Football
It was a boomer Queen's Birthday Weekend for the region's highest-profile football squad, Wairarapa United.
Playing the Central League's two unbeaten sides, Wellington Olympic and Miramar Rangers, on Saturday and Monday respectively, United started as underdogs. But they responded magnificently to the challenge, deservedly winning both matches.
The 2-0 success over Olympic at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, keeps Wairarapa in the hunt for a first Central League title, while their 2-1 victory at Miramar's Dave Farrington Park took them into the third round of the Chatham Cup, the national knockout competition they won in 2011.
The draw for the third round was made yesterday and Wairarapa will travel to play Napier City Rovers for a place in the last 16 on the weekend on June 15-16. This is the third straight year the two teams have met in the Chatham Cup, a run which started with Wairarapa's defeat of Napier in the 2011 final.
That Wairarapa United were good value for their win over a Miramar side which has claimed the Chatham Cup four times and reached last year's semifinals cannot be argued.
Wairarapa faced a stiff breeze in the first half and were up for this match from the start. They dominated the opening 45 minutes by controlling midfield, mixing their tactics with either a series of one-touch passes or through switching play with raking diagonal passes to either flank which stretched the Miramar defence. The key to this was a strong showing from recent signing Alsseny Cissoko, who demonstrated a wide range of passes off either foot, made strong runs though midfield and dominated in the air.
Cissoko, along with midfielders Miroslav Travoh and the other recent recruit, Charles-Francois Mallman, were all lively around the field, quick to close down and pressurise Miramar into mistakes. Their efforts caused the home team to resort to the long ball game more often than they would have wanted in the hope of getting in behind the Wairarapa back line on the quick counter-attack.
This tactic rarely succeeded and the United back four of Josh Margetts, Adam Cowan, Nathan Cooksley and Carl Shailer were seldom troubled, while keeper Matt Borren was largely employed with either routine saves or mopping up duties.
Wairarapa led 1-0 at the break thanks to a headed goal from Seule Soromon, who netted from close range past former United keeper Phil Imray. The scoreline could have been wider but for some last ditch Miramar defending and some Wairarapa last passes going astray.
Miramar came more in to the game in the second half, with keeper Borren glad to see one shot go narrowly wide before racing off his line to foil another attempt on goal. All the while, however, United continued to press and it came as little surprise - but some relief - when they made it 2-0 midway through the half, Soromon finishing a move with a drive which gave Imray no chance.
In the final quarter, the game see-sawed, with chances opening up at either end.
Miramar reduced the deficit when former United striker Paul Ryder netted but their efforts to chase an equaliser were not helped when another former United player, Tim Shaeffers, was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession. Despite a couple of wasted Miramar chances, United were able to see out time fairly comfortably.