring chances while we must have had six or seven.
"Getting two goals was pleasing but we should have had more," he said.
Whether gun forward Pita Rabo will be available for Wairarapa United's next premier division competition game against Western Suburbs this coming Saturday was very much up in the air with Rabo still battling a leg injury suffered in Monday's match.
However, the news was better about the versatile Andy Robertson who also took a blow to the leg in that game but who seemed sure to be available for Saturday's game.
Feverish2007-06-07 08:13:45see below
MINGING! go Wgtn Firebirds (circa 1998 Heath Davis maybe?)
Barber212007-06-07 08:46:58