By TERRY MADDAFORD
Football Kingz coach Kevin Fallon admits it was "Hobson's choice", but he was still encouraged by his new-look defensive lineup as the Kingz beat national league side Tauranga City 2-1 at Mt Maunganui.
Fallon left Levent Osman, who is nursing a slight ankle injury, Riki Van Steeden and Hiroshi
Miyazawa in Auckland for Saturday's game. Campbell Banks, sidelined with a calf strain, was also missing.
Big striker John Markovski was pushed back to the centre of the defence to counteract what Fallon described as an abysmal defensive effort in the 3-0 pre-Christmas loss in Adelaide.
"I think he [Markovski] is as good as we have got," said Fallon, who first mooted the idea about three weeks ago. "He is keen to give it his best shot and I'm confident he can do a job for us.
"The game was beneficial. It was the chance to play all 16 players and have another look at the youngsters."
Craig Wylie, Lance Eeson and Jason Rowley, who has been training at Northern Spirit, all had game time. It was also Fallon's first look at Sean Douglas, who has been sidelined with hamstring and ankle problems, and defender Vinko Buljubasic, who has struggled to win the coach's favour.
"Tauranga were tough but it was what we needed," said Fallon who puts his side out for the last game of the first round against in-form Olympic Sharks at Ericsson Stadium on Friday night.
Off the field, the club faces two Soccer Australia tribunal hearings in Sydney next week.
The Con Boutsianis saga is to be heard, along with a dispute involving former Kingz and All Whites defender Che Bunce, who is challenging the club over the termination of his contract.
Chief executive Chris Turner is adamant the club has done no wrong in releasing Bunce, who played 10 games in Iceland at the end of the last season.
Bunce required a back operation and did not kick a ball for the Kingz this season before being released.
