Team Wellington

Waikato FC

3

1

John SUTHERLAND 55'-pen
Hicham KAMRI 79', 89'

Maksim MANKO 24'

by David Cross at David Farrington Park
asbpremiership.co.nz

WELLINGTON - Veteran front man Hicham Kamri was the hero as Team Wellington came from a 1-0 half time deficit to win 3-1 at David Farrington Park today.

Kamri's two goals in the last 15 minutes put the final touches to a game that for the first 45 minutes looked like going to the visitors.
 
A delayed start to the match following flight changes for Waikato FC saw Team Wellington making changes from last time out against Canterbury. 

Youth League star Pomare Te-Anau got his first start in the midfield along with veteran Darren Cheriton who has rejoined the roster to cover the injury of Jamie O'Connor.  While Waikato in the main remained unchanged with continued absences of Alex Barlow, Milos Nikolic and Dan Peat all of concern to coach Willie Gerdsen.
 
The conditions improved with the Southerly dying out and the sun poking through but overnight rain had left the surface damp and slippery in places which took the players a while to get used to. 

The game started at fast pace with end to end play and some willing challenges from players feeling their way into the game.
 
The first real chance fell to Waikato as a struggling Wellington defence allowed Jack Beguely to skirt around Duncan and Lissette and force a good save out of Phil Imray, who's parried save landed close to Nathan Palmer but the wet surface won as Palmer slipped and his cross sailed far too wide. 

It was the 24th minute though where it went for Waikato, a Team Wellington attack broke down on the edge of the area and Waikato then quickly turned play around.  The ball was cut back in to the area to Maksim Manko who calmly finished with his right in to the left corner giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.
 
This seemed to sting the home side in to action with John Sutherland having 3 or 4 good chances late in the half each getting closer and closer to a goal until in the 44th minute his shot in the area took a deflection on to the upright.
 
At the half it was the visitors in front and deservedly so with a number of good chances and one good finish, and they started the second half the same way with a great touch from Matteo Ballan putting the ball into his strikers path and forcing a good save from Phil Imray in the Wellington goal.
 
It was Waikato coming close again 8 minutes later when a Nathan Strom long throw bounced twice in the area and just when it seemed it was impossible for Waikato not to score Imray's hands again appeared to knock it away from the attacking players.
 
Team Wellington came back in to the match, a Scott Robson cross in to the area fell near Fifii but the visiting Australian referee had seen Nathan Palmer run in to the back of Fifii and had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. 

Sutherland stepped up and powered the ball home right down the centre of the goal to tie the game up.  His reward was to be subbed for Wellington Olympic striker Kamri who was to put the seal on the day for Wellington.
 
By this stage Wellington were looking the better side with subs Tade, Kamri and youth player Ryan Cain all causing trouble for Waikato. 

Firstly Michael Eagar got on the end of a clever ball in to the area from Tade but his shot was mis-timed and rolled to Fletcher in goal for Waikato but moments later Kamri struck. 

A powerful shot from outside the area was parried by Fletcher but the ever present Kamri was awake and to it first to finish calmly and give the home side the lead.
 
Waikato pushed for an equaliser but it was to prove their undoing.  As an attack broke up by Team Wellington the ball was pushed to Emiliano Tade who immediately sized the situation up and played a ball from the right side in to space.

Kamri started a run from inside his own half to meet the ball ahead of the high Waikato defensive line and proceeded to take a touch around Fletcher before calmly finishing in to the empty net, much to the joy of a home crowd that had grown to decent proportions by full time.
 
Understandably Team Wellington coach Stu Jacobs was pleased with the result if not with the whole performance.
 
"We weren't that fluid first half, but it's like anything you have to break teams down.  It's not going to happen straight away but I don't think we defended well enough in that first half to come away with any sort of result.  At least as the game went on it got a bit more open, and the three boys who came on made a difference and that is what you want from your subs," Jacobs said.

