Waitakere United

Waikato FC

4

0

Ryan de Vries 5'
Chris Bale 29'
Allan Pearce 55'
Jake Bultler 75'

by Bob Pearce at Fred Taylor Park 
asbpremiership.co.nz

Three points was what Neil Emblen wanted and that was what he got as Waitakere United beat Waikato FC 4-0 to move ahead of Team Wellington to third place in the ASB Premiership.

But the Waitakere coach was still less than impressed with his team’s display against the raw talent of Waikato’s young side in a game that meandered along for 90 minutes of try-hard football.

On Fred Taylor Park’s good surface there was plenty to encourage the passing game but too often the passes led nowhere and few players showed the urgency that splits defences and leads to goals.

Waikato quickly paid the price for the pass at all costs approach when in the fifth minute Ryan de Vries nipped in to snare a wayward defensive pass across the face of the goal. He was clinical in despatching the ball past debuting goalkeeper Danyon Drake, who was left with no chance and a rude welcome to the ASB Premiership.

Drake was back in action in the run-up to the second goal in the 29th minute. Waikato failed to clear their lines and the young goalkeeper managed a half-punch that delivered the ball to the feet of Chris Bale on the edge of the penalty area. His laser-like strike was one of the few highlights of the game.

Two down at the break, Waikato had solid contributions from the elusive Jason Hicks and forays from Adam Thomas out of defence. But the final shots barely warmed the hands of Danny Robinson  in the Waitakere goal.

Allan Pearce added the third goal from the penalty spot in the 55th minute after he had been brought down by Jesse Smith in a last-ditch tackle that referee Waldron ruled illegal. The fourth was probably the best of the lot when Roy Krishna found de Vries with a long cross pass and the resulting centre was buried by captain Jake Butler.

Waikato coach Declan Edge, who prowled the coach’s box with more hand signals than a traffic officer on point duty, was not dismayed by the result.

“I thought we were competitive,” he said. “We gave them the first goal, we should have cleared the second and the third – was it a penalty?

“The modern game is about passing and it’s like learning to drive a car. At first you have to think about everything you do, then suddenly it becomes second nature. We’re still thinking about things we do.”

Emblen still sees hard work for his side as they try to nail second place in the Premiership and the get-out-of-jail-free card into next year’s O-League.

"It was three points and I suppose I would have settled for 1-0. But it’s frustrating. We’re still not clicking and sustaining pressure. But we’ll keep working.

“Waikato are a good little team and they’ll get better. They’ve made a huge improvement since we last played them.”

Waitakere are on O-League duty next weekend, playing AS Tefana in Tahiti where a win could cement their place in the O-League final.

Waitakere United

V

Waikato FC

1 Danny Robinson (GK)

1 Danyon Drake (GK)

2 Jason Rowley

2 Tyler Lissette

4 Tim Myers

6 Mike Kramer

7 Martin Bullock (Lovemore 65)

14 Josh Greene

8 Chris Bale

10 Adam Thomas

10 Allan Pearce

15 Jesse Edge

11 Ross McKenzie

7 Jason Hicks (Wallis 83)

12 Roy Krishna

21 Tyler Boyd

17 Jake Butler

24 Ryan Thomas

20 Ryan de Vries (Bevan 78)

8 Matteo Ballan (Awad 61)

27 Ross Haviland (Vale 65)

3 Jesse Smith (Shaw 61)

Substitutes

Substitutes

14 Andy Bevin

23 Jordan Shaw

22 Matt Upton (RGK)

4 Mohammed Awad

25 Sean Lovemore

22 Adam Wallis

29 Jordan Vale

25 Mark Fulcher (RGK)

30 Rory Turner

18 Mohammed Aided

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Exclusive report, Waitakere's Roy Krishna has just been named as a nominee for the Fiji FA's popular player of the year! He'll be most popular at the Fred if he scores some more goals.

0 mins

Young Danyon Drake to make debut for Waikato in goal. Young just got younger. Harry Edge not fit to play. Waitakere unchanged from las week, Allan Pearce nursing broken nose

0 more mins

Sun starting to break through after a cloudy morning wit occasional showers. More of the same for an Auckland summer.

0 mins

Waikato playing from Kumeu end and we're off

Tricky early run by Hicks down left finally dispossessed.

2 mins

Krishna clear on left but uses arm to control ball, freekick

4 mins

Boyd gets in first shot of game from distance no problem Robinson.

5 mins

GOAL! Poor pass in defence intercepted by de Vries, who finishes expertly.

7 mins

Waitakere continue to press and Waikato struggle to clear their lines. The danger is they will allow Waitaker too much space in midfield.

11 mins

Waikato break out but Robinson clears from edge of area.

12 mins

Haviland raides down left but forced wide and ove line for goal kick

15 mins

Waikato earn fist cornerof match, but no profit.

17 mins

Yellow card McKenzie for dodgy challenge

19 mins

Pearce put in clear and squares but defence scrambles away ahead of Krishna. Drake having to be very alert on debut in goal

24 mins

Ryan Thomas makes weaving run on right and delivers a cross which nobody can collect.

29 mins

GOAL! bobbling in Waikao area, Drake under pressure gets half a punch and Bale sends a thunderbolt testing the back ofthenet

32 mins

Two players collide in midfield, de Vries up quick, Jesse Edge a little groggy but plays on

34 mins

Smoke pouring out of the kitchen and the alarm goes off. It's Maddaford's chips again!

38 mins

First Waitakere corner McKenzie to take, cleared and counter attack by Waikato fizzles out

42 mins

Game switching side to side but not much penetration

44 mins

One minute to be added

Hicks makes good run and Adam Thomas presses forward to collect but no shot eventuates.

Halftime 2-0, about fair on run of play.

Declan Edge sits on sideline as team heads to sheds.

We'r off again, no chages

47 mins

Hicks surges in from right but his shot barely disturbed the grass grubs.

48 mins

Corner to Waitakere, McKenzie curls it into goal defender heads over, repeat corner curls behind.

49 mins

Corner at the oter end. Long shot by Adam Thomas over bar.

52 mins

Waikato press on right with Hicks prominent. Ballan fires shot just wide.

53 mins

Another Waikato corner, but no pressure for defence.

54 mins

PENALTY! Pearce brought down by Smith. 

55 mins

GOAL! Pearce buries spot kick in corner.

57 mins

Krishna spots Drake off his line and floats in a perfect lob, Drake has to make desperate leap to push clear.

61 mins

Double Waikato sub. Awad for Ballan and Shaw for Smith.

65 mins

Double Waitakere Haviland, Lovemore fo Bullock sub Vale for

67 mins

Waitakere corner, floated in by McKenzie. Drake saves with feet on line.

72 mins

Right wing Waitakere corner, another great delivery but nobody profits.

75 mins

Good work by Lovemore sets up de Vries but he squanders the chance.

75 mins

GOAL! Krishna finds de Vries on right and his cross is buried by Butler.

78 mins

Waitakere sub, Bevin for de Vries.

82 mins

Freekick to Waikato on edge of area. Jesse Edge takes but shoots into wall.

83 mins

Last Waikato sub Wallis on for Hicks.

89 mins

Lovemore one on one with goalie, goalie wins.

90 mins

Freekick to Waikato 30m out, lost in clutter.

Three mins to be added.

90 plus one

It's pouring with rain as the game sputters to a close.

Fulltime whistle, Good thee points for Waitakere, another lesson for Waikato