Football
Marquis Wairarapa United recorded their biggest ever win in the Central League football competition when they demolished Napier City Rovers 7-0 at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, on Sunday.
Played in perfect conditions and in front of a reasonable crowd, the victory was as emphatic as it was deserved with the home side hitting their stride from the first whistle and running their Rover opponents ragged.
United found themselves 4-0 up within the first 30 minutes by which time the game was well and truly over. With Miroslav Tvaroh, Nathan Cooksley and Aaron Spierling bossing the midfield and Dale Higham outstanding at central striker, United showed what might have been this season had they performed to this level on a more regular basis.
The home side's passing was crisper and more accurate than their opponents, they were faster to the ball, their attacks were swifter and more varied and their tackling more robust. Higham's speed was causing havoc through the centre while Brian Kalteck's speed and guile down the right meant his opposing fullback was having a torrid afternoon.
With Tvaroh and Cooksley setting up play and Spierling's industry around the park, United's superiority in the first half was such there were periods in that spell when the game resembled a United training session rather than a competitive fixture.
By comparison, Napier just hadn't arrived at the races, their midfield was overrun, the defence looked ponderous and indecisive and they were unable to create many telling attacks. Even when they did finally manage to breach the United back four, they blew their best chance when Fane Morgan shot wide after rounding United keeper Matt Borren and facing a gaping net. The miss summed up their first half.
United took the lead inside the first two minutes when Cooksley side-footed in Kalteck's centre and the scoreline ballooned out to 4-0 by the 30-minute mark. Higham converted from short range after another strong run and centre by Kalteck. Then Kalteck was put through and rounded Rovers keeper Shaun Peta to slot into an empty net. Five minutes later, fullback Carl Shailer took an opportunity to follow up his own attack to fire home a rare goal.
This scoreline remained until half-time despite other chances. such as Seule Soromon missing a relative "sitter" for United while Morgan fluffed another chance for Rovers.
The second half didn't reach the same heights as the result, barring a miracle collapse by the home side, was already decided. United took their foot off the pedal to some extent and the game evened out but the result was never in doubt as Rovers were unable to create any attacks and the United back four were largely confined to mopping-up duties.
Midway through the second spell, Rovers would have been glad to see the back of Higham who was replaced by Mallman while Arnon Tapp replaced the influential Tvaroh, the youngster showing yet again he is an up-and-coming prospect and definitely one for the future.
Soromon made amends for his earlier miss by following up an attack down the right, side footing home from no more than two metres to make it 5-0, a sixth was added and Cooksley fired home the seventh goal just before the final whistle. Napier, to their credit, kept going and would have recorded a couple of late goals but for last-ditch heroics by keeper Borren and a headed goal-line clearance by Kalteck, who had been moved into the back four by coach Phil Keinzley minutes before.
Not surprisingly, Keinzley took huge satisfaction from such a decisive victory over a Napier City Rovers side, whose protest led to his side being disqualified from the Chatham Cup.
"We always thought we could win but 7-0 ... I don't think anybody expected that," Keinzley said. "And some of the goals were pretty spectacular, it was good to watch."
The win meant Wairarapa United retained the Hullena Trophy, which they have held ever since its inception five seasons ago and their unbeaten record at Howard Booth Park now stretches to more than 12 months.
It also means they will go into next Sunday's fixture against competition leaders Miramar Rangers, also at Howard Booth Park, in a confident frame of mind. Back for that match will be in-form Frenchman Alssney Cissoko, who missed the Napier City Rovers game because of a one-match suspension.