ASB National League
Dunedin, 2011-12
Otago Action
Hard Work - No Reward
Rab Smith
Ninety minutes of pulsating energy was condensed into eight minutes of critical match play that produced the goals when Team Welling beat Otago United 2-1 in a tight ASB Premiership yesterday at the Caledonian ground.
...
Character building conditions had to be overcome as curtains of rain and hail swept horizontally along the ground, then sunbursts warmed the sodden players.
...
The roofed Forsyth Barr Stadium would have provided protection but it had a prior booking, which infuriatingly was later cancelled and the ASB players had to squelch around on at the Caledonian ground.
Considering the weather – it was a decent game of football.
...
Wellington opened brightly, Otago then hit the pace, and both sides played box to box football. Wellington showed short passing style, Otago passed longer and used the wings to threaten.
Dakota Lucas showed menace early with darting runs across the pitch, but Otago was resolute in front of goal, with Tristan Prattley emanating calm, and Matt Joy unbeatable in the air.
...
Regan Coldicott showed his springheeled ability in heading and strong runs, while targetman James Govan ploughed a lonely furrow up the middle, and got little change from the Wellington defence.
A Lucas corner broke the deadlock when in the 39th minute, Karl Whalen launched a sharp header back through the crowded goalmouth to beat turning Otago defenders.
...
Within two minutes, Prattley punished a foul by James Musa, when he flighted in a freekick, Govan arched in the air to head the ball back across goal, and in acres of space Harley Rodeka clipped in Otago’s equalizer.
...
Some intense halftime team talks preceded Wellingtons winner. Two minutes into the second half a jagged run by Lucas and a rash tackle by Joy created Wellington’s second goal.
Referee Mirko Benischke pointed to the spot and Michael Eager slammed in the 46th minute goal to nose Wellington ahead 2-1. Benischke also flashed a red card at Joy, and the locals roared their dissent at the official.
...
Otago then probably played its best football, with Darren Overton becoming more active, and a string of corners had Wellington on the ropes.
Sam Mepham and Morgan Day covered miles in midfield, breaking down attacks and setting up steady possession with Wellington’s Patrick Fleming and Sam Mason-Smith doing similar.
...
Right fullback Joel Stevens made some scintillating runs that belied his youth, and Seamus Ryder carved past defenders on the left. Then Overton had a goalscoring shot charged down and Regan Coldicott was chopped in the penalty area, but referee Benischke waved play on.
...
However, Otago’s recent goalscoring jinx continued, as good chances were spurned, and Wellington keeper Phil Imray was well protected by a hard tackling defence.
Wellington weathered that storm, and from some steady passing forced Otago keeper Evans into a couple of brave saves, as the class of Prattley and Craig Ferguson tried to calm the local defence.
...
Then a strong run by Ferguson was halted by a scything tackle from Tim Schaeffers, and centre stage again, referee Benischke flashed another red card to reduce the game to 10 v 10.
Otago battled to the final whistle, as some cool passing from Wellington ran the clock down.
Wellington coach Matt Calcott applauded his teams effort. ‘ We came for three points, and we knew it would not be easy. Some of our young team have never been this far south,’ he said looking at a slate gray sky and more hail on the way.
Otago coach Richard Murray thought his team handled the conditions and Wellington well, ‘ but conceding goals to set plays is always disappointing, and once again we did not put our goalscoring chances away.’
Murray named young Sam Mepham ( piv above left ) as Otago’s player of the Match.
Otago next travel north to face Waitakere United needing points with the playoff spots now six points away.
| Name | P | W | D | L | For | Ag | GD | Pts |
| Auckland | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 19 | 19 |
| Waitakere | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 15 |
| Canterbury | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 15 |
| Wellington | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 15* |
| Otago Utd | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 17 | -10 | 9* |
| H. Bay Utd | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 13 | -5 | 7 |
| Waikato | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 18 | -11 | 7 |
| Manawatu | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 35 | -27 | 1 |
Otago United Squad : 1-Oswaldo RODRIGUEZ (GK), 2- Liam LOCKHART, 3- Tristan PRATTLEY (c),4- Jude FITZPATRICK, 5- Matt JOY, 6-Morgan DAY, 7-Regan COLDICOTT, 8- Seamus RYDER, 9- Donnie MacGREGOR, 11- James GOVAN, 14- Sam MEPHAM, 15- Darren OVERTON, 18- Harley RODEKA, 20- Matt BROOK, 22- Peter EVANS (GK), 23- Joel STEVENS, 24- Andrew RIDDEN, 25- Craig FERGUSON
Wellington Squad : 1- Phil IMRAY (GK), 2- Tim SCHAEFFERS, 3- Jamie DUNCAN, 4- Michael EAGAR, 6- Darren CHERITON, 7- Wiremu PATRICK, 9- Patrick FLEMING, 10- Dakota LUCAS, 12- Ethan GALBRAITH, 13- Karl WHALEN, 15- Sam MASON-SMITH, 18- Michael FIIFI, 19- James MUSA, 20- Luke ROWE, 22- Justin GULLEY, 24- Daniel CLARKE.
Referee: Mirko Benischke,
AR1: Brent Best,
AR2: Hamish Philip
4th: Edward Cook