Football: Birhanu Taye fills role outside comfort zone as cog in Hawke's Bay United wheel

Hawke's Bay United Birhanu Taye is quickly learning another dialect in his newfound position of defensive midfielder. Photo/Photosport

Birhanu Taye is no defender but when Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell asked him to slot into a defensive role there he didn't need a second invite. "I'm just happy to be on the park no matter where I'm playing on the field," says the central midfielder.

Taye is playing the no-man's roving zone, between the engine room and the defenders, for the second time this summer in ISPS Handa Premiership football.

"It's definitely a role I'm not used to but happy to fit in there," he says, mindful it's not permanent but appreciative of what he has been able to glean to bolster his CV.

The 23-year-old nursing student from Wellington will probably be there again for the 2pm kick-off away against Waitakere United at Trusts Arena, Auckland, tomorrow.

It's a game of pride for both sides after they failed to make the cut for the playoffs in the national summer league but for Thirsty Whale Bay United skipper Bill Robertson and his men there'll be a score to settle after they lost to the hosts at Bluewater Stadium, Napier, on December 3.

Both sides have lacked the killer instincts and Bay United have, according to NZ Football data, the worst offensive record this season.

Ironically Taye and homeboy Bjorn Christensen share the goal-scoring record for the visitors with three goals each.

Taye can't afford to make as many mistakes as he does in his usual position where the attitude tends to be one of "someone will make a tackle behind me".

He has quickly had to lose the habit of ball watching.

If he finds himself drifting he finds an adroit Robertson on his case in the blink of an eye.

A chuckling Taye acknowledges, at times, he finds Robertson and his Beefeaters tend to use a dialect he isn't accustomed to but he has been quickly trying to grasp.

"Some elements are the same but others are different - they say drop, squeeze, shove forward - so you're definitely required to do a lot of talking."

Equally frustrating has been the number of goals Bay United have conceded although the departure of defenders hasn't helped.

"All the players will agree that we need to learn from these things," he says.

Taye says losing against Waitakere tomorrow will still leave them in good mental space for their final match against Southern United the following Saturday.

The Bay franchise have broken a five-season streak of making the playoffs before this one.

"I'm hoping that we as players take all these points on board because we're still learning and take it with us to finish the season well."

Angell says his men let slip a lead in the loss to Canterbury United in the previous round but expects them not to stumble tomorrow.

"There's still three points at stake and it's a valued three points that could push us further up the league," says the Englishman.

■ WAITAKERE UTD: 28. Liam Anderson (GK), 6. Jordan Hearn, 7. Yuki Ohtsuka, 8. Andre Estay, 9. Ryan Cain, 10. Eder Franchini Pasten, 14. David Parkinson, 17. Jake Butler, 19. Tom Shaw, 20. Rossi Nkoy, 21. Dylan Windust, 23. Dylan Manickum, 24. Nicolas Zambrano, 26. Josh Dijkstra (RGK), 32. Charlie Thomas, 36. Christian Gray.
Coach: Chris Milicich.

■ HAWKE'S BAY UTD: 1. Ruben Parker (GK), 5. Bill Robertson, 6. Alex Palezevic, 7. Wesley Cain, 8. Sam St De Croix, 9. Samuel Adjei, 12. Ben Lack, 13. Jordan Lamb, 14. Gavin Hoy, 15. Jim Hoyle, 16. Tinashe Marowa, 19. Birhanu Taye, 21. Bjorn Christensen, 22. Jorge Akers, 24. Karanjit Mandair, 26. Mackenzie Waite (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell.