FED CUP SOCCER - MEN: Marist eager to test Vale

Normally Malcolm Wilson doesn't like to cry over spilt milk, especially if the referee knocks the bottle over.
But at the weekend the Bluewater Hotel Napier Marist soccer coach wanted to get something off his chest when SportToday contacted him about his side's 1-nil loss to Bohemian Gisborne in the Federation Cup semifinal match in Gisborne on Saturday.
``There was only goal in it from a breakaway and a very dubious penalty for the slightest of contacts in the 75th minute,'' said Wilson after Bohemian striker Kieran Ryan ran into the 18m box to receive a ball from right winger Shane Young from the goal line from an acute angle. The striker went down and the referee pointed to the penalty spot for a foul.
Centre-mid Stefan Rush didn't miss from the penalty kick as the hosts celebrated a historic win in only their debut season as Eastern League division one campaigners.
Explained Wilson: ``It's a game that, on paper, we should have won on experience.''
The post-mortem examination is justifiable considering Bohemian coach Marty Ryan acknowledged Marist dominated almost 80 per cent of the game.
But Ryan's troops adopted the formation that allowed a roving striker while the rest of the midfield played deep.
The visitors threw the kitchen sink in in the last 15 minutes in search of an equaliser but it was to no avail. Bohemian goalkeeper Rory White made some spectacular saves.
Coach Ryan's heart went out to Wilson.
``Look, if I was Malcolm I would have been disappointed too,'' he said of the penalty, agreeing it was a 50-50 call from the ref. However, his troops were glad to have punched above their weight to secure victory over a Homeworx Pacific Premiership team who play a grade above their Eastern one.
``I'm not going to criticise the referee because I've seen [him] giving penalties in those situations and I've also seen him not give it.''
The coaches agreed that the penalty was not the turning point of the match.
Ryan said: ``They [Marist] had it in the take but they couldn't bring us down. They were very predictable.''
Confirming Marist were their own enemies, Wilson said his men could have played until 10 o'clock (at night) and still wouldn't have scored.
``They [Gisborne] stuck to their game plan on the support of a vociferous crowd. We wish them all the best and we'll support them in the final,'' he said, looking forward to playing their first game against undefeated Maycenvale in the premiership.
Ryan said the victory wasn't just for Bohemian but the entire Eastern League.
``We're one below the Pacific Premiership and cup football always brings up funny results.''
He said their win placed a huge question mark upon Gisborne football and the Central region.
``It's always a money problem with us. There'll come a time when we'll have to figure out whether it's worth travelling to Hawke's Bay or do we need to do something in getting Gissy going,'' said Ryan, believing Gisborne soccer had a tendency to underrate itself.
Ryan and fellow former Gisborne City player John Gillies founded the Bohemian club last season as a second division social side.
The competitive side is now placed third in the Eastern League.
Marist are now eager to play undefeated Cru Bar Maycenvale United for the first time this season in the premiership league following a rash of postponements that has left them with three mouth-watering opportunities to be the only team to topple Vale.
Only Signature Homes Port Hill have managed to take a point off Vale after a draw fortnight ago when the Hastings side were without the services of prolific scorer Joachim Rande.
* WHOOPS! This is the story which should have run in yesterday's paper. SportToday apologises for the duplication of the Pacific Premiership story.