"Hicham came on, Emi Tade came on set Hicham up, and Ryan was active as well.  It's great to have subs come on who make a real difference," Jacobs added, "Before the game we spoke all about targets, obviously the target is the O-League as your end product, and you have mini targets along the way, and today our target was three points.  We need to reach those targets and today I guess we did."

His opposite number saw the game in a similar fashion, a game of two halves

"We're disappointed with the result," said Willy Gerdsen,"I thought in the first half we played very well, deserved to be 1-0 up, we could have been two nil up, but as games go we have the huge chance from Ballan to go two nil and then from my point of view a very, very soft penalty against us obviously has changed the game."
 
"There were two different halves.  First half very very good, Wellington didn't create any danger.  Second half like a completely different team and we didn’t finish and if you can't finish your chances then you pay the price in this league," Gerdsen said.

"It is a learning curve and the young lads have to step up.  We were a little bit naive in the second half.   I don't think Wellington played the best football I have seen them play, but obviously the penalty has a huge influence.
 
We have a couple of key players out like Milos Nikolic, Dan Peat, Alex Barlow but it's no excuse, everyone else in the squad is here for a reason.  For a very young team it's a learning curve," Gerdsen said.

Team Wellington coach Stu Jacobs will be pleased with a win that sets up Tuesday's showdown with the Wellington Phoenix 'A' nicely followed by a potentially tricky trip to Otago.

Gerdsen will be hoping his experienced players can help get his side back on track as they try to bounce back from defeat that could so easily have been victory.

Team Wellington

V

Waikato FC

1. Phil Imray (GK)

1. JohnFletcher

2. Scott Robson

2. Maksim Manko

3. Jamie Duncan

5. Nathan Strom

4. Michael Eagar

6. Nick Branch

7. Wiremu Patrick

7. Jason Hicks

10. Michael Fifii (Cain 75)

8. Jason McKeown

13. Karl Whalen (c)

11. Nathan Palmer (Jones 68)

16. John Sutherland (Kamri 59)

12. Jack Beguely (Davies-Campbell 75)

18. Darren Cheriton

14. Joe Bresnahan

21. Pomare Te-Anau (Tade 52)

16. Tewi Te Pou (Margetts 68)

24. Tyler Lissette

23. Matteo Ballan

Substitutes

Substitutes

25. Lance Rameakers (GK)

12. Danyon Drake (GK)

12. Emiliano Tade (on 52)

9. Mark Jones (on 68)

14. Hicham Kamri (on 59)

18. Alexei Davies Campbell (on 75)

17. Matthew Williams

26. Sam Margetts (on 68)

23. Ryan Cain (on 75)

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

Welcome to a southerly balseted David Farrington park where team Wellington take on Waikato FC.  It's cool but the cloud is clearing here as the Southerly blows straight down the ground.  Latest news is that Waikato FC have had flight challenges and arrived late.

Kick off has been delayed until 14:30 to allow for this delay.  We have the Team Wellington side.  Changes are Darren Cheriton's return to the side and youngster Pomare Te-Anau promoted from the youth side for a first start while Andrew Abba drops from the squad and Matt Williams to the bench.

Both teams out warming up, the Waikato squad seeing no major change.

Young

Team Wellington kicking off with the wind behind them that is actually dropping. 

1 Min

Team Wellington free kick on the right.  Nathan Strom off from Waikato to change his skins as they were black and did not match Waikato's white shorts.  Free kick well cleared by Waikato who then break but shoot across the goal mouth.

4 Min

Game still settling, end to end but no real chances.  Australian ref Gillet has words after a Waikato players goes through the back of Michael Eagar.

5 Min

It's quite wet out there.  Quite a lot of overnight rain that hasn't drained.  Waikato players in particular struggling to maintain footing.

7 Min

Referee has words with Michael Fifii after a petulant hack at the ankles of Joe Bresnahan.

9 Min

Michael Eager first card of the afternoon,  won the ball with his front leg in the sliding tackle but his trailing leg took out thee Waikato midfielder.

