United strikes paydirt with Western Suburbs clash

"It'll be bigger than Ben Hur".
That's how Wairarapa United manager Alistair Spierling greeted the news his side had been drawn to play holders Porirua-based Western Suburbs at home in the last 16 of the 2007 Chatham Cup soccer competition.
Spierling envisages a crowd of well into four figures attending the match which will almost certainly be played at the Pugh Sports Bowl on Sunday, July 1 and he expects that to work to Wairarapa United's advantage.
"Any team loves having a big crowd behind them and the sidelines are close enough to make the atmosphere at the Sports Bowl quite intimidating for the opposition," Spierling said.
"Obviously the more heat the crowd can put on them (Western Suburbs) the better it will be for us."
Spierling accepts Wairarapa United will be given little or no chance by most pundits of upsetting a Western Suburbs line-up whose Chatham Cup final win last year provided the perfect ending to their 100th birthday celebrations last season but he is quick to point out that Cup matches are one-off affairs and surprise results can happen.
"It'll be tough, we know that, but we won't be going into the game with the idea of coming second," he said.
"We're rapt to have got this far but we're not planning to finish yet, we want to go all the way."
Western Suburbs will come to Masterton with convincing wins in their first three Cup matches this season behind them.
They have beaten Waterside Karori 4-1, Tawa 3-1 and Wellington Marist 3-0.
However, their form is little more, if any, impressive than that of Wairarapa United who have disposed off two central league sides Stop Out (1-0) and Wellington United (2-0) and then the only Manawatu-based side left in the competition, Palmerston North End 1-0 in extra time.
Spierling said in each of their wins Wairarapa United, which plays in the Wellington premier division series at club level, had gone in as underdogs and had risen to the occasion, and he was sure it would be more of the same against Western Suburbs.
"Honestly I think it's the best draw we could have got&&.taking on the holders at home is huge for the team and its supporters. We can't wait," he said.
Results of Chatham Cup matches played over the weekend:-
Northern region: East Coast Bays 7, Papatoetoe 1; Eastern Suburbs 3, Melville 2; Central United 5, Mt Albert Grammar 0; North Shore United 1, Albany United 0; Manurewa 2, Mangere United 1; Papakura 2, Glenfield Rovers 2 (Papakura won 6-5 on penalties); Metro 2, Takapuna 1; Hamilton Wanderers 3, Three Kings 2.
Central region: Miramar Rangers 3, Olympic 1; Western Suburbs 3, Wellington Marist 0; Wairarapa United 0, Palmerston North End 0 (Wairarapa United won 1-0 in extra time); Napier City Rovers 1, Gisborne City 0.
Southern region: Western 4, Woolston Technical 3; Nomads 0, Nelson Suburbs 0 (Nomads won 3-0 on penalties); Roslyn Wakari 3, Dunedin Technical 2; Caversham 4, Northern 1.
Meanwhile, normal business will resume for Wairarapa United this coming Saturday when they play Petone in a Capital Soccer premier division match.
Petone are the runaway leaders in the premier division series, having won nine and drawn two of their 11 matches to date for a total of 29 points. Second on 21 points is Waterside Karori and third equal on 18 points are Tawa and Wairarapa United although the latter do have a game in hand.
That Petone will come to Masterton at the top of their form was illustrated by their 9-0 thumping of Lower Hutt City at the weekend.
That gave them a remarkable goal differential, having now scored 33 goals and conceded just five
The premier division points table, in order of games played, wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against and total points is:-
United spokesman Phil Keinzley is optimistic that Wairarapa United will be able to field full strength sides in their Capital premier division match with Petone this coming Saturday and their Chatham Cup encounter in Masterton the following weekend.
Two of their Fijian stars, Pita Rabo and Petero Dauniseka, were battling injury problems after the win over Palmerston North End but were expected to recover in time for those games.