Consistency crucial for United

Wairarapa United might have beaten Lower Hutt 4-1 last time they met but little attention is being paid to that result in the build-up to their Capital Soccer premier division second round clash at the Pugh Sports Bowl in Masterton tomorrow.
And no wonder when you consider the improvement made by Lower Hutt since then, improvement which has seen them beat two of the better-performed sides in competition leaders Petone and Island Bay United and challenging for second spot on the points table.
"We can't afford to read anything into what happened the last time we met them, they are an entirely different kettle of fish now," Wairarapa United manager Phil Keinzley said
Keinzley said Wairarapa United would 'very definitely" need to lift their effort from that which produced a 3-2 win over cellar dwellers Brooklyn Northern United last weekend to further their own hopes of filling the runners-up position in the premier division series.
Three goals to defender Petero Dauniseka, all of them coming in the last 15 minutes, provided that victory and while Keinzley was pleased with the way his team dug deep after being 2-0 down he knows greater consistency will be crucial against a team of Lower Hutt's calibre.
"Start badly against them and we will be a goner, we have to be in the game right from the word go," he said.
For one of the few times this season Wairarapa United will have the luxury of a full squad to select from and it could be that Sakeo Valevou, who is returning from a foot injury, will start off the bench despite being one of the side's better players through most of the season.
This is simply because Aaron Spierling has slotted in so well in the right fullback position and usual striker Lai Gataurua is capable of doing a good job in Spierling's more accustomed role of right half.
And there is no hassle moving Gataurua from striker either as Andy Robertson and Pita Rabo have combined well there in the past.
Tactically, Wairarapa United will continue to place the emphasis on attack but Keinzley said greater attention would also be paid to shoring up their defence, which was something of a problem area against BNU.
"We have to get out of the habit of conceding soft goals, we have to make the opposition work for everything they get," he said.
Sunday will see the Wairarapa under-19 boys soccer team open their Ivan England Trophy campaign with a match against Porirua City in Porirua.