Athletic can show no Reserve with Levin

Sam Conley lines up a kick in the Athletic Reserves 4-2 win over Marist Development last weekend.

They are the team of the future for Wanganui Athletic and debut season coach Jason King is satisfied his GVCA Wanganui Athletic Reserves have given a good account during a difficult Horizons Premiership.

The Reserves play their last league game today in a rain-postponed match against Levin AFC at Donnelly Park, and could finish as high as eighth on the 10-team table provided PN North End are also beaten in their catchup fixture with third-placed Rovers.

As coach of both the Reserves and the Devon Homes Athletic 1sts, King has only been able to watch a bare handful of games in person on Saturday's, having taken on the big task of bringing the club back to respectability across both Central Football travelling leagues.

It will be on his shopping list for the offseason to find an assistant coach who can help him work both squads during the week and then keep an off-field eye on the Reserves for game days.

"The ghosts of the season before, people weren't quite as willing to come and help," he said.

"Hopefully now, that will change."

Being guided on match day by a handful of veteran players amongst the youth brigade, the Reserves were looking good at the halfway point of the Premiership.

Their season highlight will always be the extraordinary 2-1 upset of eventual champions Hokowhitu FC at Skoglund Park on June 10 - one of just two Hokowhitu defeats and the only time their colours were lowered at home.

At that point, the Reserves had a 3-2-4 record and were sixth on the table, but the second round was disappointing as Reserves would not pick up another victory until last weekend against wooden-spooners Marist Development, leaving them with a 4-2-11 tally.

King points out much of this had to do with the natural attrition of the season, with the Reserves best and brightest being required to constantly slot into gaps in the 1sts roster to cover injuries, illness and unavailablity, which they were also going through themselves.

"It's just been a bit tough for them.

"It's not that they haven't been playing good football, it's just the last ten minutes or perhaps a bit of fitness.

"Compared to last year, while the results are similar, the amount of goals scored is up and the amount conceded is well down.

"For me, there's lots of promising signs."

Andrew Lendrum has been the ironman with 16 appearances from the 17 games, followed by Jack Morris and Tim Czerwonka (15).

Sergio Serra scored a goal in the Hokowhitu upset and has gotten three from the last two games to lead the season tally with six, while Raymond Hove and Dan Timmins, who was promoted regularly to the 1sts, have five each.

Today against Levin, King is resting some of his secondary school players who have a busy schedule with tournament week upcoming, but now the 1sts can repay their debt as Ryan Holden, Oliver Carter and Zeb Small will all turn out.

"They're invaluable for the team, just to bolster that," said King.

Next weekend, the Reserves will join in at the semifinal stage of the Charity Plate competition, with the top local teams playing off today at Wembley Park to see who joins them.