Football: Capital defeat as HB rue feeble finish

Jarrod Smith

IT WAS another frustrating afternoon in the capital for Hawke's Bay Utd yesterday, as they rued a string of missed chances, falling to a single-goal defeat against Team Wellington.

The ASB Premiership loss left Bay coach Brett Angell scratching his head. Bay battled hard and mostly matched the league leaders at David Farrington Park, in front of an improved crowd bolstered by the return to action of the mercurial Paul Ifill.

Angell's preoccupation in the sweltering heat of Miramar, however, was how his strike force failed to perform, losing out to a late goal that was partly due to a lack of concentration at the back.

"It was one of those games where whoever got the goal got the points and, unfortunately for us, it was Wellington - but I found we had more than ample chances to get at least one goal.

"In the early to mid-period of the second half we were starting to create a lot more opportunities than Wellington and we needed to score during this spell.

"Look, they're a young group of players but they've got to start learning that we need to be ruthless in the final third, and also focus and concentrate defensively so we don't concede goals."

Angell talked of "watching the video" afterwards, and if he toughs out those 90 minutes again, he may wish to keep any heavy objects well out of reach when Henry Fa'arodo's neat through ball is latched on to by former Napier City Rovers marksman Jarrod Smith, who effortlessly threaded the ball past goalkeeper Josh Hill in the 78th.

Smith had the look of a man wondering how he got so much space so close to goal.

At the other end it was a case of close but no cigar, especially for Ryan Tinsley as the Englishman powered his header wide early on - with his side chasing the game, late on, he gave it a right go from the edge of the box, only to see the ball drift marginally wide. He also struck the upright in the first few minutes with a brilliantly precise drive from distance.

Captain Ross Haviland was almost a hero but found too many defenders in his way keen to dispatch his sharp shot to the sidelines.

Angell cut a forlorn figure after the final whistle, sitting away from his squad. But he still had some positives to take away.

"We acquitted ourselves really well. We tried to play and we created some half-decent opportunities, and it was another positive performance. Yes, it is two defeats (following the loss to Auckland) so we need to show the character to bounce back and get a result next week."

All week the focus had been on former FA Cup finalist and A-League high achiever Ifill, on his long-awaited return to the pitch after recovering from a horror achilles injury he sustained more than a year ago while playing for Wellington Phoenix.

Ifill has lost none of his wonderful precision play and his forward passing was immense.

The striker was hauled off after just under an hour, clearly in need of more matches.

Team Wellington coach Matt Calcott reflected on a game that could easily have gone the other way.

"All games against Hawke's Bay are hard fought - they were close last year and it's the same in the two games between us this season as well.

"They play a certain way and it's quite effective and good to see.

"It was an open game and we had some good chances in the second half, and when the goal came it allowed us to tighten up a bit.

"Until then we were chasing it. We had to leave ourselves a bit open as there was no point us settling for a point at home."