Football
Nathan Cooksley might have been deposed as captain of Wairarapa United for their 2013 Central League football campaign but he saved them from blushes with a late goal in their opening fixture against Tawa at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, on Sunday.
Widely hailed as warm favourites, Wairarapa United were trailing 1-0 when Cooksley pounced and while the end result of 1-1 was hardly what they wanted from a home game against opposition unlikely to threaten for the league title, it was all they deserved.
Whether it was the fact that with so many new faces running around combinations were not settled or the advent of wintry weather, including heavy rain showers, was too much to bear, Wairarapa United struggled to get any continuity into their play against an energetic Tawa side who were obviously intent on shutting down the space for noted attackers like Seule Soromon, George Jermy and Dale Higham.
One would hate to think how many Wairarapa United passes throughout the course of the 90 minutes either failed to find their target or arrived at feet with at least a couple of Tawa defenders yapping at the heels. And even on the few occasions where there were four or five uninterrupted touches, it was all too often lost through players looking to go the extra metre, and losing the ball as a consequence.
Having said that, Soromon, Jermy and, in particular, Higham had moments where, through a mix of sheer speed and determination, they did show glimpses of the individual brilliance which is sure to be a talking point as the season progresses. Given the benefit of a more patient and accurate build up, they clearly have the skills to take any defensive unit apart.
It was, however, Esava Naqeleca who emerged as Wairarapa United's best performer on this occasion. His clever positional play allowed him to nip several Tawa attacks in the bud before they gained momentum and he showed some impressive flair in attack as well. New recruit, Hawke's Bay national league player Josh Margetts, had a look of solidity about everything he did and there was no doubt Cooksley made a difference when he came off the reserves bench in the second half. His no-nonsense approach certainly added more steel to the defence and he was quick to make the most of his goal-scoring opportunity when it came.
It will be interesting to see where coach Phil Keinzley positions captain Adam Cowan as the season evolves. He started at fullback on Sunday and while doing little wrong, the impression remains he plays best when used in a more attacking role, either in midfield or up front.
Wairarapa United are away to Western Suburbs this coming Saturday. Wests drew 2-2 with Lower Hutt in the opening series of matches with other games seeing Olympic upset defending champions Napier City Rovers 5-2, Miramar Rangers beat Petone 2-0 and Lower Hutt and Wellington United drew 2-2.
Meanwhile, there were pleasing results for all three Wairarapa teams participating in the opening series of Capital Football division three matches on Saturday with debutantes White Swan Greytown providing the highlight.
They thumped Waterside-Karori Cougars 9-4 while Wairarapa United seconds beat Wainuiomata 5-0 and Gardner Electrical Masterton AFC beat Petone 2-1. Douglas Villa commenced their division two campaign with an away game against Western Suburbs and were beaten 3-1.