ASB National League
Dunedin, 2011-12

Otago clash with Hawkes Bay
Rab Smith

Hawkes Bay will provide both a physical and mental challenge to Otago United when these sides meet in an ASB Premiership football match at Tahuna park on Sunday at high noon.

Under new management since former coach Matt Chandler left, the Bay shocked pundits last week with an old fashioned battling performance that left the highly rated Canterbury side in tatters, nursing a 3-nil defeat.

Until then, the high flying Cantabrians had scored nine goals in two matches and were confident of doing well.

But hard nosed centreback Bill Robertson set the pace in a tough successful confrontation, and new coach Chris Greatholder will want a repeat in his Dunedin debut.

Last year the fixture was a feisty nil-all draw, and historically Hawkes Bay has dominated this fixture with eight wins, a draw and a single loss in ten matches.

Regular Otago coach Richard Murray will be absent, looking after an Otago U15 side in Singapore with assistant Aaron Burgess, so it will be an important step up for Andy Duncan at Tahuna park where an early noon kick-off takes place.

Duncan is an experienced coach, and after a week off due to the ASB premiership’s stop-start fixture list, the United squad is rested and has no injuries to speak of.

Yet actual 'match' fitness can suffer from stop start fixtures. Otago has another gap on the 4th December before its next match against Canterbury on 11th December.

But Duncan's side must focus on Sunday’s game, and try to generate the same skill and spirit that earned a 2-2 away draw in Wellington, and after being two goals down versus Manawatu drove onwards to win 3-2 and earn important away points.

Both Otago and Bay are exactly even on the table, with four points each, so this is an immense match according to caretaker coach Duncan.

ASB Prem.	P	W	D	L	For	Ag	GD	Pts
Auckland	3	3	0	0	12	4	8	9
Waitakere	3	2	0	1	10	3	7	6
Canterbury	3	2	0	1	9	3	6	6
Wellington	3	1	1	1	7	6	1	4
H. Bay	3	1	1	1	3	3	0	4
Otago	3	1	1	1	5	10	-5	4
Manawatu	3	0	1	2	4	9	-5	1
Waikato	3	0	0	3	1	13	-12	0

 

,’ We can live with that defeat from Waitakere, and hope to learn from it. They are a class side, and it was a match we had not targeted to win.’

‘ But if we are to do well this year, we have to beat the teams around us, and this match with Hawkes Bay is a real test of where we deserve to be in the competition,’ he said.

There are hopeful signs in the sharp mobility of Harley Rodeka who scored twice against Manawatu, and the midfield partnership of Darren Overton and Mike Cunningham offers stability and the possibility of goals.

Key players such as keeper Peter Evans, and defenders Tristan Prattley, Tom Connor and Craig Ferguson are experienced and in midfield Morgan Day has now amassed 40 national league appearances.

Ant Hancock’s return from injury also adds experience at the sharp end, but for several players it is ‘ step-up time’ to show they can compete at top level.

Giant defender Matt Joy is sure to see some abrasive action, especially at set plays, and mostly from his Bay counterpart Robertson who enjoys goalmouth battles.

James Govan is back in the squad, and with team mate Sam Mepham, both have a point or two to prove. As have the mercurial Joel Stevens and Reagan Coldicott.

There is more than a hint of the cup-tie promised by this match, and clearly a good strong start will be sought by both sides.

Otago Youth - Starting at 2.30 pm at the same venue, coach Tony Martin and James Lett’s  Otago Youth side needs to convert talent into results against Canterbury.

While Wellington are setting the pace in the Southern Conference of the ASB Youth league Canterbury, Otago and Manawatu all have a chance to finish second with two games left to play for each team in the league programme. So this encounter between Otago and Canterbury promises much as both sides seek advantage.

Otago United senior squad list: Squad list:  Peter EVANS (GK), 3- Tristan PRATTLEY, 5- Matt JOY, 6-Morgan DAY, 7-Regan COLDICOTT, 9- Ant HANCOCK, 11- James GOVAN, 14- Sam MEPHAM, 15- Darren OVERTON, 18- Harley RODEKA,20- Matt BROOK,  21- Michael CUNNINGHAM, , 23- Joel STEVENS, 25- Craig FERGUSON, 27- Tom CONNOR. 1-Oswaldo RODRIGUEZ (GK)
Coach, Andy Duncan.

Hawkes Bay squad list:  Shaun PETA (GK), 2- Fergus NEIL, 3- Alex BARLOW, 5- Bill ROBERTSON (c), 7- Matt HASTINGS, 8- Adam COWAN, 10- Sam MARGETTS, 11- Connor TINNION, 12- Adam CHANDLER (A), 13- Luke CHAPMAN, 14- Danny WILSON, 16- Reilley O’MEAGHER, 17- Tom BISS (A), 18- Hamish WATSON, 21- Josh MARGETTS, 30- Matt GOULD (GK).  Coach Chris GREATHOLDER