Football: New centre back produces cop-like defence

Hawke's Bay United's Gavin Hoy sparks an attack during yesterday's draw at Bluewater Stadium. Photo/Duncan Brown

New Hawke's Bay United football team centre back Graham Craven is awaiting the call to attend a New Zealand Police Training College course in Wellington.

"Hopefully it will be some time next year and I get a placement here in the Bay too," Craven, 27, said after Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United opened their ISPS Handa Premiership campaign with a scoreless draw against the Wellington Phoenix Reserves at Napier's Bluewater Stadium yesterday.

Should Craven, who last played in the National League for Young Heart Manawatu after leaving secondary school before heading to the United Kingdom to play, prove to be as good a police officer as he is a defender good luck to any criminal who tries to get the better of him.

Like fellow defender and captain Bill Robertson, Craven was superb on defence.

"We never felt threatened at the back. And why there are so many positives for us to take out of this game it was disappointing we couldn't put any of so many scoring chances away," Craven, who captained Palmerston North Marist in last winter's Central League, lamented.

He was right. The hosts did well to construct numerous scoring opportunities, 16, 11 more than Phoenix, but their finishing was poor.

"It was a case of two points dropped rather than one gained," frustrated coach Brett Angell said.

"It was the first game of the season and we were a yard off where we should be. There was no end product because we lacked the execution to finish ... sometimes it was because we weren't in the right position and on other occasions we didn't time our runs well enough to be in the right position," he added.

Some outstanding keeping from the Phoenix Reserves Aussie keeper Lewis Italiano also had a lot to do with the hosts inability to score.

One of the oldest of the visitors, most of whom were 17 or 18 and could have been playing in the annual Napier City Rovers U19 Youth Tournament which finished earlier in the day, Italiano, who is in his mid 20s and in his fourth year with the Phoenix club was easily the best of the Phoenix Reserves.

There was no better example of his class than in the 35th minute when Hawke's Bay United were presented with a golden opportunity from the penalty spot after the Phoenix were ruled to have handled in the box. Adam Thurston stepped up for the Bay in the hope of opening his own and the team's account for the season but was denied by a brilliant piece of keeping from Italiano.

After saving Thurston's attempt he sprung back to his feet to block the follow up. That was the nearest either side got to scoring.

Hawke's Bay United dominated possession and territory for most of the match but only had one shot on goal during the first 10 minutes. The visitors didn't have their first attempt until the 33rd minute and it was as feeble as most of the hosts previous ones.

Hawke's Bay United's attacking structures couldn't be faulted. On defence there were times when they could have put more pressure on the Phoenix Reserves frontline as they entered the Hawke's Bay United half but this improved in the second half.

Angell's troops definitely have potential to improve on last year's semifinal finish this season once they improve their finishing. Midfielder Birhanu Taye had some memorable patches and Hayden McHenery was another busy defender who shone on the counter attack.

Phoenix Reserves coach Chris Greenacre was thrilled with the draw and had every right to praise the "gutsy and composed" defence from his youngsters, who were well organised by captain and centre back Liam Wood. Liberato Cacace and Liam Moore displayed the benefits of having played in the recent Fifa Under-17 World Cup.

"Our players confidence will be better for the experience gained from this game. It's important they get exposure at this level and Brett [Angell] is a fantastic coach who has done a great job with virtually a whole new team," he added.