Striker Seule Soromon has scored a record 26 goals for Wairarapa United in their Capital Soccer premier division campaign this season but the header he netted in the second half of Saturday's match with Marist at Howard Booth Park, Carterton promises to be the most important of all of them.
That goal in what was Wairarapa United's 18th and final match of their premier division programme earned them a 1-1 draw and meant that second-placed Tawa needed a near miracle in their two catch up games next weekend to snatch the title from their grasp.
If Tawa beat both Lower Hutt City and Waterside-Karori they will finish on the same number of competition points as Wairarapa United, 38, and the spoils will be decided on goal difference.
With 48 goals for and 19 against Wairarapa United currently have a goal difference of 29 while Tawa with 38 goals for and 22 against have a goal difference of 16.
So for Tawa to edge out Wairarapa United under the current system they would have to win their last two games by an average of seven goals, something which, on paper at least, looks well beyond their capabilities.
Especially when it is considered that Lower Hutt City will have the incentive of needing a win themselves to have any chance of avoiding automatic relegation from premier division and that Waterside-Karori have been very little inferior to Tawa in past clashes.
So daunting is the task facing Tawa, in fact, that Capital Soccer officials were apparently prepared to hand over the premier division trophy to Wairarapa United after Saturday's match rather than have to make another trip over the hill to do so, an offer the locals politely declined because, as coach Phil Keinzley explained, they didn't want to tempt fate.
"Yes, it's a huge task for Tawa but, hey, these sort of things have been done before and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," he said. "Hopefully we can celebrate next weekend & that's the plan anyway!"
Making victory in the premier division even sweeter for Wairarapa United, of course, is that it would also give them the chance to challenge for a place in the central league next season.
For that to happen the Capital champions have to beat the top premier division side in the central region (Manawatui-Hawkes Bay-Taranaki-Gisborne) in a home and away battle and then the bottom-placed central league side, Stop Out, again in a two-match home and away series. Keinzley has never made any secret of his desire to have Wairarapa United play in the central league but here too he is to loathe to make any comment about their prospects at that level until the Capital premier division competition is safely in the bag. "Obviously we are starting to think about it but Tawa probably have it on their minds too," he said.
Wairarapa United went to halftime in their match with Marist on Saturday trailing by one goal, a situation which had their coach concerned that the pressures of needing a good result could actually lead to defeat.
The locals had the wind in their favour and created a number of good scoring chances but a lack of composure in front of the opposition goal saw all of them wasted.
"We were hurrying things too much, we needed to be more patient," Keinzley said. "Most of the pressure we were under was self imposed & basically we were guilty of trying too hard."
Worse for Wairarapa United was that the Marist goal came because of a defensive blunder of their own making with the ball being passed in front of their goal and intercepted by an opposition player who gave 'keeper Matt Borren no chance.
Not surprisingly the message from Keinzley at halftime was for his team to focus on maintaining their structure and backing their skills to at least earn them an equaliser and they were elated when it finally came, Soromon heading home an excellent cross from Anton Ross, who not long beforehand had come off the reserve bench. It was, as said previously, Soromon's 26th goal of the season, one none more than the 25 scored for Wairarapa United by Scotsman Kevin Murray some seasons ago. From that point Wairarapa United spent most of the half on attack but a determined Marist were always dangerous whenever they had the chance to break away and Borren was called on to make a couple of fine saves in one-on-one situations.
Coach Keinzley admits to being relieved when the final whistle sounded. "It would have been nice to get a win but a draw was much better than a loss, we were happy enough to take that," he said.
Right fullback Sakeo Valevou was an outstanding performer for Wairarapa United and others to shine were Borren, Waisake Sabutu and Soromon. Keinzley though was quick to give plaudits to all his players for what should be a history-making season for the club in that they should seem likely to win the premier division title for the first time ever.
"There was a time early on when we were struggling and everybody knuckled down to getting us where we are now & it's been a huge team effort, really huge", he said.
