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Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Football: Bay Utd start season with zest but no cigar

Anendra Singh
By Anendra Singh
Sports editor·Hawkes Bay Today·
6 Jan, 2018 11:12 PM5 mins to read

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Bay United midfielder Karan Mandair pursues Hamilton defender Jordan Shaw as Bay import Samuel Adjei watches during the premiership soccer match in Napier today. Photo/Duncan Brown

Bay United midfielder Karan Mandair pursues Hamilton defender Jordan Shaw as Bay import Samuel Adjei watches during the premiership soccer match in Napier today. Photo/Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay United remain in the hunt for their first victory at home after Hamilton Wanderers held them to a draw in Napier today.

The last-placed side were leading 2-1 early in the second half before the Thirsty Whale-sponsored hosts equalised 2-2 in the dying minutes to add spice to the round nine ISPS Handa Premiership soccer match at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island.

The Bill Robertson-captained Bay United had a fresh look about them with the defence, midfield and attack sporting new starting XI faces.

Perhaps the debut of Ghanaian/American import striker Sam Adjei stuck out most as he made a difference to the hosts' coal face with some strength and impetus.

Adjei said it was good to put his hamstring injury behind to play today after arriving here in November but echoed his team's disappointment in the stalemate.

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"We've been working really hard during the break and came out here today to get three points but we haven't been able to do that so we'll be focusing on the next game," said the son of former Ghana international Samuel Adjei snr.

He felt it wasn't a problem with any individual players but simply a case of working as a collective to produce a polished final product.

"We've been doing it in training and now we just have to transfer it into the game."

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Adjei had a solid presence but, at times, found himself on the ground but he emphasised it wasn't about the opposition defenders but more about him finding the chemistry with his teammates.

"I would have liked to score and that's why I came here but today I just would have liked us to win so, hopefully, we can win the next game," he said with a wry smile.

He rued Bay United's lack of tempo when they returned in the first 15 minutes of the second half when they were caught napping as the visitors equalised 1-1.

In the 12th minute, a quick free kick from schoolboy centre-mid Karan Mandair from the halfway mark near the main stand found Adjei who skinned leftback Jordan Shaw before turning a deft cross not far from the corner flag but Alex Palezevic couldn't do it justice just outside the far post.

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It was a replay six minutes later between Mandair and Adjei on the right flank but this time striker Bjorn Christensen could not control the ball in front of the near upright as the ball hit his chest and trickled over the goal line.

A couple of promising moves went begging in the next 15 minutes as midfielders Birhanu Taye and Gavin Hoye were guilty of dribbling once too often rather than looking for that simple pass to find Adjei.

It wasn't until the 39th minute that Christensen found the net, 1-0, from under diving keeper Mathew Oliver after a crisp oblique ball into the 5m box from Palezevic although Taye had almost botched roll-on passes from Mandair and Hoy but an innocuous deflection in the tackle fell kindly back to Bay United.

Just before the halftime whistle, Palezevic came close to extending the lead after Adjei showed his worth in staying upright from two challenges near the goal line before poking the ball to the left winger but keeper Oliver parried the ball after picking himself off the ground.

Three minutes after play resumed in the second half the visitors levelled terms, 1-1, after some feeble clearances from Bay United as left winger Armin Pasagic's shot clipped Bay defender Hayden McHenery's foot and rolled into the net.

Bay United coach Brett Angell pulled out Christensen in the 60th minute and injected Canadian winger Wesley Cain to forage for balls to feed Adjei who looked like scoring a goal.

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But it was the Wanderers who went up 2-1 in the 64th minute from Pasagic after striker Tommy Semmy, who looked ominous throughout the game, had worked the ball up to give the winger ample time to drill the ball past goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks.

Hamilton stand-in coach, Kale Herbert in place of brother Ricki Herbert, pulled off a hobbling Semmy in the 70th minute to inject Patrick Aisa while Angell did the same with English import Adam Thurston going into the engine room for Taye.

Howls of protest for a penalty kick followed not long after when an Adjei shot clipped the outstretched hand of Hamilton skipper Samuel O'Reagan but referee Peter Linney, in keeping with the ball-to-hand stance the entire game, waved play on.

Angell then pulled out Mandair and injected youth player Ben Lack for more impetus in the midfield in the hope of finding an equaliser.

It came in the 83rd minute from Palezevic after some deft touch passes from McHenery down the left flank to work the ball into the 18m box for a 10m pile driver.

It was mayhem in the 89th minute after youth striker Jorge Akers, playing at leftback, tapped a ball back to Hanks inside the 18m box and he stooped over to collect it in what had to be a brain explosion.

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However, it was Akers, standing in the wall, who put his body on the line to prevent the Wanderers from converting the free kick inside the 18m box into a goal.

Both sides tried to find a winner in the five minutes of added time but to no avail.

Kale Herbert was pleased with his troops' performance and named goalkeeper Oliver their player of the match.

To lead after halftime, he told fans during the post-match prayers in the clubrooms, reflected how well the Wanderers had played.

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