Football: 'Wing D' part of Phoenix barter

NEW LEASE: Andrew Blake is relishing the chance of playing in his maiden premiership playoffs under Bay United this summer after starting with Phoenix Reserves. PHOTO/Warren Buckland

AS contemporary football makes inroads globally, it's heartening to see some age-old practices still work.

In a bartering exercise, Hawke's Bay United yesterday officially secured the services of Andrew Blake from Wellington Phoenix Reserves in return for freeing up Hamish Watson to the A-League franchise's beleaguered flagship team this week.

But the irony isn't lost on Blake who is mindful that he is not part of a like-for-like deal between the franchises.

The 19-year-old Hamilton-born "wing defender" is likely to make his debut tomorrow for Bay United in a 3pm kick-off at Park Island, Napier, against WaiBOP United in the ASB Premiership match, although Watson is an out-an-out striker.

"I wasn't expecting it but Ernie Merrick said it would be good for me if I could get away from the club to get some game time before going for a contract with the Phoenix," Blake said yesterday of the flagship Phoenix team coach.

In fact, Merrick has arranged for Blake to jet off to Scotland to play for a yet-to-be-confirmed team after the premiership season ends here.

Blake's brother, Hugh, 23, is playing rugby professionally for Glasgow Warriors so the Bay United signing will be based there with him.

The teenager also sees the irony in playing WaiBOP United on debut here, considering he trained under former WaiBOP coach Declan Edge.

But Blake is delighted to work under Bay United coach Brett Angell to help the franchise emulate its historic feat of making the grand final last summer.

"The Phoenix Reserves' results haven't gone their way so, mathematically, they don't have a chance of making the playoffs," said the bloke who attended trials in Wellington in 2013 before returning to join the Phoenix stable in April 2014.

"With Hawke's Bay United I have a better chance to play more games in New Zealand at the top level."

He noticed the difference between a development programme under Phoenix and a competitive set-up in Napier where winning is the driving factor.

The former Hamilton Boys' High School pupil also won a football scholarship, under the Everton umbrella, in his high school years to attend a college and academy in Christchurch between 2010 and 2012.

A specialist right winger, Blake saw the merit in honing his skills as a defender when he put his hand up at Miramar Rangers during the Lotto Central League in winter.

With a dearth of Beefeaters at Miramar he saw the opportunity also to gain some game time.

"I feel my defending ability has improved in the past year," said Blake who played as wing back for the New Zealand under-20 team during the Fifa age-group World Cup in New Zealand last year.

Fourth-placed Bay United will face a fifth-placed WaiBop who will be tanked on desperation as they cling to fading playoff hopes.

WaiBOP coach Peter Smith was quoted on his franchise website as saying: "Well yeah, we win and the door stays ajar for at least another week. Lose and we're gone.

"It can't be any more straight forward than that. The old 'cup final' clich was doing the rounds a few weeks back ... I think this week there's no doubt it's for real."

Smith also highlighted his admiration of Angell who looks like making the playoffs in two successive summers with almost entirely two different teams.

Englishmen Ryan Tinsley and the Hoyle brothers, Stephen and James, have Bay ties through winter footy so that should add to the encounter tomorrow after the visitors lost 1-0 in Taupo in November.

Blake comes from a rugby background where his three older brothers gravitated towards the funny-shaped ball.

Mindful he is physically smaller than his siblings, his parents, Kath and Ed Blake, felt football was a good grounding for their son from Year 1 to 6.

"Dad thought it offered skills, vision and awareness."

He copped a bit of ribbing from his brothers and dished it out when he could but once he carved a career in the code his entire family gave him immense support.

His mother also encouraged him to obtain a diploma in sport management once he found a niche with the Nix. He is now pursuing an economics and finance degree from Victoria University.

Bay United midfielder Khair Jones, of Manawatu, is on the cusp of jetting off to play professionally in Malaysia.

Franchise operations manager Matt Hastings said Jones had signed his contract but hadn't received it back countersigned from the Malaysian club by late yesterday.

MATCH DETAILS

WHO: Hawke's Bay United v WaiBOP United.

WHEN: Tomorrow, 3pm kickoff.

WHERE: Park Island, Napier.

REFEREE: John Rowbury.

AR1/AR2: Matt Stoneman, Gareth Sheehan.

FOURTH OFFICIAL: Ashley Davenport.

HAWKE'S BAY UTD: 1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Sean Liddicoat, 3. Kohei Matsumoto, 4. Finlay Milne (c), 5. Harrison Nash, 7. Cory Chettleburgh (vc), 8. Tom Biss, 10. Zane Sole, 12 Cheauxyan Maukau, 15. Samuel Mason-Smith, 17 Andrew Blake, 18 Martin Canales Ramos, 19. Birhanu Taye, 21. Fabien Kurimata, 23. Paul Ifill 25. Kyle Baxter (RGK).

Coach: Brett Angell.

Ast coach: Paul Ifill.

WaiBOP UTD: 1. Neil Achary (GK), 2. Scott Hilliar, 3. Finn Cochran, 5. Tyler Lissette Caunter, 8. Ryan Tinsley, 9. Dylan Stansfield, 10. Federico Marquez (c), 11. Sanni Issa, 12. Mario Ilich, 15. James Hoyle, 17. Stephen Hoyle, 18. Alexis Carcamo, 19. Wade Molony, 21. Sean Morris, 22. Cory Mitchell, Zac Speedy (RGK).

Coach: Peter Smith.