By Gary Caffell
Wairarapa United will be without their inspirational skipper Pita Rabo for their vital Capital Soccer premier division game with Marist in Wellington tomorrow.
A neck injury suffered while working in the forestry means Rabo will not only definitely miss this fixture but could also be on the sidelines when Wairarapa United complete their premier division campaign with another match against Marist at home next weekend.
Rabo's absence will obviously hurt Wairarapa United in a game where a win could actually see them crowned as premier division champions.
They are currently eight points ahead of their only challenger Tawa on the competition table and while Tawa have two games in hand anything less than a win for them against Kapiti Coast United tomorrow would make Wairarapa United's lead unassailable, providing, of course, that they win themselves
Fijian international Rabo has been an outstanding leader of Wairarapa United this season.
His cool composure in pressure situations, his astute distribution skills and his uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time when goals are there to be scored has justifiably seen him among four Wairarapa United players included in Team Wellington's extended squad for the national summer league & an honour also accorded Seule Soromon, Miriek Tvaroh and Carl Shailer.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley says losing a player of Rabo's calibre would weaken any side but he has also taken confidence from the recent showings of young Rathkeale College student Kota Maeno, who will now join Soromon in the striker's role.
The diminutive Maeno is not as physically imposing as Rabo, and is still in the process of developing his ball skills, but Keinzley has liked the way he has added sting to the Wairarapa United attack whenever he has come off the reserve bench, simply by virtue of his enthusiasm and high workload. "He's still learning but he gets involved in a big way and you want that," Keinzley said of Maeno.
Rabo's absence will see Tvaroh take over the captaincy of Wairarapa United tomorrow and he is the hard-nosed type of player who will relish the chance to lead his team to what could be the most notable victory in their club's history.
Tvaroh will be part of a quartet also involving Paul Gregory, Sakeo Valevou and Aaron Spierling which will be looking to dominate the midfield, and close down a Marist attacking unit which tends to interchange on a regular basis so as to keep opposition defenders guessing.
And tight defence will also by very much on the minds of fullbacks Shailer, Waisake Sabutu, Andy Robertson and James Oxtoby and goalkeeper Matt Borren, who has been in superb form in recent games.
"They (Marist) are so unorthodox the way they play you can't take anything for granted defensively, you have to have your wits about you all the time," Keinzley said.
The loss of Rabo will also mean Wairarapa United will be looking for the pacy Soromon to make an even bigger than usual impact in an attacking sense.
He is a player whose acceleration is a major asset and no goals promise to be more important than any he scores here.
That Marist will be as desperate for victory as Wairarapa United is guaranteed by the fact that relegation from premier division will be facing them fairly and squarely in the face if they fail to secure maximum points.
"It's going to be a battle royal, nothing is surer than that," Keinzley said.
"There is a lot hinging on it for both teams, it could go either way."
). Also it'll be a potential bugger for us in the 2nds as we are 2nd by a point from The Dreamers with 5 games to play, and can potentially make a playoff for promotion to Cap 1...so could be a double whammy if dodgy stacking continues and the Marist lads go down...will also have to put up with Bri bleating at training...don't know what is worse actually... (Sorry Bri :
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