12 Min

Waikato break, Beguely skirts around Duncan and Lissette forcing a good save out of Imray, who parries it close to Palmer but the surface wins as Palmer slips and his cross sails far too wide.

14 Min

Pom Te Anau wins a free kick after Bresnahan slides in to the back of him.  Bresnahan gets a yellow.

18 Min

Not the greatest display of footballing talent so far.  Underlined by Lissette clearing the ball in to the back of Michael Eagar.

24 Min

Manko for Waikato.  Another Wellington attack breaks down on the edge of the area and Waikato break.  ball cut back to Manko who calmly finished with his right in to the left corner.  One-nil to the visitors.

28 Min

Team Wellington free kick is floated in by Wiremu Patrick, Sutherland gets up to it but heads just wide.

32 Min

Patrick and Te-Anau with some nice touches in the middle results in a cross which Sutherland puts wide.  He's getting closer.

34 Min

Strom goes through the back of Patrick giving away a free kick but the free kick from Patrick cleans out the balcony.

36 Min

Sutherland again.  This time a great run through the gap between the defenders and a deflection he tries to flick over his head and in, but he's pushed Strom of the ball so the free kick goes to Waikato.

38 Min

Sutherland hits the post this time.  Closer still.  Ball breaks in the area and his snap shot looks on target but takes a deflection.  Resulting corner is closest to Fifii who (unsurprisingly) doesn't win the header.

44 Min

All Team Wellington here currently but haven't quite got the ball in the back of the net.  Should mean Waikato score next.

45 Min

Half time.  Waikato up 1-0.  Wellington possibly marginally the better side but have yet to get one on target.

HT

Weather has cleared.  Sun out, wind dying off.  Kids out on the pitch knocking balls around

46 Min

Almost from the off Waikato break in to the area.  Lovely touch from Ballan puts the ball in to the path of a Waikato player who shoots but Imray gets down to save.

52 Min

Tade on for Te-Anau.  Some suggestion from the fans that that wasn't the change they would have made.

54 Min

Ball bouncines in the Waikato area but Wellington can't get a shot off falls to Patrick who tries to place a curling shot but it is taken by Fletcher in goal for Waikato.

56 Min

Robson whips in the cross and Fifii hits the deck.  Penalty for Team Wellington.  Yellow to Palmer for the foul.

57 Min

Sutherland converts down the middle.  1-1

59 Min

Sutherland off for Kamri.

61 Min

Strom throw bounced in the area, quite how it ended with Imray is a mystery as three players should have had it before then.

63 Min

Waikato break, Kamri and Tade, through ball for Fifii who cleverly (some - Oska Rego - would say brilliantly) wins the corner.

68 Min

Palmer off for Mark Jones.

73 Min

Great save by Fletcher from Fifii,  after but the ref is the only person here who thinks it was a miss and gives a goal kick.

75 Min

Just noticed Number 20 on for Waikato... shame he wasn't on the team sheet or I'd tell you who he is.  Waikato now running the game.

75 Min

Ryan Cain on for Fifii

Begueley for Davies Campbell.

78 Min

Cheriton free on the left chips it in to Michael Eagar who miscontrols it and knocks it to the keeper.

79 Min

Kamri scores.  Shot from outside the area is saved by the keeper but Kamri gets to the rebound first and finishes.  2-1.

84 Min

Yellow for Mark Jones.  Whistle has gone for a foul, but Jones continues his shot after the whistle.

86 Min

ex-Wellington lad Nathan Strom lumps Ryan Cain and earns himself a place on the referees growing list.

89 Min

...and Kamri puts the finishing touch.  Breaks from insuide his own half on to a Tade ball and knocks it around the keeper and finishes 3-1.

90 Min

Joe Bresnahan then gets a second yellow, bringing down Tade on the break.

92 Min

Sam Margetts shoots from outside the area but well taken by Imray.

Full Time : 3-1 Team Wellington.  Possibly flatters Team Wellington a little but still the scoreline stands.  Well done to the home team. 

Next game here the ASB Challenge match on Tuesday night