Football
Wairarapa United's 2-1 win over Napier City Rovers in a Chatham Cup third round fixture at Park Island, Napier, last weekend is under protest.
According to a story in yesterday's Hawke's Bay Today, New Zealand Football has confirmed Napier City Rovers were basing their appeal on the status of Vanuatu international Brian Kalteck, who came off the bench in the dying stages as a defender.
Apparently, Napier City Rovers are arguing that, while Kalteck was cleared by the national body to play for Wairarapa United as a "reclassified player", the fact he had played for a Solomon Islands club in the interim meant that ruling no longer applied.
This was because the rules stated that, if a player left New Zealand to play for another country or club, then on returning here their eligibility for a non-stop 12 months as a "non-guest player" started all over again.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley told the Times-Age yesterday he was not losing any sleep over the Napier City Rovers protest and his team were continuing to prepare for the next Chatham Cup assignment, against Palmerston North Marist at Palmerston North, probably on Sunday week, with all the normal intensity.
"I don't want to argue his [Kalteck's] eligibility through the media, other than to say we did our homework and we are absolutely confident everything was in order," Keinzley said.
Protests in Chatham Cup matches are not unusual. In the first round of cup action this year, Football NZ disqualified FC Twenty11 and Universities in a Christchurch derby for fielding unregistered players, and in 2008 North Shore United suffered a similar fate after beating New Zealand Celtic Supporters.
Just when the result of the Napier City Rovers protest will be known has yet to be confirmed, although Football New Zealand spokesman Jamie Scott told Hawke's Bay Today they would be working as "quickly as possible", with the fourth round to be played next weekend. Scott added it would require going through a pile of immigration-related documents to establish the player's status and that would probably take a few days.
Meanwhile, there are at least four good reasons why Wairarapa United should take nothing for granted when they play Tawa in a Central League football fixture at Tawa tomorrow.
Firstly, Tawa, with just one point on the board, are at the very bottom of the points table and already staring automatic relegation to Capital premier division in the face. Motivation will therefore be no problem for them.
Secondly, that sole point Tawa have earned came when they drew against none other than Wairarapa United at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, in their opening game of the season. So being intimidated by the quality of their opposition is not likely to be a factor either.
Thirdly, no ground in the Wellington region cuts up worse than that at Tawa when the weather turns sour and the latest spell of wet weather is likely to turn it into a quagmire. That will suit Tawa more than Wairarapa United.
Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, this should be the final dress rehearsal before Wairarapa United take on Palmerston North Marist in the aforementioned Chatham Cup fourth round match and a win, no matter by what margin, would be a timely boost to confidence.
It is the latter point which is likely to have Keinzley fielding the same starting line-up he used against Napier City Rovers last weekend, although he makes no secret of his wish to give at least one of the two rookies in his squad, Arnon Tapp and Jamie McMaster, a reasonable amount of game time.
"The ideal would be to be in a position not long after halftime where we could bring them on, but obviously that will depend on the way things are going. The first priority is to have a win and we won't be doing anything which could perhaps jeopardise that," he said.
Wairarapa United are third on the Central League points table, eight points behind Wellington Olympic and seven in arrears of Miramar Rangers.