Waitakere United

Canterbury United

1

2

Ryan de Vries 4'

Aaron Clapham 8'
George Slefendorfas 76'

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

WHENUAPAI - Canterbury United secured second place in the ASB Premiership with one game to play after a 2-1 victory over Waitakere United at Fred Taylor Park.

The bald facts of the result don’t tell even half the story. On the plus side for Canterbury they have a chance of progressing to the O-League next season as long as Auckland City win the Premiership title.

On the downside this was a keenly awaited season-defining match that witnessed 10 yellows and the dismissal of Waitakere’s Ross McKenzie and Matt Cunneen in the second half for their second yellows. Waitakere played the final 30 minutes with nine men.
 
With seven yellows by halftime and it was inevitable that someone was going to suffer in the second spell. With so much at stake it was a pity that the game lost its way.

But nothing should be taken away from the Canterbury team who rode the vagaries of officialdom to record their first win at Waitakere since the 2005-6 season.
 
The game started with a rush, promising a goal feast. After just four minutes, Roy Krishna – not always known for his passing – laid on a perfect defence splitting pass for Ryan de Vries, who headed in unchallenged.
 
Canterbury struck back within three minutes. The impressive Daniel Glozier delivered the cross and Aaron Clapham did just enough to guide the ball past the fingers of goalie Danny Robinson.
 
There was action aplenty at both ends with Waitakere twice hitting the crossbar and George Slefendorfas twice dispossessed when lining up shots at the other end.
 
Halftime at 1-1 promised an action-packed second half. But overshadowing everything were the seven yellows and they proved decisive.  Seven minutes into the half McKenzie got his second card and was off, followed by Cunneen 11 minutes later.
 
In the uneven contest that followed Canterbury found themselves dithering over too many passing options while Waitakere managed some last-ditch saves, with Tim Myers outstanding in the undermanned defence.
 
The deciding goal came in the 75th minute when substitute Ken Yamamoto made ground on the left wing and Slefendorfas buried the chance.
 
From then on there was always a chance that Krishna would snatch something for the beleaguered home team but it was not to be and Waitakere now need to win the Premiership to preserve their O-League place.
 
Canterbury coach Keith Braithwaite had sympathy for Waitakere but was pleased with the way his team played.
 
“It was a great team performance,” he said. “For us to come up here and get three points is great, particularly after going one down so early.
 
“We believed we could control the game but we were always worried about them breaking quickly and getting behind us.”
 
Braithwaite picked central midfielder Joe Murray as his man-of-the-match. He is returning to Glasgow and will be a big loss to the southerners.
 
Waitakere coach Neil Emblen was disappointed at both the result and the way the match played out.
 
“The sendings off cost us the game,” he said. “We had a glimmer of hope with 10 but you can’t win a game with nine men.
 
“The guys are sorry but it wasn’t that it hadn’t been mentioned at halftime that we should make sure it wasn’t us who got penalised for second yellows.
 
“Now we’ve got to win the whole thing and I’ve emphasised that until the last breath of the final game has been breathed I will keep going.”

Waitakere United

V

Canterbury United

1 Danny Robinson (GK)

22 Adam Highfield (GK)

3 Aaron Scott

3 Mark Johnston

4 Tim Myers

5 Tom Schwarz

6 Matt Cunneen

7 Darren White(Yamamoto 66)

7 Martin Bullock (Haviland 66)

8 Aaron Clapham

8 Chris Bale

9 George Slefendorfas

10 Allan Pearce (Vale 85)

10 Russell Kamo

11 Ross McKenzie

12 Andrew Barton (Wortelboer 82)

12 Roy Krishna

13 Daniel Glozier

17 Jake Butler

15 Julyan Collett

20 Ryan de Vries (Feni 78)

16 Joe Murray

Substitutes

Substitutes

15 Gagame Feni

4 Nick Wortelboer

22 Matt Upton (RGK)

14 Josh Smith

27 Ross Haviland

20 Ken Yamamoto

29 Jordan Vale

1 Tom Batty (RGK)

30 Rory Turner

25 Antony Cibilich

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Drizzle and low cloud as Auckland's so-called summer limps on

0 more mins

Jason Rowley unfit for Waitakere, Matt Cunneen starts.

0 more mins

Referees are fielding half a team of their own here today. A ref, two assistants, a fourth official and two assessors!@!

We're off with Waitakere playing towards Kumeu

2 mins

Krishna gts first chance after poor clearance, but blasts wide

4 mins

GOAL! Beautiful floated pass by Krishna finds de Vries in space and he nods it in.

6 mins

Almost another from a corner as Myers shot bounces off goalie

7 mins

GOAL! Canterbury strike back, Clapham guides ball round Robinson from Clozier's cross.

10 mins

Waitakere threaten from right wing corner but flying Butler heads wide.

16 mins

Yellow card for Cunneen for elbow in heading duel.

17 mins

Corner clearance falls to Clapham but his hopeful strike sals wide.

19  mins

Krishna fouled near halfway. Freekick goes nowhere.

20 mins

Krishna again gets free but shot no threat except to parked cars.

24 mins

Yellow card Glozier for felling Krishna

26 mins

Another corner for Waitakere but no profit, another goal seems likely but which end?

28 mins

Yellow card Bale for tackle at one end, then another for Slefendorfas at the other. Yellow seems to be fashion of the month.

33mins

Yet another Waitakere corner, played short and behind again for a repeat.

35 mins

Another couple of yellows for Clapham and White.

40 mins

Left wing corner for Canterbury but no profit

45 mins

White down injured and still off field

Two mins to be added, White limps back on.

45 plus two

McKenzie yellow. Is Foxy's record in danger. Halftime whistle wit already seven cards.

45 and some

Two corners to Waitakere, chance falls to Butler but misses.

49 mins

Quick break by Canterbury has Kao in clear but goalie blocks shot.

52 mins

Red Card McKenzie second yellow.

55 mins

Everybody's gun shy, afraid to tackle in case.....

58 mins

Pearce shot easy for goalie but Waitakere are well in thegame despite being a man down.

60 mins

De Vries shot has goalie at full stretch but just wide.

62 mins

Peace shot rebounds off crossbar with goalie beaten.

63 mins

Waitakere down to nine as Cunneen gets second yellow.

66 mins

Subs Yamamoto for White, Haviland for Bullock.

68mins

Clapham shot blocked by own player then Myers clears off the line. Two chaces go begging.

70 mins

Slefendorfas gets hea to freekick but wide of goal.

75 mins

GOAL! Slefendorfas finally connects after good work by Yamamoto to outflank the undermanned defence.

80 mins

Game in slow motion with Canterbury having too many choices and Waitakere too few.

81 mins

Sub Wortelboer on for Barton.

83 mins

Slefendorfas blows chance by faling to pass to unmarked Yamamoto.

85 mins

Vale on for Pearce

88 mins

Slefendorfas shot too weak to trouble Robinson. Can there be a Waitakere goal to make that costly?

90 mins

Four extra mins to beplayed.

92 mins

Yamamoto shoots but Robinson palms away for a corner.

94 mins

Yellow Collett, freekick to Waitakere on edge of area, no luck

FULLTIME Canterbury win 2-1 guarantees second in ASB championship