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| Jack-Henry Sinclair (TW) gets a sniff of Matt Oliver's (Wan) Glove The JourneyFan |
TEAM WELLINGTON 3 WANDERERS 2
ISPS Handa Premiership
Dave Farrington Park, Wellington
Sunday 18th March, 2018
Attendance : 150
The defending champions, Team Wellington, came up against the wooden spooners, Wanderers, a team that had managed just one win all season and went from what looked like was going to be a comfortable victory to working harder than a cleaner with three jobs to secure a home semi final.
The game started and went as you'd probably expect, Andy Bevin had the ball in the back of the net after six minutes and 10 minutes later Jack-Henry Sinclair had made it 2-0 from the penalty spot. Wanderers were playing like a team that....well had only won one game all season, their players were arguing with each other about where the should be and who was at fault for losing the ball. Jordan Shaw kept running into Team Wellington players, taking them out and then pleading to the ref that he never touched them. Things just weren't going well for Ricki Herbert's team and with the score 2-0 at half time it looked as if Team Wellington would cruise to the home semi final.
Wanderers had nothing left to play for but their pride and while I wasn't privy to the team talk at half time, I could imagine that this was mentioned and it seemed to work. In the second half it was a different Wanderers team that came out. Team Wellington didn't play well but that was mainly because Wanderers played a higher pressing game and didn't allow them to play. Wanderers were rewarded in the 60th minute when a long shot from Xavier Pratt surprisingly slipped through the hands of Scott Basalaj and then it was all square when Armin Pasagic equalised from the penalty spot with 20 odd minutes to go.
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| Newly called up All White Justin Gulley The JourneyFan |
While Wanderers played well, their main goalscoring threat, Tommy Semmy, was unable to get away from the attentions of the Team Wellington defence, and besides him they didn't really have many other options or create many chances. Then just as Canterbury United fans were rubbing their hands together at the prospect of a home semi final, which a draw in this game would have bought, newly named All White, Justin Gulley, sent a great cross into Andy Bevin on the edge of the six yard area and he flicked it past Matt Oliver in the Wanderers goal with just two minute of normal time left.
FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE GAME CLICK HERE
So that is it for the round robin stage of the ISPS Handa Premiership. Auckland City, who have now gone 1007 minutes without conceding a goal, won their ninth minor premiership (and fifth in a row) and will meet 4th place Eastern Suburbs next Saturday in the semi final. While Team Wellington who finished second will host Canterbury United on Sunday.
So since the top four still have the finals to play, here's a review of the rest and instead of awards, a song which I think helps sum up their seasons
5th
SOUTHERN UNITED
P-18 W-6 D-6 L-6 F-28 A-27 Pts-24
Best Result : 2-2 v Auckland City first game of the season and set them up with for the season with the belief that they could do it, something that they have lacked in past seasons
Something has changed, from being perennial cellar dwellers, having their position in the league openly questioned and embarrassingly setting up a give a little page to raise money for day to day operating costs to equaling their best ever position in the league, being the only team Auckland City couldn't beat (two draws), Irish coach Paul O'Reilly and his fellow countrymen have ditched the Speights, picked up the Guinness and at last tasted some success. The change in management to the Football South Federation has changed their attitude greatly, and Southern United definitely deserve to be named team of the year, lets just hope it's a long term change.
6th
TASMAN UNITED
P-18 W-6 D-5 L-7 F-34 A-38 Pts-23
Best Result : 5-2 v Hawke's Bay United Their only home win of the season
If I was doing one of those old Shoot player profiles, Tasman United would have listed for dislikes this season, playing at home and penalties. 16 of their 23 points came on the road, while at home they only managed one win, they also conceded 11 penalties - yes 11 in 18 games - that's a penalty every 1.6 games!!!. While playing some attractive and great football at times they just didn't have the consistency that was required of them. This season also saw the "retirement" (we'll wait unti next season to confirm it) of the evergreen Paul Ifill who finished second in the league golden boot with 12 goals.
7th
WAITAKERE UNITED
P-18 W-5 D-4 L-9 F-30 A-34 Pts-19
Best Result : A comfortable 5-0 win away at the Weenix
What is happening at Waitakere United? While it's fair to say the club hasn't been the same since Rex Dawkins stepped back from his role of running the club, it looked as if things were back on track last season, with a Semi Final (that amazing 6-6 draw with Team Wellington) and a reasonably stable team. This season, besides a thrashing from Auckland City in the Super City derby, was going well, that was up until December 17th, sitting in third place they lost 2-0 to Eastern Suburbs and that started a run of nine games without a win, coach and player bust ups and low crowds (around 50!), they plummeted down the table to finish in a worst ever placing of seventh.
8th
HAWKE'S BAY UNITED
P-18 W-5 D-4 L-9 F-21 A-36 Pts-19
Best Result : 2-0 v Eastern Suburbs Their only home win and even then it was in Palmerston North!
Song : Bob the builder (can he do it - No he can't)
In the three seasons Brett Angell has been in charge at Hawke's Bay United, he's effectively had to build a new team each season. He's done it well, finishing runner up in the Grand Final, then second in the league, but there was to be no third time lucky. From last season they lost Saul Halpin, Sam Mason-Smith and Facundo Babero who between them had scored 32 goals, unable to replace them HBU managed only 21 goals and finished in 8th spot. On the bright side he was only sent off once this season!
9th
WELLINGTON PHOENIX RESERVES
P-18 W-4 D-3 L-11 F-27 A-53 Pts-15
Best Result : 3-2 v Waitakere United
(well couldn't really think of anything else - so go with the cliche!)
The Weenix seem to have settled into a pattern in the National League. Start slowly - their first win came in the seventh round, in which time they had conceded 16 goals in the previous six games, then get a couple of results just before the break. Come back from the break get a right royal hammering (7-1 to Eastern Suburbs this season) and then drift towards the end of the season with their management saying it's about player development not results. Thing is they have some decent young players, Willem Ebbinge in particular this season has looked good, but who knows what continually losing will be doing for them
10th
WANDERERS
P-18 W-1 D-3 L-14 F-22 A-53 Pts-6
Best Result : 4-4 v Tasman United
Song : Que Sera Sera
(We'll win again, don't know where, don't know when, but we'll win again one day)
Wanderers set an unwanted new record of losses in the modern era ((c)A.Voreman) of the National League (ie since 2005) of 23. Promising youngster Michael Built departed to Eastern Suburbs in the transfer window. Tommy Semmy and Armin Pasagic effectively kept the team going. Ricki Herbert said during the season it was a long term plan and it will take time, it'll be interesting to see if the club give him that time after this season
SEMI FINALS
Auckland City v Eastern Suburbs
Saturday 24th March, Kiwitea St, Auckland
KO 2pm
Team Wellington v Canterbury United
Sunday 25th March, Dave Farrington Park
Wellington, KO 2pm
Both games also on SKY TV
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