TEAM WELLINGTON 2 HAWKES BAY UNITED 2
ISPS Handa Premiership
David Farrington Park, Wellington
Sunday 18th November, 2018
Attendance : about 200
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| Team Wellington 2018-19 The JourneyFan |
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| Hawke's Bay United 2018-19 The JourneyFan |
Playing wise you don't really know what you'll get from Hawke's Bay United, although with boisterous manager Brett Angell you know there is a good chance of some sort of entertainment! And he didn't disappoint - It started before kick off when Angell got very perturbed that the refs had knocked on his door three times to get them out yet Team Wellington were still in their dressing room. A robust discussion with the ref ensued and the teams made their way on to the field for the 28th meeting of these two teams. Team Wellington easily having the upper hand having won 17 previous encounters to Hawke's Bay United's Six and not having lost to them in the last two seasons.
Hawke's Bay United do have a high turn over of players, this season they have picked up Cam Lindsay, Cory Chettleburg, Dan Allan and Paul Ifill (also assistant coach) from Tasman United while bringing in Frenchman Maxime Oliveri and locals like Jorge Akers. Angell has built himself a reputation as a great coach getting Hawke's Bay United into final in his first season and the top four in his second, last season was more of a struggle and before today it looked as if this season could be as well with them only having picked up one point from their first four games.
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| Aaron Clapham (TW) & Maxime Oliveri (HBU) TJF |
Team Wellington have much the same team as they won the Oceania Champions League with last season, although they have been adding to it slowly. Ex All White Aaron Clapham has been signed from Canterbury probably with one eye on the up coming Club World Cup and was on the bench.
Angell's initial outburst settled down to his usual moans about referee decisions and directing his players from the sideline. While possession was fairly even between the teams, it was generally played in the Hawke's Bay United half. Team Wellington could have taken the lead after 10 minutes but Andy Bevin's shot just shaved the upright. As the game went on Team Wellington were starting to grow into their usual game and recycling the ball back through the defence and keeping the pressure on. In the 32nd minute Bevin cut in from the left wing and finding a defender in his way, pushed the ball out to the impressive Henry Cameron on the by line, he sent a cross over which was met by Hamish Watson who headed in his sixth goal of the season and gave Team Wellington a deserved lead.
It wasn't all Team Wellington though and Hawke's Bay United had been making forays into the Team Wellington half but were unable to cause Scott Basalaj any real issues.
The second half started with a bang, Olivieri crossed to Jorge Akers who slotted the ball past Basalaj to even up the scores. Just three minutes later it was Andy Bevin again who gathered the ball in midfield and beat two defenders before laying the ball into the path of Nati Hailemariam whose shot from the edge of the penalty area evaded Mack Waite in the Hawke's Bay United goal.
Despite losing that goal Hawke's Bay United were playing much better in the second half. The introduction of Paul Ifill gave them an extra lift as well as he made some weaving runs at the defence but was unable to either find the goal or a teammate to knock the ball in. There were a couple of flashpoints, Mario Barcia leaned into a challenge that took Ifill down. Ifill wasn't happy about it and got up to remonstrate with the referee that it was always him (Barcia) that was doing it. Meanwhile someone on the Hawke's Bay bench had suggested Ifill should stay down, which set off the Team Wellington bench with claims of unsporting behaviour, but a word from the fourth official and a free kick settled things down.
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| Mario Barcia (TW) leans into foul Paul Ifill (HBU) The JourneyFan |
Shortly after Oliverei and Mario Illich were tearing down the right wing the ball was well ahead of them when there was a shout and Oliveri theoretically threw himself to the ground clutching his face, it was just his luck that he did it in front of die hard Team Wellington fans at half way who provided him with the utmost sympathy and respectful advice. Although it was there own team that got the best advice when one fan called out "do it right next time Mario & actually touch him!"
Then with about 10 minutes left, Jorge Akers broke down the left cut in and got his second of the day. It led to a reasonably frantic last 10 minutes with both teams having chances but neither looking like adding to the score. In the end 2-2 was probably a fair result, although both sides would have felt they should have won it, Team Wellington probably more the aggrieved as it could be a costly two points dropped in the race for the title.
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