Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Football: No mistake, Bay Utd still underdogs

By Anendra Singh
Hawkes Bay Today·
25 Nov, 2016 03:50 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Surely Bay United goalkeeper Joshua Hill won't be left talking to the post away against Auckland City today. PHOTO/NZME.

Surely Bay United goalkeeper Joshua Hill won't be left talking to the post away against Auckland City today. PHOTO/NZME.

OPPOSITIONS going into a match against powerhouses Auckland City FC must relish their underdogs status.

That's because when the six-time Stirling Sports Premiership champions succumb they tend to push the apprehension levels of their rivals to a point where coaches start to thread their worry beads.

Will the Blues shrug off their cobwebs from last weekend's 1-0 loss to Wellington Phoenix U20s at Dave Farrington Park before they kick off at 4.35pm in a televised match against Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United at Kiwitea St today?

Auckland coach Ramon Tribulietx lamented his men's inability to plant the ball into net despite creating numerous chances.

"That's life," Tribulietx had told the New Zealand Football website.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The perceived quiet sense of exasperation from the Spaniard, translated, equates to:
"There's going to be hell for everyone else after I'm done with the boys during shooting practice."

Phoenix coach Andy Hedge wasn't putting on airs after the upset, admitting they "got out of jail" considering his men didn't deserve to win with the scant possession they had.

Consequently Bay United coach Brett Angell's men will have to bring their A game although coming away with one point in the opening round of the premiership last summer will do heaps for their confidence.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Wing back Kohei Matsumoto was the Bay hero that day, grabbing the equaliser in the televised affair that left the O-League campaigners stunned.

Last Sunday Phoenix keeper Lewis Italiano kept the City foragers at bay before the 85th minute winner that New Zealand U20 representatives Sarpreet Singh and Logan Rogerson eked out with the latter doing the unthinkable.

Undeniably Bay United keeper Joshua Hill was the protagonist at Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, repelling waves of attacks from Canterbury United although the Dragons managed to find an equaliser (1-1) against the 10-man hosts in added time.

Surely they can't rely on Hill to do the same a week later?

Or can they?

After all Bay captain Finlay Milne and his Beefeaters did perform admirably in putting up the storm shutters.

Perhaps the focus should be at the coalface of the visitors' line up.

The hunters and gatherers also made hard work of finding the net and their goal came from a Saul Halpin penalty kick.

Debutant striker Ben Everson looked a little out of sorts last Sunday but then one can argue that is expected in his first outing after he couldn't make an earlier appearance because he could not get his clearance in time from Thailand due to the death of venerated King Adulyadej, 88, the world's longest-reigning monarch, last month.

Fellow strikers Facundo Barbero and Sam Mason-Smith will have to be at their best with Halpin, never mind the fancy hairdos and ritzy facial sculptures to make the most of TV appearances.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I have two Japanese friends, Makoto and Toyoki, who are hairdressers in Auckland so I'll have my haircut after the game," says a laughing Matsumoto who is expecting a fair few Japanese fans because of City player Takuya Iwata as well.

The 27-year-old versatile Bay wing defender thinks Bay will come right when centre-mid Cory Chettleburgh returns next round from a carry-on seven-match suspension he picked up playing for Wairarapa United during winter.

No doubt Matsumoto wants nothing more than to score another goal against his former side today.

Fifth-placed Bay want three points, not one to stay in the race for playoffs whereas it's the second-placed hosts' last premiership outing before shifting gears to the higher echelons of the beautiful game.

The Bay have registered two wins, just as many defeats and posted a stalemate so a loss will make it a little difficult to munch through the turkey during Christmas.

Defensive midfielder Martin Canales Ramos is the only change in the Bay squad from last Sunday after collecting a controversial straight red card for a professional foul from behind at the edge of the penalty box.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

James Hoyle comes in for him.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Sport

Sport

Ranfurly Shield journey holds key to provincial pride

Hawkes Bay Today

Napier City Rovers’ National League hopes rest on four key matches

Hawkes Bay Today

Tactix beat Mystics to win maiden ANZ Premiership title


Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Sport

Ranfurly Shield journey holds key to provincial pride
Sport

Ranfurly Shield journey holds key to provincial pride

The journey to the Ranfurly Shield starts at New Plymouth.

29 Jul 08:30 PM
Napier City Rovers’ National League hopes rest on four key matches
Hawkes Bay Today

Napier City Rovers’ National League hopes rest on four key matches

29 Jul 07:59 PM
Tactix beat Mystics to win maiden ANZ Premiership title
Hawkes Bay Today

Tactix beat Mystics to win maiden ANZ Premiership title

27 Jul 05:42 AM


Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture
Sponsored

Kiss cams and passion cohorts: how brands get famous in culture

01 Aug 12:26 AM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP