A first-season outfit of predominantly virtual unknowns from outside the province, the Bay have created history in becoming the youngest players to make the cut to the playoffs.
"We're in a good position against the second team to create history, not just for Hawke's Bay but the competition if we make it to the grand final," says Birnie of the Ross Haviland-captained team whose ages range from 16-25 and who will become the first Bay franchise side to make it to the final reckoning.
Under previous coach Chris Greatholder, Bay United made two consecutive semifinals as well as becoming the first side to ever make the playoffs. The franchise didn't reappoint Greatholder last year amid confusion on his availability as coach but that resulted in a mass exodus of players to other franchises.
Angell, who had filled in as interim coach for a few games when Greatholder sought a break midway through last season, assumed the mantle of coach.
Birnie, who is in his 11th year as development officer for Central Football and the former Bay United academy, jumped at the opportunity of working under Angell.
"I knew his philosophy and what is needed for this football region," he says, also appreciating that it gave him the chance to build his coaching resume to the next level.
"Brett's structure and style of playing is about doing what's best for the players," Birnie says, sold on the concept of putting players in "a better space".
Consequently he had no qualms about aligning his thoughts with those of Angell.
"The players have individual goals to achieve so the younger ones want to make it to the New Zealand age-group teams while the older ones, such as Sean Lovemore, want to be in the O-League," he says, emphasising that some have had no experience at the premiership level when the season kicked off with the advent of summer late last year.
The ultimate goal of making the grand final will boost individuals' chances of achieving their objectives.
The good news is that while centre-mid Ryan Tinsley is suspended today for one game for accumulated yellow cards, Argentine Facundo Barbero returns from injury.
Top-placed Auckland City play Waitakere United at Fred Taylor Park in the other semifinal today at 2pm.
With the away goals boosting a team's aggregate, Birnie impresses the need to get the job done early is imperative, as well as putting on a good spectacle for the home fans.
The former Bay United midfielder says Angell engaged in a thorough scouting ritual to ensure he has selected appropriate players "with characters and skill sets" to fit his mould.
"We went to vast lengths to find what we were looking for to complement the team."
The style Bay United play and the personnel they acquired provide the ability to come away with points against Wellington.
The Bay are coming off a 5-2 walloping of Canterbury United at Bluewater Stadium.
"If we show what we've shown in the previous game and apply it, we'll be good to come away with a position in the final."
They have eight wins from 16 games, with three draws and five losses. The goal difference of five suggests defence and attack weren't always premium.
Bay United's defensive systems, not as individuals but as a collective, impresses Birnie, who believes anything short of putting up shutters for 90-plus minutes will prove to be a liability.
They need to move the ball quickly to an accomplished arsenal to do the damage at the coalface.
Striker Lovemore is in equal-first place in the golden boot race on 10 goals with Wellington Phoenix Reserves player Tyler Boyd.
"Sean's got better with the season. He has grown more confident with his finishing so it's a credit to his training and the advice he has taken on board."
What remains in the Bermuda Triangle for Bay United is the team's inability to come with intensity in the first 10 to 15 minutes of games.
"We have conceded [goals] in 10 of 14 games in the first 10 minutes or so, so we've had to put the ball in the net at the other end.
"Cheap goals are a coaching frustration which we'll need to rectify."
Wellington have just one more victory than the Bay but a better goal difference of eight compared with the Bay's five.
Former Bay United centreback/skipper Bill Robertson, who co-captains Wellington with another ex-Bay player Cole Peverley, lamented how their stalemate in Napier was akin to a loss.
"We looked like winning so [to concede a goal] in the last minute wasn't easy to take," says Robertson, adding they would be close to full strength tomorrow.
Fans shouldn't read too much into the last-round loss because Wellington had made the play-off cut so they had rested key players.
The game is today rather than the traditional Sunday because Wellington were unable to get flights out tomorrow due to the Black Caps v West Indies ICC World Cup cricket quarterfinal at the Cake Tin today.
Robertson says they are well versed with a "very organised" Bay United, who have a tendency of defending deep before unleashing counterattacks to rely on pacey players such as Lovemore to find the net.
"We have to combat that, break them down and not let them function."
MATCH DETAILS
WHO: Hawke's Bay United v Team Wellington.
WHERE: Bluewater Stadium, Park Island, Napier.
WHEN: Today, 5pm kick-off.
REFEREE: Campbell-Kirk Waugh.
HAWKE'S BAY UTD: 1. Joshua Hill (GK), 2. Wade Randle, 4. Ross Haviland (c), 5. Finlay Milne, 7. Troy Pennycooke-Morgan, 8. Alex Palezevic, 9. Sean Lovemore, 10. Viktor Lekaj, 11. Mario Barcia, 12. Saul Halpin, 14. Rudi Bauerfeind, 16. Leon Birnie, 18. Billy Scott, 19. Facundo Barbero, 21. Sean Liddicoat, 26. Kyle Baxter (RGK).
Coach: Brett Angell. Ast coach: Leon Birnie.
TEAM WELLINGTON: 1. Michael O'Keefe (GK), 4. Tyler Lissette, 5. Bill Robertson (co-c), 6. Tim Myers, 7. Henry Fa'arodo, 8. Cole Pevereley (co-c), 9. Jarrod Smith, 11. Michael Gwyther, 12. Ian Hogg, 13 Alex Feneridis, 15. Luis Corrales, 16. Patrick Fleming, 18. Mickael Partodikromo, 19. Cory Chettleburgh, 21. Paul Ifill, 22. Daniel Clarke (RGK).
Coach: Matt Calcott.
