HB United striker Sam Mason-Smith comes up shy against Phoenix U20 keeper Oliver Sail this season but he's found the net since. PHOTO/FILE
IT'S just you and the goalkeeper with all the time in the world to plant that flaming ball into the net after inheriting a pearler of a cross into the stock exchange.
Do you trust your instincts as a striker or are you expecting to spot a teammate from the corner of your eye to push the ball to in order to shift the burden of blame despite the promise of glory?
Do you chip it over the goalkeeper or do you take it around him?
Aah too much time for those thought processes. You botch it. The attempt at goal skews over the crossbar or whooshes past the upright or feebly rolls straight into the gloves of a smug goalkeeper.
The crowd groans collectively. Even the grandmother of the joker, who would struggle to tie his boot laces, in the grandstand could have put that ball into the net, right?
Enter Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United striker Sam Mason-Smith before he runs out against Hamilton Wanderers at FMG Stadium tomorrow in round nine of the Stirling Sports Premiership match.
Mason-Smith has grappled with his share of demons and only last Saturday broke a prolonged drought of scoring goals with two at Mosgiel against Southern United in the 3-0 victory.
But the 25-year-old isn't about to pull out any excuses about why he hasn't been able to put it away with more consistency halfway through the premiership for the Finlay Milne-captained Bay United who are sitting in fourth place on the table before tomorrow's 4.35pm kick which will be live on Skysport 4.
"That's right. I'll agree with that. I've had chances to score but haven't quite capitalised on them," says Mason-Smith.
"I obviously found the mark [against Southern] and, hopefully, can build on that," says the striker who broke the record for Wairarapa United last winter when he scored five goals in their match against Petone FC in the Lotto Central League. He could have claimed six except the opposition keeper parried a penalty kick to deny him that.
"Previously I've had the opportunities but, for whatever reasons, I've lacked the confidence or not being quite positive enough. I've fallen short but now I hope to be going forward."
So what has been the directive from coach Brett Angell during his goal drought?
"Brett's been pretty supportive but I've tried not to make it a big issue that I haven't scored for a few games and I just wanted to get one for the team," he says, revealing during training at Petane Domain, Eskview, they focused on the basics before taking it into games.
"The worst thing you can do is to panic."
Of course, there's always the provocative remark from the cheap seats in the squad.
"The boys are always reminding me I haven't scored in six or seven games so there's always feedback about that regardless of whether it's a joke or not."
What no one can take away from the Englishman is his commitment in trying to create space for other strikers, such as lead scorer Saul Halpin, Angus Kilkolly and Facundo Barbero, to find the net.
He gratefully accepts that aspect of his game but believes he needs to become more mercenary-like at the coalface.
"From a selfish point of view you do want to score goals.
"In football, at the end of the day, a striker has to look at how many goals he's got so, if it's not many, you sort of wonder why but then, for myself, I feel I contribute to the team."
Mason-Smith says getting under the skin of defenders also has it's benefits for the collective.
"Sometimes it's about the goals but then at other times it's about what I have."
His impact came to the fore most when Hamish Watson, now pushing his way into the starting XI for a beleaguered Wellington Phoenix, was alongside him last summer.
In fact, it wasn't easy trying to distinguish the pair as fans found it difficult to ascertain who scored, considering Mason-Smith wore the No 15 shirt and a physical Watson No 16.
It became a little more complicated when Watson shed a few kilos and his frame started to resemble that of Mason-Smith.
"I enjoyed playing alongside Hamish. He's pretty cool and direct and likes to join in so he has a big physical presence about him to put the fear into the defenders."
He suspects they scored six goals each before former Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick sent out an SOS for Watson.
Mason-Smith is delighted the A-League franchise team are beginning to use Watson's prowess.
No doubt Englishman Halpin is the main beneficiary of Mason-Smith's industry for Bay United this season while Kilkolly and Barbero are beginning to take advantage as well.
"I've never played with Saul Halpin before so it's my first season with him and I've found him to be a quality player."
Mason-Smith, who watched Halpin ply his trade for Napier City Rovers in the Central League during winter and last summer for Team Wellington, finds it's good to play in front him.
"He cut one back in for me at the weekend so, hopefully, we'll keep developing a partnership," he says.
Having Babero coming off the bench as an impact player to become the second highest goal scorer is a big bonus for Bay United.
"He knows where the net is so he's always dangerous when he comes on so we have some good players there."
For Mason-Smith, putting a few away at home will be godsend but it's not an overriding factor.
"It's been a while since I score a few at home," he says, realising fans will feel he's got his mojo back after Southern United but he isn't too fussed about home or away as long as Bay United is claiming three points each round.
It's another game on the road tomorrow, albeit not as arduous as travelling by air to Mosgiel last Saturday.
"You don't want to think about the entire nation watching [on TV] so we just want to get out there to play because three points are massive at this stage with the league being so tight."
The Wanderers, Mason-Smith says, are an organised outfit and Bay United will have no doubts about who they would be up against as the hosts have three wins to the visitors' four.
"You don't want to do anything too embarrassing for everyone to see on TV ... but as soon as the whistle goes off it's pretty much out of your mind about people watching so you just concentrate on what you're doing on the pitch."
Not coming away with maximum points tomorrow will mean the turkey and bubbles won't taste the same during Christmas because their next game will be on Sunday, January 8, against Waitakere United at Trusts Arena in Auckland.
Mason-Smith will Skype his family in England - "and that'll always be home" - but there are many in this country who have made him feel at home here.
The bloke from Cambridge, East Anglia, north of London, arrived at the shores of New Zealand to ply his trade five years ago for a season with Richmond Athletic Football Club in Nelson.
"I won't say I miss home but I do quite miss the cold sometimes, as well as the roast turkey and Christmas dinner," he says.
MATCH DETAILS
■ WHO: Hamilton Wanderers v Hawke's Bay United.
■ WHERE: FMG Stadium, Hamilton.
■ WHEN: Tomorrow, 4.35pm kick off (live Skysport 4).
■ REFEREE: Cory Mills.
■ AR1 & 2: Hayden Tutubury and Carl Watkins.■ WANDERERS: 1. Max Tommy (GK), 2. Sam Redwood, 3. Tom Davis, 4. Aaron Scott, 5. Regont Murati, 7. Mark Jones, 8. Cory Mitchell, 12. Roussin Nkoy, 13. Dylan Windust, 14. Marc Evans, 15. Bailey Webster, 18. Alexis Varela, 19. Jack Salter, 21. Matt Oliver (RGK), 22. Raymond Gunemba, 23. Godwin Darkwa.
Coach: Mark Cossey.
■ HB UTD: 1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Sean Liddicoat, 3. Kohei Matsumoto, 6. Alex Palezevic, 7. Cory Chettleburgh (vc), 8. Finlay Milne (c), 9. Facundo Barbero, 10. Sam Mason-Smith, 11. Saul Halpin, 12. Ross Willox, 13. Ethan Dent, 14. Martin Canales Ramos, 15. Ben Everson, 16. Angus Kilkolly, 17. Fergus Neil, 19. Nile Walwyn, 26. Ruben Parker Hanks (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell.