Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley wants a 90-minute effort from his team in their central league football match with Tawa at Tawa tomorrow.
Keinzley is not allowing a raft of good results to cloud the fact Wairarapa United have generally performed well in periods rather than for a whole match.
With three wins and a draw they are top of the points table, but the coach knows it will take greater consistency if they are to win their first ever central league title.
"Generally we have been having one good half and one pretty average half," Keinzley said. "Obviously we're happy with the end results but we can't keep relying on the opposition to let us off the hook, not at this level."
Keinzley also understands the dangers of underestimating a Tawa side lying eighth on the points table.
They were the underdogs when they scored a convincing first round win over Wairarapa United in 2011 and a similar situation exists this time round.
"Everybody will be expecting us to win, but that's when they [Tawa] are at their most dangerous," he said. "And they have a good record at home, their ground isn't exactly the best in the competition and that can even things up."
Two of their three Miramar Rangers and Team Wellington recruits, goalkeeper Phil Imray and defender Tim Schaeffers, will make their season debut for Wairarapa United tomorrow. The third, midfielder Darren Cheriton, has a prior commitment.
Imray comes in for Richard Gillespie who has done a fine job between the sticks in his absence. Fortunately for Wairarapa United, however, Gillespie will remain registered with them and will again take Imray's place when he takes a short break later in the year.
Whether Schaeffers will be part of the Wairarapa United starting line-up was unclear at the time these notes were penned. His fate might depend on the fitness of midfielder Miroslav Tvaroh, who has been battling an ankle injury. If he does not play, the likelihood is that skipper Nathan Cooksley will move from fullback to midfield and Schaeffers will take Cooksley's place.
That Wairarapa United will look to take the game to Tawa is guaranteed because they are always at their best when adopting an attacking philosophy, but it is how they go about achieving this that will attract the attention of their coach.
"We need to be more patient early on, we are tending to rush into things from the word go, "Keinzley said. "We need to be more structured, more composed."