Wairarapa United coach Wairarapa United are anticipating a backlash from Napier City Rovers in their central league football match at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, tomorrow.
The last time the two teams met was in the Chatham Cup grand final last year, Wairarapa United winning 2-1, and if that result doesn't provide enough incentive for NCR to produce a big effort then their shock 3-2 loss to Petone in their league opener last weekend definitely should. Petone finished that game with nine players yet still managed to secure the win.
"Yes, we're expecting them to come out firing. We know what they are capable of," Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley said.
"We certainly don't see ourselves as favourites. It'll be a close go."
Wairarapa United, too, will be looking for a more clinical performance than last weekend when they drew 3-3 with Olympic.
On the face of it that was a good result considering that Wairarapa United were missing several likely first-string players - as will be the case again tomorrow - and Olympic are one of the competition favourites, but the actual run of play told a very different story.
Wairarapa United were cruising along in front 3-1 going into the final stages of the match and the concession of two late goals through defensive lapses meant there were was little cause for celebration at the game's end.
"I think everybody realised we should have won, that rather than share the points we should have them all," Keinzley said.
At the same time though, there was a lot to like about several aspects of the Wairarapa United performance, especially the manner in which Aaron Spierling slotted into the midfield and the attacking skills shown by new striker Paul Ryder. For Spierling, it was a golden opportunity to show that a spell in the second team last year had not dimmed his ability to excel at the higher level and he grabbed it with both hands, while Ryder came to Wairarapa United with a reputation for creating scoring chances out of nothing and did nothing to harm it.
His combination with the always-unpredictable Seule Soromon up front promises to be one of Wairarapa United's greatest strengths as the season progresses.
It will be interesting to see what the return from suspension of Waisake Sabatu does to the composition of the defensive unit tomorrow with Keinzley having to decide who of James Oxtoby, Carl Shailer and Pablo Moya starts on the reserve bench.
In goal for Wairarapa United will be Richard Gillespie as No1 keeper Phil Imray will again be on duty with Team Wellington in the national league, as will two other notable recruits in Darren Cheriton and Tim Schaeffers.