Football: Second-half Tasman United surge fails to foil Hawke's Bay United's resolve in Nelson

Hawke's Bay United assistant coach Jamie Dunning (left) and coach, Brett Angell. Photo/file

The winning feeling is unmistakably undeniable but what happens when your team are 4-0 up in the first half?

That was the dilemma facing Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell after they came came away with their second victory of the season, overwhelming Tasman United 4-2 in Nelson today.

"It was a result we probably got to without playing to the level we previously got to but we went four nil up so the game, realistically, to all intense and purpose was asked to sort of give away," said Angell after Frenchman Maxime Oliveri scored in the eighth minute and striker Sam Mason-Smith added salt to the hosts' wound a minute later in week eight of the ISPS Handa Premiership encounter.

Jorge Akers, of Napier, joined the party in the 30th minute and, almost in the same mould, Japan import midfielder Sho Goto landed a sucker punch in the 34th minute as Tasman United players were still trying to clear their heads.

Frankly, Angell passed the game of as "it is what it is" and gratefully caught their flight back with the much-needed three points on the road to keep Bay United's national summer league campaign kindling before Christmas.

It's difficult to even imagine what Tasman United coach Andy Hedge said but the mood in the changing room at Trafalgar Park couldn't have been too perked up.

However, Tasman, who remain rooted in ninth place on the premiership ladder from a solo victory to date, kept their goal intact in the second half and scored twice.

Max Winterton pulled one back in the 66th minute before Ahmed Othman gave a glimmer of hope of a revival of sorts in the 70th minute from a penalty kick.

"You know, you always worry that goals will suddenly [go in] because they have nothing to lose but we saw the game through anyway," said Angell reflectively.

The Englishman revealed another penalty kick was awarded to Tasman United but Bay United goalkeeper Mackenzie Waite had parried that attempt in almost the last roll of the dice from the hosts in the dying minutes.

"I don't think there was ever a moment when I thought we were going to chuck it away but we came here to do what we had wanted to and left with what we wanted."

Angell described the encounter as "quite strange" because of the blanket of finality that had prevailed somewhat prematurely.

At halftime he had impressed on captain Birhanu Taye and his troops to concentrate but the goals, against the run of play, had worked as catalysts in picking up Bay United players.

"We probably didn't play as fluently as we have done in previous games in that second half and we were looking like we were lacking a little bit of energy in that spell."

He said they were already focusing on hosting Southern United at Park Island, Napier, this Sunday in a 1pm kick off before Eastern Suburbs at a later time of 2pm the following Sunday.

Angell said he had watched the New Zealand girls claim bronze under the tutelage of Napier coach Leon Birnie for a magnificent campaign at the Fifa U17 World Cup in Uruguay.