Unfortunate? date for Chatham Cup match

The date for Wairarapa United's fourth round Chatham Cup men's soccer match with Palmerston North End in Palmerston North has been described as "unfortunate".
It will be played on Sunday, June 17, the same day as the Wellington Phoenix and the national under-20 men's team will play a practise game in Masterton.
Wairarapa United manager Phil Keinzley said tentative inquiries had been made about possibily staging the Cup fixture on another date but it was already clear nothing would change in that respect.
"?t's just unfortunate.
"Obviously our players and supporters would have loved to have been able to attend both games but we've got to live with what we've got," he said.
Keinzley is still confident, however, that having the Wellington Phoenix play their first "semi serious" game in Masterton ? probably at the Pugh Sportsbowl ? will attract huge interest from the local sporting public.
It would provide an early opportunity, for instance, to judge the merits of their much-publicised imports, including two Brazilians and two Australians, and to watch first hand the coaching skills of All Whites coach Ricki Herbert, who is also in charge of the Phoenix.
"Never before would so many hugely talented players been in Wairarapa at the one time and we're expecting a massive crowd to welcome them," Keinzley said.
Meanwhile the Wairarapa United camp is determined not to let the euphoria of their impressive 2-0 Chatham Cup win over Wellington United last Sunday detract from their performance against Western Suburbs in a Capital Soccer premier division game to be played at the Pugh Sportsbowl tomorrow.
Wairarapa United lie second on the competition table, six points adrfit of unbeaten Petone, and desperately need maximum points here to keep themselves well in contention for the premier dvision title.
History has shown Western Suburns to be something of a bogey team for Wairarapa United with the latter's 1-0 win in their first round game earlier this season representing the very first win for a Wairarapa United team over them.
With many of their team attending the youth soccer academy at Porirua, Western Suburbs are a young, fit side sure to take full advantage of any complacency on Wairarapa United's part.
"We have to be up for this one or we'll crash ... nothing is surer than that," Keinzley said.
"?ven if we play well they'll give us plenty to think about, it's not a foregone conclusion, that's for certain."
Whether Wairarapa United will have the services of two of their most consistent players this season, Pita Rabo and Andy Robertson, won't be confirmed until the eleventh hour. Both were hobbling with leg injuries after the Wellington United game and their chances of playing were assessed yesterday as about 50-50.
Keinzley said the Wairarapa United game plan would revolve around a positive start and the sustaining of pressure for the full 80 minuites.
"We need to impose ourselves on the game very early, we have to get them on the back foot and keep them there," he said.