New Zealand Football Championship

 

If fortune favours the brave, then Otago United might just get something from Sunday’s New Zealand Football Championship match with Auckland City.

New coach Malcolm Fleming is committed to playing at least two strikers in his search for goals. ‘We’ve got to score goals to win games. I’ve never ever played one striker up front. It doesn’t matter how good a striker you have in that role. We’ll be going to attack,’ he said.

Fleming is keen to improve on United’s mediocre record of scoring 48 goals in the 56 matches played during the last three seasons. Obviously at less than a goal per game its hard to register wins.

So the new Otago boss hopes to unleash more firepower up front, where the likely starters could to be selected from Dave Dugdale, Canterbury Premier League top scorer Dan Ede, midfield/striker Ryan Faichnie, Otago youngster Mike Still, and possibly even Stu Kelly who although voted Mainland’s Midfielder of the Year in the winter league, is also a handy striker.

Kelly joined Otago United last year, but in Scotland played with East Stirlingshire after spending 4 years with Glasgow Rangers Youth and Reserve teams as well as representing Scotland at national Youth levels.

Kelly also has 10 years coaching experience in professional club environments - looking after Glasgow Rangers elite youth teams for 3 years, and delivering Scottish FA Development programs for 4 years. Kelly also holds a Scottish FA Coaching Licence, and a NZ National Coaching licence.

Clearly the talented Scotsman will be an integral cog in United’s team plan, and will be a useful source of information to Otago coach Fleming, regarding the strengths of other Christchurch imports.

Otago will start without regular Andy Coburn in Sunday’s 2 pm kick off at Carisbrook. The midfielder will miss this season’s first two matches due to a red card picked up last season against Waitakere.

Otago ran Waitakere close in that game as Fleming took over from the suspended Terry Phelan, and in a gutsy effort that attracted red cards to Coburn and Tom Jackson, plus six yellow cards, Fleming’s Otago narrowly lost 3-2 to the NZFC leader.

Fleming hopes to inspire more of that rugged approach that nearly upset Waitake when Otago faces the star studded Auckland City side on Sunday.

Auckland has already shown its teeth with a 5-nil mauling of Waikato in the first NZFC match last week.

Of some concern to Fleming is the fact that there were five different goalscorers on target for coach Paul Posa’a Auckland side, which will require a discipline team shape by the home side.

As O League champion, Auckland also has another 5-win under its belt this season, having beaten Tahitian champion AS Manu Ura at home in Kiwitea Street.

Daniel Koprivic scored a hat-trick on debut for Auckland against the Tahiti side and also got a goal in the match against Waikato.

Auckland’s full schedule this season will also include a FIFA World Club Cup match in Abu Dhabi, so the present squad has everything to play for, and must be confident after winning all of its last seven matches with Otago.

Meanwhile Otago supporters might just see a few debut performances at Carisbrook, where Caversham’s two Englishmen, keeper James Waggett and centreback Chris Jenkinson, Roslyn’s Dave Shaw and Cantabrians Tom Sadd and striker Ede are all in the mix.

Admission prices at Carisbrook will be $10 for adults, concessions $5, and Under 15s free. Season tickets will also be on sale, and at $40 - are a real bargain, and possibly an early Xmas present.

 

Otago United 1- James Waggett (GK) 2- Rhys Henderson 3- Tristan Prattley 4- Dave Shaw 5- Chris Jenkinson 6- Tom Sadd 7- Robbie Deeley 8- Stu Kelly 9- Ryan Faichnie 10- Dave Dugdale 12- James Reichwin 13- Brian Brown (GK) 14- Dan Ede 15- Tom Connor 17- Tim Horner.

Auckland City 1- Jacob Spoonley (GK) 3- Ian Hogg 4- Sam Campbell 5- Matt Williams 6- Ki-Hyung Lee 7- James Pritchett 8- Chad Coombes 10- Grant Young 11- Daniel Koprivcic 13- Alex Feneridis 14- Keryn Jordan 15- Ivan Vicelich 16- Jason Hayne 17- Adam McGeorge 18- Paul Gothard (GK) 20- Greg Uhlmann

 

Auckland	1	1	0	0	5	0	5	3
Waikato	1	0	1	0	0	5	-5	0
Canterbury	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hawke's Bay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Manawatu	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Waitakere	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Wellington	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Otago	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0