"After last weekend's loss [1-0 against WaiBop United] it's important we start stronger and bring a lot more energy. We didn't bring a lot of energy last week," Haviland said.
Although Canterbury United's eighth placing on the nine-team competition's points table doesn't reflect that tomorrow's visitors are a more than handy outfit as their 1-all draw against Haviland and co in Christchurch earlier this season suggests.
"They have some experienced players who can turn up for games. Their back four is good and they know how to see out games," Haviland said.
A 2010 national under-17 squad member who missed the final cut for the Nigeria World Cup that year, Haviland, has set travelling to Australia and playing in the A-League as his long-term goal. However, a stint in the Japanese equivalent may come first.
"I had trials over there with two clubs before the start of the Premiership and have been invited back to trial again with both when our Premiership ends."
It appears Haviland's days of being a factory hand and regular Fifa player on the Playstation (he reckons he is still the best in the Hawke's Bay United camp) are about to end. Captaining Hawke's Bay United to an inaugural Premiership title would certainly boost his chances of a contract in the Japanese J1 League or A-League but he knows it doesn't pay to look any further ahead than tomorrow's match.
With Croatian winger Viktor Lekaj serving a one-game suspension for accumulated yellow cards 16-year-old forward-winger Bradley Perks has been added to the squad as cover. A product of Hawke's Bay's youth system, Perks has played for Taradale and Napier City Rovers and is tipped to have a big future in the code.
Defender Wade Randle has recovered from his ankle injury collected last week and is available to start.
Haviland and his head coach Brett Angell are happy they will go into tomorrow's match knowing what they have to do to stay in the top four depending on the outcome of today's games which will see fourth placed Waitakere United host second placed Team Wellington at Auckland's Fred Taylor Park and fifth placed Wellington Phoenix host top-of-the-table Auckland City at Newtown Park in the capital.
Should Phoenix and Waitakere get the victories they need Hawke's Bay United will need a point from tomorrow's clash to confirm a semifinal berth and a win to remain third.
"At the end of the day with the results as they've panned out, we're still in control of our own destiny and that's what we've got to do," Angell said.
Former All Whites midfielder Aaron Clapham is again likely to be the kingpin in the Canterbury United side and will have to be marked closely.
This is the second consecutive week a Hawke's Bay United home game has clashed with a World Cup cricket fixture in Napier. It will be interesting to see how much support the hosts can generate as home crowd noise is as crucial as home team energy.
WHO: Hawke's Bay United v Canterbury United.
WHERE: Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, Napier.
WHEN: Tomorrow, 2pm kick-off.
HAWKE'S BAY UNITED:
1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Wade Randle, 4. Ross Haviland (c), 5. Finlay Milne, 8. Alex Palezevic, 6. Ryan Tinsley, 7. Troy Pennycooke-Morgan, 9. Sean Lovemore, 11. Mario Barcia, 22. Billy Scott, 14. Rudi Bauerfeind,16. Leon Birnie, 12. Saul Halpin, 17 Bradley Perks, 22. Sean Liddicoat, 26. Kyle Baxter (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell. Assistant coach: Leon Birnie.
CANTERBURY UNITED:
1. Danny Knight (GK), 2. Dan Terris, 3. Anthony Jones, 5. Tom Schwarz, 7. Renata Yamamoto, 8. Aaron Clapham, 9. Mario Hofmann, 10. Meysum Shafahi, 13. Andreas Wilson, 15. Dan Schwarz, 18. Adam Dickinson, 19. Pablo Moya, 20. Stu Kelly, 23. Oscar Evans, 25, Aaron Spain.
Coach: Sean Devine.
