YoungHeart Manawatu

Hawke's Bay United

1

2

 Adam Cowan 44

Seule Soromon 21
Che Bunce 90+2

by Jonathan Galuszka at Memorial Park.
nzfc.co.nz

A last-gasp goal was YoungHeart Manawatu’s undoing in their 1-2 loss against Hawke’s Bay United today at Memorial Park in Palmerston North.

While it was YoungHeart inflicting last-minute heartbreak on Otago last week, it was the turn of former All White Che Bunce to give Hawke’s Bay the win in a game that most would say was evenly contested.

YoungHeart started off on top, with wingers Cory Chettleburgh and Jason Hayne scything down the touchlines and either providing crosses for Park Sung-Bae and Gonzalo Nieres or taking shots themselves.

But it was Hawke’s Bay that took first blood in the 21st minute through striker Seule Soromon. The Vanuatu international caught a long ball that floated up field, turned his man to get one-on-one with goalkeeper Chris Marsh and calmly slotted it past him to score.

The rest of the half was fairly even, with Hawke’s Bay’s midfield – led by Graham Fyfe – preventing YoungHeart from playing the ball forward while at the same time creating chances for Soromon.

Just as it looked like the Bay would take their lead into halftime, YoungHeart poached a goal. Jason Hayne – the current Golden Boot leader – made a trademark run down the right wing before cutting in. He then passed the ball to his captain, Adam Cowan, who blasted the ball into the back of the net with a little help from a deflection.

This was exactly was YoungHeart coach Bob Sova was looking for after telling his two wingers – Chettleburgh and Hayne – to swap sides.

“There was five minutes left [before halftime] and I thought ‘why not?’ Sova said after the game.

“Hayne likes to cut it back in and Cowan was able to feed off the back of him now that they were on the same wing. It worked exactly as planned.”

The second half started off with both teams struggling to get the edge on each other, causing players on both sides to become frustrated.

This came to a head in the 65th minute, when Che Bunce attempted to start a shoving match with Park Sung-Bae. Referee Jamie Cross was quick to settle things down though, giving out Bunce a yellow card.

He gave Park the same punishment one minute later when he attempted to get Bunce to push him again.

“I think Jamie refereed very well today,” Hawke’s Bay manager Jonathan Gould said after the game.

“He’s an up-and-coming referee here in New Zealand. It helps that he’s played the game. He understands more of the nuances of it than some other referees.”

The game meandered on until the assistant referee signalled for extra time. Just as it looked that the game was destined for a draw, a cross from a Hawke’s Bay midfielder found Che Bunce’s head. Bunce made no mistake and buried it into the net.

Hawke’s Bay manager Jonathan Gould was still buzzing from a late show that will help his team’s finals ambitions no end.

“Its wins like this that gets the adrenalin pumping,” Gould said.

“I think the boys went out well in the first half and certainly dominated. That’s all that we wanted to do in the second half – not change anything.”

Bob Sova, however, thought the game went differently.

“We did more than enough to win,” he said.

“We had most of the possession [and] created most of the chances – didn’t score.”

While YoungHeart travel away to Waikato for what Sova sees as a “very similar encounter,” Hawke’s Bay will be taking on Auckland at Kiwitea Street.

“It’s always a big game up there,” Gould said.

YoungHeart Manawatu

V

Hawke's Bay United

1. Chris Marsh

1. Mitch O'Brien

2. Adam Cowan

2. Chris Davies

3. Pablo Yackson

4. Greg Henslee

4. Jan Weissenfeldt

5. Campbell Parkin (off 82 min)

7. Jason Hayne

6. Che Bunce

11. Scott Robson

7. Cole Peverley

12. Park Sung-Bae(off 75 min)

8. Chris McIvor

16. Raf de Gregorio

10. Seule Soromon (off 83 min)

18. Finaly Milne

11. Graham Fyfe

20. Gonzalo Nieres

12. James Oxtoby

22. Cory Chetleburgh

13. Leon Birnie (off 60 min)

Substitutes

Substitutes

6. Matt Kenedy

3. Alex Barlow (on 82 min)

8. Nathan Cooksley

9. Daniel Kirkup (on 83 min)

9. Gustavo Saralegui (on 75 min)

17. David Gearey

10. Leo Shin

19. Andrew Abba (on 60 min)

19. Andrew Bailey

23. Shaun Peta

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

Pre-Match

Welcome to the online viewers of today's game between YoungHeart Manawatu and Hawkes Bay United at a glistening Memorial Park in Palmerston North. YoungHeart welcome back Korean striker Park Sung-Bae from injury while Hawke's Bay striker Daniel Kirkup - despite injury worries during the week - is on the bench. There is a large crowd of home support and a very vocal group who have travelled with the away team.

