Havelock North's coach laments ref's call

Chicken Little may well proclaim the end of the world is nigh but it's vital for every player who ever graced a sporting arena at any level to know referees have a major problem.
According to the gospel of officialdom, the fundamental problem with whistle blowers is that they frankly don't give a damn who wins at the end of the day on the paddock.
HBE Napier City Rovers' 3-2 victory over Havelock North New World Wanderers in the Pacific Premiership football on Saturday at Park Island, Napier, is a case in point.
Havelock coach Ritchie Howard, emphasising while resentful he was picking his words carefully, took his hat off to referees but was adamant all premiership games should have three-point control.
"We played with passion and spirit but we didn't get beaten by Napier City Rovers," Howard said.
"We pay for it [three-point control] and we have to get used to it if our players are going to go on to play at Central League or franchise [ASB Premiership] level," he said after the Rovers led 1-0 at halftime from a penalty kick to super-boot Craig Lennox when Havelock centre-mid Rob Bower couldn't get his arm out of the way from an earlier piledriver from Lennox.
"It was harsh from the ref. The poor guy [Bower] didn't have the chance to get out of the way of the ball at all."
Purists, incidentally, will tell you ball to hand is not a free kick but hand to ball is. Amen.
In that respect, Howard has the sympathy of his counterpart, Terry O'Neill, but not claims that offside calls weren't marshalled with consistency.
"I'm not saying we would have won but the result may have been different," Howard added.
O'Neill agreed the penalty was harsh but begged to differ if three-point control would change anything.
The Rovers stalwart argued whingeing and bagging referees achieved little, considering top games with ref's assistants weren't error free.
"I tell my players that if the ref came up to them every time they did something wrong and rubbished them, how would they feel.
"So why do players feel they have to say something to the ref every time he makes a mistake. I just tell them to get on with the game," he said, after midfielder Riley O'Meagher struck twice for a win after the villagers led 2-1 through Simon Brieger goals.
Just back from a coaching course, O'Neill said football was like a merry-go-round.
Success, he explained, boiled down 75 per cent to fitness, 15 per cent to ability and 10 per cent to luck.
"You're likely to get 5 to 15 per cent luck at some stage of the season.
"We played more football and just deserved to win with more possession," he said.
In the feature game at Marewa Park, Gisborne Thistle thumped defending champions Ericksen Honda Port Hill United 4-1 to reaffirm their status as the team to claim the bragging rights with Geon Taradale Prems this season.
If anything, it shows Port Hill are out of their league this season despite Hayden Ericksen scoring in five minutes before the visitors went into the breather 3-1 up. Captain Ryan McIvor said it was probably a case of new players and new coach.
"The chances are being created but we're having some trouble putting it in the back of the net," said McIvor, not agreeing they missed the prowess of striker Matt Single, who was wearing Rovers colours and flirting with Central League this season.
"Thistle had about 10 chances and put away four. We had just as many and put away one.
"It was a hard-fought game but our heads went down," a disappointed McIvor said.
He added they focused on a defensive effort although their centreback, Tim Damen, was enlightening as a striker before reverting to defence due to injuries in the back.
Player-coach Dave Ure scored twice, and Nikki Land and Nic Somerton got a goal each.
Ure resisted any urge to comment this season. At Park Island, Dale thumped Napier Marist Premiers 6-1 although hosts spokesman Alan Dick took some comfort in restricting the opposition to 2-1 in the second spell.
"They are quality players and dominated totally in the first half but, in the second, we got up to their level," Dick said after midfielder Jayden Barrow pulled one back as Dale led 4-0 at halftime.
Dale player/co-coach Warren Gilbertson said they didn't have to do much after the halftime result as Chris McIvor claimed four goals and Mike Daly and Richard Gearey got on the scorecard too.
"David Gearey [who has crossed the floor from the Maycenvale Central League team] pulled a groin so that's a big blow for us," Gilbertson said but was happy some of their big players were coming back.
At the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park ground, Cru Bar Maycenvale United Prems drew 1-1 with Lockwood Lytton High after leading 1-0 at halftime courtesy of a penalty kick goal to Bjorn Christensen in the 31st minute although Lytton player/coach Craig Christophers didn't think he brought Christensen down but admirably accepted the ref's decision was final.
Lytton striker Corey Adams got the equaliser with 20 minutes to go but Christophers again rued missed opportunities.
Vale coach Dion Adams didn't have the services of key players defender Matt Ebbett and striker Jerome Groot lost to their Central League side in Wellington on Saturday.
"We're disappointed because we're sacrificial lambs. We have to feed our top team but it still hurts," Adams said.
At Childers Road Reserve, Western Rangers drew 1-1 with Kingfisher Bar Bohemians after the Gisborne hosts drew first blood in the 31st minute from Kieran Ryan but four minutes after the breather Rangers right-mid Garrick Jones equalised.
Bohemian coach Martin Ryan rued missing a penalty kick when keeper Wayne Kypers denied Ryan O'Neill in the second half.
"We're disappointed because we could have won but a draw is a fair result," Ryan said after the ref sent O'Neill off the field for abusive language with 20 minutes to go.
"It was silly and we're in poo-poo land now with a shortage of player."
Rangers stand-in coach Ian Waters said his troops started sluggishly, gifting a soft goal although keeper Kypers had now notched up his second penalty stoppage there as the Hastings club savoured two wins from three trips to Gisborne.
He named centreback Greg Langley their man of the match.
In the Western Premiership, Taradale drew 1-1 at home against Wanganui Athletic after leading 1-0 at halftime from a Tony Parkinson goal in the 31st minute.
The visitors levelled terms when centre-mid Josh Tyson's shot deflected off a defender's foot in the 65th minute.
Wanganui coach Kerry McGuinnes said the well-drilled hosts outplayed them in the first half while his troops couldn't finish off after their fifth pass.
"Fitness kicked in in the second half and it was a real battle in the last 10 to 15 minutes.
"They deserved to be up by a couple of goals in the first half," McGuinnes said.
Dale coach Jamie Hall agreed, saying they should have been up by at least three.
Hall lauded Wanganui centreback and keeper Tim Czerwonka, 19, for making some brilliant saves, including one in added time.
"We have to pick up our game because we're playing Red Sox away [in Palmerston North] next," he said, happy four key players were back in the fold.
"It's frustrating because we've ... drawn three in a row. We have to turn those draws into wins."