Waitakere United

YoungHeart Manawatu

3

0

Daniel Koprivcic 40
Paul Seaman 52
Roy Krishna 68

by Bob Pearce at Douglas Field
nzfc.co.nz

Benjamin Totori reserved his best form of the season to torment his old team as Waitakere United beat YoungHeart Manawatu 3-0 at Douglas Field on Sunday.

The young Solomons international displayed his speed and skill to advantage as he turned the Manawatu defenders, setting up one goal and creating a host of other chances.
 
With Fijian Roy Krishna also on song, it was a tribute to some stalwart defending by Manawatu that the defending champions didn't score more.
 
They were without Jonathan Perry, Allan Pearce and first-choice goalkeeper Richard Gillespie from their World Club Cup challenge but there was no period of the game when the West Aucklanders relaxed their grip.
 
They wasted several chances in the first spell before Krishna slipped past a hesitant defender on the left and crossed for Daniel Koprivcic to open the scoring in the 40th minute.

Seven minutes into the second half Totori made a dazzling run and delivered a cross that Paul Seaman drove home off the underside of the bar.
 
And Krishna finished the scoring in the 68th minute when he tapped in a cross from the right from Koprivcic.
 
Manawatu had a couple of half-chances in the first spell and Jan Weissenfeldt hit the post with a header after a late free kick delivered by Jason Hayne.
 
Gustavo Saralegui ran tirelessly up front for the visitors but he was chasing crumbs and the Manawatu firepower suffered from the loss of sharpshooter Gonzalo Nieres, who has returned to Uruguay because of a family illness.
 
Waitakere coach Chris Milicich was particularly pleased that his team had not rested on their laurels at halftime, something that had cost them dearly against Canterbury before they left for Japan.
 
"Today three points were important, giving us an unbeaten start to the season and we'll take that. I thought we'd be seven points behind at Christmas so at only two, I'm very pleased.
 
"It's taken a while to get Benji (Totori) to where he needs to be. He's a quality player and he showed it today."
 
Milicich singled out Seaman as his player of the day, scoring a goal to go with the one he memorably snatched in Japan.
 
Manawatu coach Bob Sova's two best moments may have come when he received a bottle of whisky as coach of the month before the game and met his Auckland-based mother after the game.
 
He conceded that Waitakere were the better team but he was disappointed that Manawatu didn't have something to show for an afternoon of hard work.
 
"I thought we were good for a goal. There were a couple of half-chances that could have gone in and we also had a shot hit the post. The loss of Nieres is a big blow and we don't expect him back."
 
Waitakere's next home game is against competition leaders Waikato at Douglas Field on January 11.

Photos by Shane Wenzlick

Waitakere United

V

YoungHeart Manawatu

22 Danny Robinson (GK)

1 Chris Marsh (GK)

16 Neil Emblen

2 Adam Cowan

20 Jason Rowley

3 Pablo Yackson

11 Neil Sykes

4 Jan Weissenfeldt

3 Aaron Scott

6 Matt Kennedy

17 Jake Butler

7 Jason Hayne

15 Chris Bale

8 Nathan Cooksley

8 Paul Seaman (Campbell 66)

9 Gustavo Saralegui

13 Daniel Koprivcic(Vincent 70)

11 Scott Robson

12 Roy Krishna

12 Seong-Bae Park (Duker 53)

9 Benjamin Totori

16 Raf de Gregorio

Substitutes

Substitutes

22 Stefan Marinovic (RGK)

10 Leo Shin

6 Hone Fowler

17 Issac Duker

14 Jeff Campbell

19 Andrew Bailey

21 Kayne Vincent

21 Brooke Tozer

7 Daniel Ellensohn

=goal

=yellow card

=2 yellow cards

= red card

0 mins

Waitakere start Danny Robinson in goal with academy goalie Stefan Marinovic on the bench. Gonzalo Nieres out of Manawatu lineup.

Manawatu playing with brisk southerly in first half.

1 min

Totori shoots wide from distance

6 min

Hayne freekick rebounds to de Gregorio and he shoots just wide.

11 mins

Koprivcic shot just over bar after Waitakere pressure.

14 mins

Marsh sprawls to turn shot by Butler round post.

18 mins

Yellow card Hayne for chat. freekick centre field on edge of penalty area. Emblen shot touched over by Marsh

20 mins 

Hayne eludes Waitakere defence but shoots wide from acute angle.

33 mins

Totori twists and turns through the defence but shoots over top.

35 mins

Krishna yellow for kicking ball away

38 mins

Saralegui crosses from left, Park shoots wide and de Gregorio nearly slips it in.

40 mins

GOAL! Krishna beats his man on the left, crosses to Koprivcic , who scores. 

45 mins

Three minutes of time added. Waitakere deserve lead after dominating 60 per cent of play.

No changes at the break

48 mins

De Gregorio freekick well fielded by Robinson

50 mins

Run by Totori, cross to Koprivcic, draws goalie and misses open goal.

52 mins

GOAL! Brilliant run by Totori on right cross to unmarked Seaman who scores off underside of bar.

53 mins

Yellow for Yackson for late tackle. Sub Duker on for Park.

66 mins

Substitution Campbell for Seaman. GOAL! Koprivcic run on right ,cross to Krishna, easy tapin.

70mins

Substitution Vincent on for Koprivcic

72 mins

Butler yellow for tackle

75 mins

Substitution Shin for Kennedy.

78 mins

Freekick by Hayne headed on to bar.

83 mins

Emblen on burst just thwarted by defence.

90 plus one

Manawatu's first corner of match, easily cleared.

90 plus three

Shot by Cowan brings good save. But resulting corner cleared and final whistle goes at 3-0.