Football: Bay tactics pay dividends

Hamish Watson bagged two goals for Hawke's Bay United in their 3-1 win over Canterbury United yesterday.

Paul Ifill didn't need to get off the bench yesterday as Hawke's Bay United returned from Christchurch with three points.

All the pre-match talk at the home of Football Park was about putting up the storm shutters in round eight of the ASB Premiership match but Canterbury United couldn't add effervescence to birthday boy Aaron Clapham's 29th.

The day belonged to the visiting blokes at the coalface with Tom Biss making Bay United's intentions clear in just the second minute after finishing off a crisp, low cross at the far post, before Hamish Watson bagged two goals (61st, 82nd).

"We knew we had to [score] with that [defensive mentality of hosts] so I'm pleased the boys did that," coach Brett Angell said as the Bay moved back to the second rung on the table from fourth place.

Bay-born striker Angus Kilkolly equalised 1-1 for the Dragons in the 56th minute on a tupperware surface after latching on to a parry from Bay goalkeeper Joshua Hill following an Andre de Jong shot.

"We started the first 15 minutes a little slow ... we weren't fluent in our passing today, but I'm not sure whether that had to do with the surface or what," said Angell who felt his men, compared with last Sunday's 2-2 draw against Team Wellington, created just as many opportunities but this time planted the ball into the net.

Their attacking group, he said, had taken on board what it had to do and were beginning to do business in the stock exchange, especially with Watson and Biss making things look easy when other facets of the game plan fell into place.

"He [Watson] started today after having some issues with his knee so he's been patient and he's now coming through.

"The record shows he is capable of being in the right place at the right time so his goals today were not thunderbolts," he said of the striker, who now sits third in the golden boot race with five goals, two behind Team Wellington's English import Ben Harris and one below Auckland City's Emiliano Tade.

Conversely, the Finlay Milne-captained side dealt with everything the Dragons put in their defensive box to ensure they beat the southerners home and away. Angell said they did not need to roll out Ifill from the bench, after the veteran player/coach showed what impact he could bring to the midfield in the last 14 minutes the previous round. "He's here to give good advice on and off the pitch but he also brings a lot to the table."

Angell said his troops now needed to bag three points against Southern United in a midday kickoff this Sunday at Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, to make the back-to-back trips down south worthwhile.

At David Farrington Park, Wellington, leaders Auckland City held on to the top spot after drawing 2-2 with Team Wellington in a tempestuous affair that saw City keeper Jacob Spoonley having an early shower and Harris missing two penalty kicks for the hosts.

Bay defender and co-captain Bill Robertson scored in the fifth minute for Wellington before Harris' penalty in the 12th. Emiliano Tade scored twice (9th, 23rd) before the scoreless second half. At QEB Stadium, Auckland, Waitakere Utd kept their playoff chances alive after coming from behind to beat the Wellington Phoenix Reserves 4-1.