Wanderers defender James Barclay (foreground) and captain Jerome Groot perish any thoughts Wanganui City harbour in this counterattack in Hastings today. Photo/Paul Taylor
Okay, it's an early call but hand over the Central Federation League crown to the Havelock North Wanderers after they outclassed Wanganui City FC in Hastings today.
That is in no way showing disrespect to the remaining 10 teams in the second-tier league in the region — including undefeated Red Sox Manawatu who have had a draw — but owing more to the brand of football the Jerome Groot-captained villagers play and the authority with which they take the field.
Today's 3-1 result is a testimony to that and was somewhat flattering to the rugged visitors at Guthrie Park.
Sure, they are far from the polished article and therein lies the major concern for the Chris Greatholder and Dion Adams-coached Wanderers, who have aspirations to return to the elite Central League after they were demoted following one season last year.
For what it's worth, barring an upset of gargantuan proportions, it's safe to say Havelock North's competition hasn't started yet.
Ironically it'll begin at the end of the winter when they play the Central League qualifying matches against the Capital One victors, as Wairarapa United try to stave off relegation from the highest echelons with their "no-import" policy this year.
Yes, teams are ultra-cautious about looking too far ahead for fear of complacency setting in but oozing confidence and thinking big are what set achievers apart from dreamers.
Put another way, it's a youthful Havelock North's promotion to squander as they reap the rewards of investing in homegrown talent and gamble on how many of them will keep the faith as tertiary education and jobs beckon although a good reservoir will ensure footy talent shouldn't dry up.
If anything, the blue and golds today learned to cope with the physicality Wanganui City brought to the encounter, something Stop Out Sports Club relish in the Central League.
That's why staying in the Chatham Cup campaign for more than one round is vital for Havelock North's template with the promise of exposure to elite oppositions.
Groot revealed after the game they were expecting physicality - some raking tackles and body checks disguised as shoulder-to-shoulder challenges.
"We just wanted to stay on our own game ... so we managed to get in a few fresh legs to scrape through," he said.
The 24-year-old viticulturist said, while satisfied with the result, he felt they could be better although they were happy to put three goals away on the platform of numerous opportunities created.
"We missed a few chances but after three games in seven days we're happy with three wins."
Groot didn't think they would be a little undercooked come playoffs time in their bid for promotion.
However, he agreed the national knockout cup campaign was crucial, as they wait to find out who they'll draw in round one.
"We couldn't be happier with how we've started the season and to keep that form throughout the season in keeping that positivity," Groot said.
Havelock North went into halftime 2-0 up in balmy and mostly breathless 23C conditions today.
As Wanderers dictated play and left Wanganui goalkeeper Merrik Slade winded after a raid in the eighth minute, it was always a case of not if they were going to prevail but, more importantly, by how many goals.
Wanganui player/co-coach Ants Bell and Havelock North midfielder Kurtis Maney exchanged handbags in the 16th minute.
However, it was national summer league savvy centre midfielder Bjorn Christensen who made good when he drilled the ball past Slade for a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute.
It seemed Wanderers forager Ben Foxall had left his scoring boots at home but he managed to worm one under Slade although the glove man recovered in time to turn and dive on the ball as it rolled towards the empty net in the 28th minute.
Zane Robinson, Jorbin Goblin-Hall and Bell had a chance to stretch Havelock North goalkeeper Nick Hayward but Bell was too slow to pull the trigger in the 31st minute.
That was enough to spark the hosts into lifting their intensity as Englishman Guy Reeves put a deft cross in from the left flank for Sam Waddington to extend the lead to 2-0 in the 36th minute.
Wanganui came close again from Eli Fleming two minutes later but that summed up the first half for captain/co-coach Latham Berry's men.
When the second half started, Foxall curled a Bloor gift pass over the crossbar in the 51st minute and Slade was lucky not to be cautioned for a charging challenge outside his penalty box on Christensen two minutes later although it was a futile exercise because the ref's assistant had his flag up for a Havelock North offside.
Wanganui got some timely fillip when referee Mike Jeu rightly awarded them a penalty in the 55th minute. Kyle Graham-Luke didn't let them down from the spot to narrow the deficit to 2-1.
Not surprisingly the physicality hit a new plane with stop-start free kicks but, regrettably, the Wanderers got drawn into playing Wanganui's game in trying to show they weren't shy to give it as well as take it.
"Come on, ref, how many more?" Graham-Luke yelled out after Barclay brought down Bell near the clubrooms sideline in the 60th minute. "[It happens] every time we get a break."
It was salt in the wound for the visitors when the Wanderers went up 3-1 three minutes later after Kurtis Maney crossed to right back Barclay who surged to the corner flag before curling a low cross for Bloor to nod into the net despite all the traffic in the penalty box.
Greatholder came on for Christensen in the 67th minute, showing how some experience can make a world of difference but the young brigade still have to have the composure to put the ball into the net.
The referee eventually lost patience with all the rough stuff to flash a yellow card at Wanganui's Thomas Sinton in the 70th minute.
The visitors had only one substitute, Ben Wakely, a 17-year-old from Wanganui High School, who went on for a reluctant Jack Jonas in the 75th minute.
Teenager Jack Parker came on in the 79th for Havelock North to make the most of the game time but, as Charlie Bayly had done in the 89th minute, scoring proved to be elusive for him although it comes with the promise of time.
"It wasn't intentional to come out to play physical football but then, again, we knew we had to bring the game to them because they had played 120 minutes on Thursday," Bell said of the Wanderers' 3-2 victory away over Gisborne Thistle in the Chatham Cup preliminary round.
The 29-year-old PGG Wrightson technical field representative said the opening goal was a mix up between the goalkeeper and a defender but they had done well to bring the score back to 2-1.
Bell said it was a difficult ask to travel for 150 minutes to try to beat Wanderers, who should finish in the top two.
He played down suggestions that Wanganui City could do better at home on a Wembley Park which tended to be heavy underfoot and could disrupt Havelock North's passing game.
"I'd like to think we can play the football that Havelock can play although we found it a little bit tricky with the pitch here today," he said.
"To be fair, it looks like they are playing rugby games on this."
Bell said Wanganui City were accustomed to playing on a slicker Wembley Park surface which was in a good shape now.
He said injuries and bereavement leave had robbed them off four players for today's game.
"I think, at the end of the day, that was quite a considerable factor even when they [Wanderers] played for 120 minutes on a Thursday you can tell they are a very good outfit and a fit team."
He felt Palmerston North Marist were going to push the villagers but their 4-3 loss in the previous round had put the defending champions under a cloud to retain the crown.
However, he felt newcomers Alexander Electric Napier Marist could prove to be a slippery banana skin in the derby for the Wanderers, after Wanganui also lost 3-2 to Marist at Park Island.
"They've got a good thing going on there, I feel, with all that young blood coming through," he says of the Jamie Dunning-coached Marist who host Red Sox in a 2.45pm kick off at Park Island No 4 tomorrow.
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