Football: Japanese, Hayes out of HB Utd equation

Hamish Watson in Hawke's Bay United colours before he graduated to the Wellington Phoenix to ply his trade in the A-League soccer arena. Photo/file

With rumours rife that Hamish Watson may be among Wellington Phoenix players to be seeking release or be released because of minimal game time are Hawke's Bay United going to try to lure the big striker?

"They'll have to release him but Hamish is where Hamish is at so I'm sure that there were others in that boat who would have an interest in him," a grinning Bay United soccer coach, Brett Angell, said yesterday after revealing the team didn't have a stock striker in his squad this premiership soccer season.

"I enjoyed working with Hamish when we had our time together so we'll bear that in mind but I don't know whether that one is working in relation to his thoughts and whether he'll leave the Phoenix or play for them in the competition [the Nix Reserves] but I'm sure it'll be resolved in a couple of weeks."

He said the Bay franchise club was browsing in the player market while the transfer window was open until January 24 but also was mindful other teams were doing the same.

"It becomes a little more difficult to try to coax players away," he said, stressing it was a case of targeting players who were new to the country.

Franchise general manager Shane McKenzie revealed yesterday that Japan import wing defender Kohei Matsumoto wouldn't return to the club for the rest of the season after jetting home for Christmas.

"In the time that he was back in Japan his visa was declined so we had had lodged an application and that didn't work out," McKenzie said of the long-time Bay United player who was picked up after Auckland City FC released him.

Matsumoto's compatriot, midfielder Hayatu Wakino, also is back in Japan to spend time with his family.

"He's got an ill grandmother so he's been delayed coming back but we still have to determine when that'll be," McKenzie said.

Defender Liam Hayes also has returned to his hometown of Hamilton to play for the Wanderers.

"He'll be on a four-week stand-down period until he can play for them again so we still have yet to determine when that'll be," he said, adding Hayes had completed only a week of his transfer time yesterday.

On the bright side, Angell said Graham Craven would return for the televised round 11 game away against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, kicking off at 4.45pm at the Westpac Stadium this Saturday.

Craven, who played all season, was unavailable yesterday because he was attending his mother's wedding.

Homeboy Fergus Neil would have been a like-for-like switch for Matsumoto but Angell said he had delayed his niggly knee condition far too long and was on schedule to go under a surgeon's knife in a couple of months.