Waikato FC

Hawke's Bay United

2

4

R Thomas, 50',
Awad, 88'

Cowan, 25',
S Margetts, 44',
Robertson, 75',
Watson, 89'

Match postponed from Dec 18

by Bruce Holloway at Porritt Stadium
asbpremiership.co.nz

HAMILTON - Hawke's Bay United have kept their playoff hopes alive in the ASB Premiership with a controlled 4-2 away win over Waikato FC at Porritt Stadium.

But for Waikato their fifth consecutive home loss was easily their worst, and it was no surprise to hear coach Declan Edge unleash the most furious half time verbal tirade heard in Hamilton since Kevin Fallon sent the teacups flying at Muir Park in 1978.

"I am delighted with an excellent win," said Hawke’s Bay coach Chris Greatholder after the final whistle.

"That was a great team effort and when I reflect on this on the trip home I will have a real warm glow. We did exactly what we needed to do.

"We were compact and kept our shape really well. We are still in the hunt for the playoffs and will take a lot from that game."

Hawke’s Bay cruised through a lot of this match, not because they imposed themselves in the manner that Auckland, Waitakere and Canterbuy have in earlier Hamilton visits, but largely by being well organised, and keeping to their script.

However they were seriously aided by a lacklustre Waikato first half showing which contributed heavily to absolutely nothing happening for vast tracts of time.

The game briefly came alive when Bay’s Adam Cowan bundled the ball home at the far post from a left wing cross, with poor defending perhaps magnified by goalkeeper Danyon Drake deciding not to try and collect.

Former Waikato man Sam Margetts made it 2-0 on the stroke of half time with a gift goal, after Drake advanced from his goal but failed to toe the ball away.

He was left stranded while Margetts trotted through for his easiest goal since the days when he used to knock them in for Hamilton Boys’ High.

Waikato had been very pedestrian, static, and all over the place defensively but did improve markedly after Edge gave his high-decibel Alex Ferguson halftime hairdryer impression which resonated throughout the grandstand.

Ten minutes into the second half Ryan Thomas pulled back a goal with a sublime piece of skill after receiving a perfect inside ball from winger Tyler Boyd on the left.

He ran to the goal line, checked back and scooped it into the net.

Greatholder called it "a horrible goal" from Bay’s perspective, but it took a great deal of skill to engineer.

However Bay skipper Bill Robertson restored the two goal margin with an unchallenged header from inside the six yard box from a corner.

Waikato again bounded back when substitute Mohammed Awad ran through, played a clever one-two with Boyd and nudged the ball home in the 88th minute.

But Bay super-sub Hamish Watson, almost straight from the kick-off, muscled his way through a wafter-thin Waikato defence to make it 4-2 with a tidy solo finish.

"He’s an impact player," Greatholder said. "He did exactly the same last week."

Greatholder was reluctant to single players out for praise but Sam Margetts was perhaps the pick of the crop for Hawke’s Bay, sitting on the last defender and making intelligent runs up front.

For Waikato, the highlight – apart from Edge’s hell, fire and brimstone half time team talk – was another silky showing from the diminutive Ryan Thomas.

Waikato now have the worst home record since Disney’s Bad News Bears. But for fans wanting a reason to still come and watch, Thomas is it.

In a poor Waikato showing he stood out like a beacon of hope with his shimmies, runs and turns.

Edge agreed.

"He was our best by a country mile. He was the smallest on the pitch but he had the biggest heart.

"It doesn’t matter about tactics or style of play if you don’t compete. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog, and my smallest puppy scrapped the hardest.

"It’s not so much what he did, but how he did it.

"We often talk about ‘old school’ and how the game is more innovative these days. But one of the great things about old school is playing with heart. You have to fight and scrap like hell. We didn’t do that for 45 minutes."

Asked to comment on the performance of teenage keeper Drake, who has now picked the ball out of the net eight times in two games since being preferred to the in-form Mark Fulcher, Edge said: "He has conceded four goals. I don’t want to talk about how bad some of my players were today, but there were a couple down on their quality."

Edge said Hawke’s Bay were well worth their win. "They came with a game plan and stuck to it."

"They know what they can do, they know what they can’t do."

He acknowledged the challenge now was for him and the Waikato players to hold their nerve.

"I will take a battering for this result, but in life it often takes courage to try and change things rather than just stay safe, and we are trying to change to a more sophisticated style of play.

"We keep getting lessons – and we will continue to learn from them."

