STARS OF THE FUTURE: Wairarapa College duo Kurtis Paine (No9) and Liam Hare are in the Heartland Wairarapa starting line-up.PHOTOS/FILE
STARS OF THE FUTURE: Wairarapa College duo Kurtis Paine (No9) and Liam Hare are in the Heartland Wairarapa starting line-up.PHOTOS/FILE
A record five Wairarapa players have been included in the Heartland Wairarapa starting line-up for their national youth league match with Canterbury United at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow, and a sixth is in the reserves.
Coach Phil Keinzley has plumped for locals Josh McMenamin and Thomas Hemi to play upfront while Wairarapa College's Kurtis Paine, Liam Hare and Arnon Tapp will be alongside experienced Upper Hutt campaigner Pedro Garcia in midfield.
Wellington-based players James Craughwell, Hamish McLachlan, Stephen Thomas and Josh Ebert will make up the back four with another Wellington player, Sam Martin, in goal. Among those on the bench will be Wairarapa's Mark Hemi.
Keinzley says having more Wairarapa players in the starting line-up than in the two previous league games against Wellington (lost 0-4) and Nelson-Marlborough (lost 2-3) was not a preconceived move; it was a case of selecting players who were in form and best suited to the tactical approach.
"Obviously you go with the team you think can win the game, that's all there is to it," Keinzley said. "Where they live doesn't come into it ... no way."
The impact made by McMenamin and Hemi up front is sure to have a big say in whether Heartland Wairarapa can upset a Canterbury United side who have made a slow start to their 2014 campaign, losing to Manawatu before drawing with Southern United.
Against Wellington and Nelson-Marlborough Heartland Wairarapa created several scoring chances but the only two goals they have scored so far have come from the boot of Garcia, whose main role is as a distributor. If McMenamin and Hemi can find the net they will be doing their side a huge favour and while Keinzley concedes that won't be easy against an aggressive Canterbury defence, he is confident they have the ability to rise to the occasion.
"Providing they have the self-belief to back themselves there's no reason why they shouldn't do a good job," he said.
Keinzley is also optimistic the new-look Heartland Wairarapa midfield will be able to slow the momentum of the Canterbury United attack. Garcia, who has been a major influence in the first two games, will again be key but it will be crucial that Paine, Hare and Tapp are assertive and constructive.
"Again it's a question of self-belief, it's just so important to do well at this level."
Kick-off for tomorrow's game, which will be attended by several Football New Zealand officials, is at 2pm.
