Hamilton Wanderers football club loses last game at home

Tommy Semmy held up by a Canterbury United defender. Semmy has been influential for Wanderers in the last part of the season. Photo / Grant Stantiall

Hamilton Wanderers played out a 1-0 loss to Canterbury United at their last game of the season at Porritt Stadium for the 2017/18 ISPS Handa Premiership season.

The season result-wise has been one to forget for the club that is rebuilding under former All Whites and Wellington Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert.

Canterbury United won by a single goal when Stephen Hoyle collected a clearance from goalkeeper Coey Tuipa and charged up the field.

He found space to pass the ball on to George King who made no mistake and slotted the ball in the back of the net.

Wanderers goalkeeper Matt Oliver was beaten at his near post by the shot, but was again the victim of an exposed defence.

Wanderers struggled to put any real effort on goal, with the second half becoming who could clear it longest from the back game.

Canterbury United will now move into the ISPS Handa Premiership while Wanderers will lick their wounds and prepare for next season.

The team only has three more games to collect points to get off the bottom of the table, but it is looking more likely that the club will finish at the foot of the table.

They have only managed to take six points out of 15 games so far this season with three draws and only one win against Waitakere United.

It is a step backwards from the 2016/17 season where the team, coached by Mark Cossey and Paul Hobson, secured 13 points in the club's first season at a national level.

He has elected to take a local and youth approach this season to build on on for the future and Herbert has constantly said that the his Wanderers project will be a long-term one.

The team has conceded the second largest number of goals this season at 42, which is five behind the Wellington Phoenix reserve side.

They have also only managed to score 19 times.

The pickups of Tommy Semmy and Asmir Pasagic just before Christmas turned Wanderers' fortunes around upfront, with both contributing to a number of goals, but the defence has been the let down and that has left goal keeper Oliver exposed several times.

The club has recently hired Kale Herbert — who is Ricki's son — to lead their winter season team in the hopes of building from the winter season into the summer to help prepare the squad better than has been done in the past.

With Melville United snapping at their heels to be the leading club in Hamilton, only time will tell if the long-term project pays off.