Josh Smith (left) scored one of Wanganui Athletic's six goals against Massey University at Wembley Park on Saturday. Photo / Stuart Munro
Josh Smith (left) scored one of Wanganui Athletic's six goals against Massey University at Wembley Park on Saturday. Photo / Stuart Munro
What a difference four days makes.
GJ Gardner Homes Wanganui Athletic's 6-0 trashing of Massey University on Saturday righted a season which was threatening to falter.
At the start of the week Athletic had lost two Federation League games in a row - both matches they felt they should havewon - and it was enough for coach Jason King to call the squad together on Tuesday night to talk about the mental side of their game.
It worked.
Saturday's win over Massey at a wet Wembley Park was their performance of the season so far and came just three days after dumping New Plymouth Rangers out of the Chatham Cup on the same ground.
Athletic blew Massey off the park going 3-0 up inside 20 minutes, with the visitors barely getting a shot away.
There was certainly no sign of the fatigue expected with three games in eight days.
"I was really, really proud of the lads today. It was beyond my expectations really," King said.
Mailman had his first two goals in the opening 10 minutes - the first coming when Massey keeper Thomas Johnston fumbled in goal setting up an easy tap in.
The second was all his own doing, though, as he turned on the left-hand edge of the box to fire past Johnston at a tight angle for the best of Athletic's six.
When the busy Josh Smith breezed past Johnston for Athletic's third in the 19th minute it became apparent Athletic had found the ruthlessness they had been looking for.
There were brief flourishes from Massey but Athletic were brilliant at getting quickly behind the ball and shut down any counter.
It was game over when Massey's Ben Ravenwood scrambled and did well sliding to save the ball off the line only to have Jordan Candish collect it for a 4-0 halftime lead.
Athletic had a flatter second half but the goals kept coming.
Wanganui Athletic's Kelvin Hove (left) challenges for the ball against Massey University on Saturday. Photo / Stuart Munro
Ryan Holden was left unmarked in the box to pick out a tidy header in the 74th minute before Mailman turned on a point in the middle of the box to fire away his hattrick goal.
King said scoring a half dozen was a confidence boost ahead of a visit from top-of-the-table Marist this Saturday.
"We're going to need it as well, I mean, Marist aren't going to be easy.
"They are the title contenders really when you look at form but so they should be. They've come back from Central League but I don't mind playing David to their Goliath."
King said it was pleasing the more attacking set up, with just a back three, was working because it provided an option and enabled Athletic to be a side that can score plenty of goals.
"It does allow us to take the benefit of our attacking players and have them up in an area where I can demand creativity from them," he said.
"That for me is a mentality where it doesn't matter if we concede a couple.
"Even if we are ahead we keep going because ... the best way to shut down counter attacks is to keep going."
The win pushes Athletic up to fourth, four points off leaders Marist, after four rounds.
"The league's not as long as some but there's always plenty of games to get ourselves back."
In other matches Marist beat Red Sox Manawatu 1-0, Hokowhitu beat Big Orange Wanganui City 6-3 and North End thrashed New Plymouth Rangers 9-3.