1 min

Hawke's Bay have the first attack of the game with midfielder Chris McIvor blasting in a cross from the right wing. The end result is far from satisfactory, with his cross sailing over everyone for a goal kick.

2 min

Goalscoring machine Jason Hayne gets his first run down the sideline. He puts a cross over to the far post. Park Sung-Bae heads it back infield for Gonzalo Nieres. His shot is a miss-hit and goes sailing in the air before a Bay defender clears it away.

4 min

Jason Hayne has another run up the sideline. This time he cuts back in and lets rip a shot. It's saved by Mitch O'Brien, but pops out for Sung-Bae to have a dig but his effort is deflected and is cleared away.

8 min

Hayne cuts inside once again. He fires off a bullet of a drive that has O'Brien beaten but goes just wide.

13 min

Cory Chettleburgh has a dig from the top-left corner of the box. His effort is well wide.

16 min

Hayne has another run down the line, but is unable to get his cross onto a head. The Hawke's Bay supporters are giving Hayne a lot of flack every time he runs down past them.

18 min

Adam Cowan has a massive dig on the edge of the 18-yard box. However, it rockets off of Bay defender Chris Davies. It seems to have done a bit of damage also, as he is currently getting treatment on the sideline.

20 min

Hawke's Bay unleashes a counter attack. Seule Soromon rockets down the right touchline but his shot goes straight into the arms of Chris Marsh.

21 min

GOAL! 0-1 Soromon manages to latch onto a through-ball, get one-on-one with Marsh and calmly slot it into the net.

24 min

Marsh almost makes a lemon out of a ball that comes back to him. He chests it down and tries to run it past a Bay striker. Instead, he loses it, Sormon gets it and has an open net to put it into. Soromon somehow puts it wide. Marsh gets away with what could have been a terminal mistake.

29 min

Chettleburgh findss himself on the right wing. Hayne lays back a ball and Chettleburgh has a dig from at least 40-yards out. It isn't half bad either, only just going over the bar.

32 min

Jason Hayne and Campbell Parkin have a tussle down the right wing. Parkin goes down in a heap and seems to milk it a bit. The ref buys none of it and yells play on.

40 min

Chettleburgh has found himself on the right wing again. He launches a cross over that happens to nearly beat the keeper. It just shaves the top of the far post.

45+1

GOAL! 1-1 Jason Hayne makes a break up the left wing. He puts a ball across the 18-yard line to his captain Adam Cowan who blasts the shot into the net with just a bit of help from a Bay deflection. Just what the home side needs before the break.

Halftime 1-1 The ref calls for the break. YoungHeart coach Bob Sova will be needing to sort out how to combat the Hawke's Bay midfield that is currently dominating. Jonathan Gould will not be happy with the goal his team conceaded just before halftime. Expect both teams to go hunting for the all-important first goal after the break.

45 min

We're back into it here at Memorial Park, with the home team playing towards the southern end of the ground.

50 min

Soromon has a dig from the 5-yard line. Marsh gets low quickly to palm it away. Brilliant save from the YougHeart keeper.

52 min

Hayne and Chettleburgh combine well to put Hayne into a bit of space. He has a dig from far out. It comes off the side of his boot and sails very wide.

60 min

Jason Hayne has a great crack off his left foo. However, it goes wide.

60 min

SUB Leon Birnie leaves the field for Andrew Abba

65 min

Yellow Card. Che Bunce and Park Sung-Bae have a bit of a scuffle in the middle of the park. Bunce starts shoving Sung-Bae and the ref sorts him out with a yellow.

66 min

Yellow Card. It's Sung-Bae's turn for a card as he attempts to antagonise Bunce with some small shoves. The ref is quickly onto it.

70 min

A harsh challenge gets players from both teams very angry. Tensions are starting to peak in what has been a very clean game so far.

75 min

SUB Bob Sova makes a wise decision and takes Park Sung-Bae off, replacing him with Gustavo Saralegui.

82 min

SUB Campbell Parkin comes off the field for Alex Barlow.

83 min

SUB Selue Soromon comes off for Daniel Kirkup.

90 min

Three minutes of extra time remains.

90+1

Nieres is fouled on the edge of the box. The free kick is driven in but the wall does its job and it goes in the air for O'Brien to claim.

90+2

GOAL! 1-2 Hawkes Bay put one away in the dying minutes. Che Bunce runs onto a cross and buries it into the net with his head.

Fulltime 1-2 The Bay get their season back on track while YoungHeart's streak is over.