United joy at netting form keeper Imray

High-profile Team Wellington goalkeeper Phil Imray has signed with Wairarapa United for the 2012 club football season.

His transfer from defending central league champions Miramar Rangers was confirmed yesterday by Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley and it couldn't have come at a better time.

For it means Wairarapa United have found a more-than-adequate replacement for their first string goalkeeper of last year in Mark Borren, whose lack of availability for the coming season left a massive hole to fill.

Borren had been a major component in Wairarapa United's history-making Chatham Cup success and his overall consistency led him to him winning both the Coaches Player of the Year and Supporters Player of the Year trophies.

Keinzley said the signing of Imray, who has twice been called into the Wellington Phoenix A-league squad as an injury replacement (2008 and 2011) was "absolutely huge" for Wairarapa United's prospects of not only successfully defending the Chatham Cup but winning their first-ever central league title.

He said the general consensus was that Imray was the form keeper in this year's national league in which his Team Wellington line-up are set to make the semifinals.

And he said Wairarapa United fans would need no reminding of his abilities as he had often been a thorn in their team's side when they met Miramar Rangers in central league fixtures.

"He's saved three penalties against us over the years ... he's always been a real bogeyman for us," Keinzley said. "It will be nice to have him on our side for a change.".

Saving penalties is, in fact, something of a habit for Imray who managed the feat three times while playing for Western Suburbs in the Chatham Cup final in 2006.

Born in Worcester, Imray moved to New Zealand as a teenager and in 2008 he travelled back to the UK for trials with Hibernian, Motherwell and Stockport County but failed to secure a contract.