Waitakere to flood Masterton

Waitakere City fans will be converging on Masterton for their team's Chatham Cup quarter-final with Wairarapa United at the Pugh Sports Bowl on Sunday, July 24, with some obviously set to make their first visit to the region.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley thought his leg was being pulled when he got a phone call yesterday from a group intending to fly south.
"They told me they had googled Masterton City and nothing had come up. They wanted to make sure such a place even existed," he said.
And how about the other Waitakere City supporter who told Keinzley he was part of a group that would be travelling by bus? He wondered if they needed to pick up food in Wellington in case nothing was open in Masterton.
"I told them they might be lucky and there could be a couple of eating places open ... but not to be surprised if the food was a day or two old," Keinzley laughed.
Wairarapa United had the choice of playing Waitakere City on the Saturday or Sunday. Keinzley said Sunday had been chosen to allow as many people as possible to watch what promised to be an entertaining game between two sides known for their attacking abilities.
A Sunday kick-off meant there would be no clash with the Wairarapa-Bush rugby team's match against Horowhenua-Kapiti at Memorial Park, and the local netball and hockey fraternity would also be able to attend.
"We'd love to see the ground absolutely packed with people prepared to make their voices heard. We want them [Waitakere City] to know they are in enemy territory," Keinzley said.
"Our guys have a habit of lifting themselves when they know they have the crowd behind them and, in a game like this, they are going to need all the help they can get."
Having the match on the Sunday rather than the Saturday has forced Wairarapa United striker Seule Soromon - who scored the extra-time goal which gave his team a 1-0 win over Wellington United last Saturday - to make a late change of plans for his engagement party. It was to have been held on the Saturday evening but a "few quiet words" from Keinzley helped convince Soromon to have it 24 hours later.
Keinzley intends to travel north - "if I can find Auckland" - on Saturday week to watch Waitakere City in action. That will help him formulate the best tactics to stop a side which, despite its current mid-table position in the Northern League, is widely regarded as one of the best club sides in the country.
"I notice a couple of people on the web have picked us to win, so I'm just hoping they are good judges. We know they will be hot favourites but that's a plus. There is a hell of a lot more pressure on them than us and we've got to turn that into an advantage. We've got to get into their heads early on and hope they panic. That way, anything could happen."
Fielding a full-strength line-up will be vital to the Wairarapa United cause. There is a worry in-form players Scott Robson and Adam Cowan, currently sitting on four yellow cards, could pick up a fifth which would mean an automatic one-match suspension.
This Sunday will see Wairarapa continue their Central League programme against Western Suburbs at the Pugh Sports Bowl. This is a vital clash for both teams. Wests and Wairarapa United are second and third respectively and whoever loses will have little chance of overhauling unbeaten leaders Miramar.