Football: Tinashe Marowa opening another chapter with Hawke's Bay United

Tinashe Marowa, in Tasman United colours, was a thorn for Hawke's Bay United as Adam Thurston shows but from tomorrow the winger will be in the Bay corner. Photo/Photosport

Last summer you could say Tinashe Marowa was the find of the national soccer league in the country.

Marowa had the ball on a string, a handsome number of goals to boot and a Wellington Phoenix trials to endorse his sense of worth as he marked his 20th birthday.

But then it all turned pear shaped at the A-League franchise dress rehearsal for the Zimbabwean-born player who had moved to Auckland at 8 with his father, Willard, a car mechanic.

Phoenix didn't offer Marowa a professional playing contract and the former Tasman United winger's attitude took a hiding coming into this summer for his former premiership franchise team.

"I wasn't training well and I wasn't playing as well as the last season because I had lost confidence," says the bloke who turned 21 on Tuesday and will be keen to make his debut for Thirsty Whale Hawke's Bay United who will host Eastern Suburbs in a 1pm kick off at Memorial Park, Palmerston North, in round 13 of the ISPS Handa Premiership tomorrow.

While he played 11 matches for Tasman United, Marowa was beginning to find himself spending more time on the bench.

He had spent months in the Phoenix camp and had even travelled to Australia to play a couple of games off the bench for minimal time.

"When the Phoenix told me I wasn't signing a pro contract with them and they were letting me go, I guess, is when I started going downhill pretty quick."

Bay United coach Brett Angell and Marowa, who had left Tasman United amicably in the hope of taking a total break this summer to find himself again, realised they had a mutually beneficial interest so the player attended trials a fortnight ago before signing a contract.

"When I left Tasman my plan was to take a break and not play for a few months but when Brett called me up to ask if I was interested he offered me another big chance," says Marowa who scored two goals against Bay United last season at tomorrow's venue although Tasman had lost the game 3-2.

He had heard a lot about how good Angell was as a coach so he considered it another opportunity to see and experience his prowess for himself.

"Brett's a bloody good coach and he sees things in me which I don't myself so I can improve."

Former Phoenix star signing Paul Ifill, who is Tasman United player/assistant coach, was instrumental in putting his arm around Marowa's shoulders during his stint there.

"Paul's a really great guy."

Based in Auckland, Marowa will commute to train and play for Bay United in the remaining games.

He has been playing in the same circles as Alex Palezevic and Birhanu Taye from a young age so that should add to some cohesiveness in the engine room.

"Last week I was made to feel very welcome and I met all the boys and all that stuff."

A winger who can play striker, Marowa says he's small when juxtaposed with the likes of Ghanaian/American forager Samuel Adjei who adds impetus but has been injury prone since arriving here before Christmas.

"But I'm very, very quick, which is good, and I try to use my speed any way I can but I'm not going to out muscle players."

Bay United are coming off a 2-1 defeat on the road at the hands of defending premiership champions Team Wellington.

Marowa is keen to help Angell make the playoffs despite the daunting task of winning all the games.

The job has become harder after goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks is out with concussion after taking a knock from Bay-born Wellington striker Angus Kilkolly in the last round.

Mackenzie Waite, of Auckland, will slip on the gloves and McCullough Wilson will be the reserve keeper on the bench.

The squad also confirms the return of Japan import midfielder Hayato Wakino.

Marowa's goal remains to make it into an A-League team perhaps in three years.

The former national under-20 trialist, who has moved on from missing that cut "because it's football", is going to pursue a degree in construction at Unitec in Auckland from this year.

Bay United are four points adrift of making the playoffs berth as their proud record of the past five seasons comes under threat.

Eastern Suburbs, known as the "Lily Whites", are reeling from a mid-week 2-0 loss to Auckland City FC in the bid to secure the minor premiership.

Only a point off the top rung of the ladder, Suburbs will want nothing shy of three points tomorrow although other results will need to go their way.

"We were very disappointed not to have got at least something from the game against Wellington. In fact, we're probably disappointed we didn't take all three points," Angell told NZ Football.

"We have to carry on from our first-half performance and see whether Eastern Suburbs can post a threat. They're going to have to deal with playing their third game in a week. It will be interesting to see if they can back up physically as a group," said the Englishman.

■ Hawke's Bay Utd: 26. Mackenzie Waite (GK), 4. Graham Craven, 5. Bill Robertson, 6. Alex Palezevic, 7. Wesley Cain, 8. Sam St De Croix, 10. Adam Thurston, 11. Hayato Wakino, 14. Gavin Hoy, 15. Jim Hoyle, 16. Tinashe Marowa, 19. Birhanu Taye, 21. Bjorn Christensen, 22. Jorge Akers, 24. Karanjit Mandair, 33. McCullough Wilson (RGK)
Coach: Brett Angell.

■ Eastern Suburbs: 1. Lewis Caunter (GK), 3. Ryan Elder, 4. Brock Messenger, 6. Jordan Vale, 7. Tim Payne, 8. Moses Dyer, 10. Andre de Jong, 11. Ben Thomas, 12. Hayden Johns, 14. Leon van den Hoven, 15. Harry Redwood, 16. Regont Murati, 17. Michael Built, 18. Tristan Prattley, 20. Derek Tieku, 21. James Dunn (RGK)
Coach: Danny Hay.