Keinzley disgusted by effort

Football

Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley was spitting tacks after his Central League football side drew 1-1 with Tawa at Howard Booth Park, last Sunday.

In their first serious assignment for the 2013 season, Wairarapa United needed a late goal from substitute Nathan Cooksley to share the points and Keinzley had very little good to say about their performance.

"Quite frankly I was disgusted. It was nothing like what we wanted," he said. "There's not one player in the starting line-up who can feel pleased about how they played."

The new-look Wairarapa United squad went into the game as warm favourites against a Tawa side with little to recommend them and Keinzley wonders whether complacency was the major reason behind their below-par effort.

"It was like we thought we only had to turn up to win. There was hardly any enthusiasm there at all," he said.

"Tactically we were terrible. We just kept pumping long balls up the paddock and hoping they would make a mistake."

So poorly did Wairarapa United play that Keinzley believes Tawa bombed a golden opportunity to record an upset win when they went defensive after going 1-0 up. "I hate to think what might have happened had they had a bit of self-belief. We probably wouldn't be talking about a draw now."

About the only positive Keinzley could find from Sunday's game was the difference Cooksley and Chilean recruit Jonatan Almendro made when they came off the bench.

"They at least had some energy about them. It was just a pity the others didn't follow their example."

Wairarapa United are away to Upper Hutt this Saturday and will be without Adam Cowan and Aaron Spierling, who are unavailable, and possibly Miroslav Tvaroh, who is recovering from injury.