Axe looms over City deadweights

Tauranga City United co-coaches Grant Turner and John Whitley have had enough, promising swift and decisive action after their side's latest limp effort: a 2-2 home draw on Saturday against lowly Waiuku.
It was CNS Clinic-sponsored Tauranga's second deadlock in as many weeks at Links Ave against mediocre opposition, with the under-fire home side twice having to come from behind to salvage a point from the game.
Daniel Baldwin and Derek Sinclair put the visitors ahead in each half but each time they were hauled back, first by skipper Jordan Culpepper with a tidy solo effort, and then by substitute Blair Cooper 15 minutes from fulltime.
Mt Albert-Ponsonby smashed bottom-of-the-table Cambridge 7-0 to open up an eight-point lead at the top of the Northern League's second division, although Tauranga gained ground on second-placed Fencibles United - their opposition away this weekend - when the Auckland side was beaten 2-0 by Ngaruawahia.
Ngaruawahia and Hibiscus Coast have closed to within a point of Tauranga with a game in hand.
Turner and Whitley, in their first season together at Tauranga's helm, were incensed by what they saw in 90 minutes on Saturday and have promised a sweeping cull of personnel who they believe are underperforming ahead of this weekend's game.
Turner said the spectators who were turning up to watch the side struggle to put away "second-rate" opposition had also had enough.
"Quite frankly, John and I are sick of it - sick of the excuses, the complaining and the lack of ticker - and it's obvious after the last couple of games that some of these players, not all, are just turning up for a kick-around on Saturday.
"That's not good enough - not for the club and not for the supporters who expect better than that. The opposition today were poor yet we couldn't put them away."
Whitley said results earlier in the season, when Tauranga was tracking nicely behind Mt Albert-Ponsonby, showed the squad still had ability. It was the fight and will to win that had gone.
"All we're hearing is excuses - sore foot, fell over my shoelaces - and one of the most frustrating things is everything we've taught them and worked on at training is either forgotten or completely ignored on the pitch."
Turner said: "It's not their ability we're questioning but there's a huge question mark over their ticker and attitude ... The results over the past two weeks show there's no guts and no grit in evidence."
City crafted enough chances to cruise to an easy win against Waikuku, who arrived second from bottom and had to play in Tauranga's away strip after leaving theirs at home.
For entertainment value, with the opportunities they create, they're possibly the best show in town. For the goals they miss they're a coach-killer, and their once-promising season is unravelling fast because of it.
Rumours are rife that several players are about to join midfielder Tom Crawford and walk from the side because of the way they're being spoken to, although Whitley and Turner's promise to swing the axe should save them the trouble.
"You can hide a multitude of sins and lack of skill with some fight and ticker, and we're only talking publicly because we've reached the end of our tether," Whitley said.
Both coaches say they will bring four to five young players into the starting lineup this weekend to replace the ones who are underperforming.
"It's time for a clean-out, there's little alternative," Turner said. "We'll struggle because ability-wise we aren't flush with options, but the young kids we bring in will at least show some enthusiasm and effort."