Halpin is among a rash of players the new coach has recruited to keep the Bay flag flying in the national summer league to emulate and add to Greatholder's feat of making consecutive premiership playoffs, including the historic one in 2012-13.
The Ross Haviland-captained Bay United started their 2014-15 season with two tough assignments against O-League campaigners Auckland City and Team Wellington, losing 3-2 away to the former before salvaging a gutsy 2-2 draw against the latter at McLean Park, Napier, last Sunday for their first point of the summer.
Angell felt somewhat vindicated, believing his troops should have come away with at least a point from Auckland, too.
The Magpies displayed glimpses of meaningful passages of play last Sunday to reinforce the belief they are capable of making the playoffs.
That determination is evident when Halpin talks about nailing three points tomorrow and another three away against Waitakere United a fortnight later, following a bye weekend.
His sobering assessment comes on the heels of "conceding a few sloppy goals" and, conversely, a dire need to shore up a brittle defence.
Putting balls away on the other end of the park are equally imperative as those at the coalface are guilty of sitting on possession too long or over-eager strikers not timing their runs to fall prey to the offside traps.
"We've come away with a lot of confidence from the last game and, at least, we're creating a lot of chances," says Halpin who played for Bodmin Dragons from the age of 6 to 16 when his brother, Darren, was the manager in an area that has no professional clubs.
He found traction after that with then Torquay first team manager Paul Buckle but when he left a year later Halpin spent more time training and warming the bench.
"A different manager brought in his own squad and I was left cold in in football, really," says the attacking midfielder who played four games for Team Taranaki last winter before gravitating to the Bay.
Halpin, who scored the Bay's first goal against Auckland, says the team aim to exploit their pace with counterattacks to catch rivals on the hop. Practising set-piece drills on defence was on the agenda this week. Catching snippets of play on video has helped the Bay players reinforce good habits.
The man who made his FA Cup debut in the fourth round for Torquay United against Crawly Town, is adjusting to the Bay's balmy weather.
For the ASB Premiership match tomorrow in a 3pm kickoff in Hamilton:
BOTH TEAMS
HAWKE'S BAY UNITED (from): 1. Josh Hill (GK), 2. Wade Randle, 4. Ross Haviland (c), 5. Fin Milne, 6. Ryan Tinsley, 7. Troy Pennycooke-Morgan, 8. Alex Palezevic, 9. Sean Lovemore, 10. Victor Lekaj, 11. Mario Barcia, 12. Saul Halpin, 16. Leon Birnie, 19. Facundo Barbero, 20. Harry Morton, 21. Kosuke Mimaki, 22. Billy Scott, 24. Fane Morgan.
Coach: Brett Angell. Asst coach: Leon Birnie.
WANDERERS SOCCER CLUB (from): 1. Zac Speedy, 2. Brock Messenger, 4. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihinga, 6. Samuel Brotherton, 7. Regont Murati, 8. Mari Ilich, 11. Finn Cochran, 12. Damian Hurst, 13. Nick Sugden, 14. Andre deJong, 15. Judd Baker, 16. Tomislav Trbuhovic, 17. Ben Thomas, 18. Cheauxyan Maukau-McPhee, 19. Gowan Stares, 21. Vincent Wiktora, 23. Logan Rogerson.
Coach: Darren Bazeley.