Waikato FC

V

Hawke's Bay United

1. Danyon Drake

GK Shaun Peta

2. Tyler Lissette

2. Neil Fergus

3. Jessie Smith (Awad, 50')

5. Bill Robertson

6. Mike Kramer

6. Stephen Hindmarch

7. Jason Hicks

7. Matt Hastings

9. Michael Mayne (Wallis, 45')

8. Adam Cowan

10. Adam Thomas

10. Sam Margetts  (Watson, 70')

14. Josh Greene

11. Conor Tinnion

15. Jesse Edge (Ballan, 77')

17. Tom Bliss

21. Tyler Boyd

20. Leon Birnie (Wilson, 78')

24. Ryan Thomas

21 Josh Margetts

Substitutes

Substitutes

8. Matteo Ballan (On, 77')

RGK Richard Gillespie

22. Adam Wallis (On, 45')

14. Danny Wilson (On, 78')

23. Jordan Shaw

16. Reilly O'Meagher

RGK Neil Mouncher

18. Hamish Watson (On, 70')

4. Mohamed Awad (On, 50')  

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

Hello from Porritt Stadium, where the weather is fine, about 24 degrees, with overhead cloud, but no threat to a match which has been twice postponed through torrential downpours. Michael Mayne is back in the starting lineup for Waikato, which will be a huge boost. Obviously hot for the players, former Waikato lad Matt Hastings is going through his warm-up routines carrying his drink bottle. Any queries, email me on cordwainerbull@gmail.com . Got an email from Alex (Ndrik) in Italy last home game, said he enjoyed following the ASB Premiership on the internet.

1 min. HB kick-off, attacking the western end of the park.

9 min. Birnie shoots over the bar from distance, first shot of game.

10 min. Maxine couldn't make the game but wishes Waikato - and the Margetts boys - all the best. Waikato strugglign to find any cohesion.

14 min. Boyd earns free kick on left. Adam Thomas left foot curler just wide.

15 min. Tinnion good run, earns a corner, goal kick. Sorry, another corner. cleared.

Neither team making much impression.

A very static game, with neither team able to get the ball into dangerous territory.

23 min. Mayne shot blocked on the line, followign A Thomas free kick but flag up for goal kick anyway.

25 min. GOAL. Cowan gets the ball over the line, via the post, from a cross from the left. Dribbled home but very valubale. Might Drake have done better with the curling cross?

28 min. Birnie won possession and put Sam Margetts away. Attemped chip went wide.

30 min. Card for Hindmarch after about 3rd foul on Ryan Thomas.

33 min. Jesse edge clattered. Ref missed it.

34 min. Drake at full stretch to parry Birnie header. Good save.

36 min. Sam Margetts good run along goal line and shot - blocked.

38 min. Jessie Smith has it in the net, but offside. Boyd a great chance but opted to shoot rather than pass to Thomas

44 min. GOAL. Complete howler by Drake who came way out of his goal and missed the ball. Sam Margetts had time to light a cigar and walk it in.

Halftime. HB are winning without even having to do very much. That was a pedestrian, uninspired half by Waikato poor passing, lack of movement. Boyd a couple of lively runs, but barely a shot, and no options going forward. For HB Sam Margetts worth his goal, even if it was a tad easy for this level.

I can hear Declan Edge's half time talk from 50m away. He is furious. Sounds like furniture being kicked in the dressing room.

46 min. Sub. Wallis on for Mayne.

48 min. Lissette loses out to Birnie, shirt pulls and is booked. Tinnion free kick cleared for corner.

50 min. Sub. Mohammed Awad on for Smith

55 min. GOAL. Briliant play. Boyd inside ball for Ryan Thomas who outran Hastings and squeezed high into the net from an acute angle.

60 min. Awad yellow card for diving.

61 min. Waikato free kick right of area. peta saves from Hicks.

Waikato controlling more of the game.

65 min. Slick short passign Waiakto attack finally snuffed out.

Sub. Watson for S Margetts.

68 min. A Thomas booked for kicking ball away

75 min. Goal. Easy header from corner for Robertson. Drake is nowhere.

78 min. Sub. Ballan on for Edge

80 min. Wilson on for Birnie.

88 min. GOAL. Awad abd Boyd combine to run through. Awad sidefoots home.

89 min. GOAL. Watson runs through, defender falls over. Easy.

90 min. Watson yellow card

Full time. Good away win for Hawke's Bay that keeps their top 4 hopes alive. Waikato did better in the second half, but this will still rate as their worst loss of the season. Report coming later.