Football
Wairarapa United have had nothing in writing from New Zealand Football over the protest launched by Napier Rovers into the result of their Chatham Cup third round football match played in Napier just over a week ago, a match won by Wairarapa United 2-1.
The protest is allegedly over Wairarapa United playing an unregistered player, Vanuatu international Bryan Kalteck, who came off the bench late in the game, but Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley has yet to receive any official notification from the national hierarchy .
"We have been asked a few questions verbally but there is nothing in writing. We're not sure what we have do next, if anything," Keinzley said yesterday, adding he was still confident Wairarapa United had not breached any rules and would be playing Palmerston North Marist in a fourth-round cup match in Palmerston North next weekend.
"There is no reason why we should be worried - we had done all the homework on player eligibility and were told there were no problems," Keinzley said. "We are now looking forward to the next game, nothing has changed in our book."
To that end Keinzley was delighted with the manner in which Wairarapa United dismissed Tawa 3-0 in their Central League match transferred to the artificial turf at Maidstone Park on Saturday.
Looking for a top notch performance to build extra confidence for the Chatham Cup fourth round fixture, Wairarapa United produced one of their best all-round performances of the season, scoring three excellent goals and creating several other scoring opportunities.
"If there was a downside it was that we weren't always as clinical as we might have been with our finishing but you had to be happy with the number of chances we created, and, more importantly, the way in which we did it," Keinzley said.
The main thrust of the tactical plan for Wairarapa United was to retain possession for long periods by playing a lot of one- or two-touch football and their coach was pleased with the way his players responded to that challenge.
"We moved the ball around quickly and there were very few passes which failed to find their target,," Keinzley said.
All three of the goals were impressive affairs, the first to skipper Adam Cowan when he received the ball just outside the box from a corner and slotted it home, the second to Alssney Cissoko from a superbly-executed free kick taken all of 25m out and the third from Carl Shailer in his 201st appearance for Wairarapa United's premier side. His shot rocketed into the left hand corner of the goal.
Their French connection played a big part in the Wairarapa United success, Cissoko crowning a splendid all-round effort with his goal and his compatriot Charles Mallman producing a player-of-the-match performance up front, constantly troubling the Tawa defence with his speed and anticipation and also covering diligently on defence.
There was the usual assertive displays too from Nathan Cooksley and Miroslav Tvaroh and when rookies Arnon Tapp and Jamie McMaster came off the bench during the second half they both did enough to suggest they have bright futures at the top level.