United taking nothing for granted in opener

Trust House Wairarapa United are wisely taking nothing for granted leading into their opening central league soccer fixture with Wellington United at Centennial Park, Miramar on Sunday.
For while the form book from last season would suggest that Wairarapa United could hardly make their debut at this level against weaker opposition the word is that Wellington United are pretty much a new combination in 2009, and therefore must be regarded as an unknown quantity.
At the same time however, Wairarapa United can take confidence from their impressive wins in two pre-season games and the fact they have actually strengthened their squad from that which took the Capital premier division spoils last season before going on to win the central league promotion-relegation series.
Their picking up of Manawatu national league skipper Adam Cowan is a huge plus for them as is the acquisition of former Junior All White and Miramar Rangers national league goalkeeper Sacha Nathu.
Cowan will start in the right half role on Sunday but is one of those gifted players with the all-round skills to slot in just about anywhere.
Indeed most of his appearances for Manawatu in the national league were at striker and it would be no surprise to see him tried there for Wairarapa United as the season progresses.
Nathu's arrival was something of a godsend for Wairarapa United as their 'keeper from last season, Matt Borren, decided just a few weeks back to transfer to another central league club based in his home town of Palmerston North, leaving the cupboard bare as far as experienced 'keepers were concerned.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley expects the pace of central league matches to be faster than that experienced in the Capital premier division in 2008 and most opposition teams to be more tactically astute as well.
But he is confident his players will actually relish the rise in standard, rather than be intimidated by it.
"There is no reason at all why they shouldn't cope, why they shouldn't be competitive in all their games, "Keinzley said.
"We will be backing ourselves in that respect, no doubt about that."
The Wairarapa United game plan last season was built around an attacking philosophy which encouraged the side to make full use of the inventiveness and flair of players like skipper Pita Rabo and record goal scorer Seule Soromon and Keinzley says nothing will change in that regard.
"First and foremost we have to work as a unit but at the same time we want players to make the very most of their individual skills," he said.
"We have to make things happen, not sit back and hope that luck will go our way."
Keinzley is aware too, however, that any lapses on defence will prove costly for Wairarapa United and so emphasis will also be placed on ensuring that when players do push forward on attack there is adequate cover for them at the back.
"We are now in a league where teams excel on the counter attack and that means you can never relax defensively, "Keinzley said "You have to have all the bases covered, otherwise you'll be in trouble."
THE LIKELY WAIRARAPA UNITED STARTING LINE-UP IS: Sacha Nathyu, Carl Shailer, Waisake Sabatu, James Oxtoby, Andy Robertson or Sakeo Valevou, Adam Cowan, Miriek Tvaroh, Pita Rabo, Aaron Spierling, Seule Soromon, Paul Gregory.
Easter weekend will be a big one for local soccer fans with Wairarapa United playing two central league matches at home then, the first against defending champions Miramar Rangers on the Friday and the second against Taranaki United on the Monday.