Bad habits return to haunt United

CEREMONY: Captains Chris Campbell (Upper Hutt, left) and Aaron Spierling (Wairarapa United) flank Bob Francis at the presentation ceremony for the Eva Francis Memorial Trophy. PHOTOS/CHRIS KILFORD

Old habits returned to haunt Wairarapa United in their 2-2 draw with Upper Hutt City in the Central League football match played before a large crowd in Masterton on Sunday.

Hopes had been expressed after the previous weekend's 3-1 victory over Western Suburbs that the fully-committed performance produced there was a sign Wairarapa United's frustrating tendency of allowing their opposition back into the game through dropping their standards was a thing of the past.

Well, not if Sunday's effort is anything to go by. Just as they had in the 2-2 draw with Petone a fortnight ago they squandered a 2-0 lead and, in the final analysis, could be considered lucky to even share the spoils so often did Upper Hutt City threaten to come up with a winner in the closing stanzas.

Which when you consider that Upper Hutt had not managed to pick up a solitary point from their previous four games has to be a worry for a Wairarapa United side whose prospects of a first Central League title were severely dented by their failure to take the maximum three points. They now sit in fourth place on the competition table with eight points, five behind front-runners Wellington Olympic and four in arrears of defending champion Miramar Rangers, who have a game in hand.

There was, though, one positive from the draw. It did mean Wairarapa United, as the home side, became the first holders of the Eva Francis Memorial Trophy, named in memory of the former mayoress of Masterton who died late last month.Her husband, Bob, was on hand for the after-match presentations.

The trophy will be at stake whenever the premier sides from Wairarapa United and Upper Hutt do battle from now on.

So dominant were Wairarapa United in the first half of Sunday's clash that anything but a comfortable win to them was impossible to imagine. Sure, there had been the odd occasion when Upper Hutt had exposed frailties in their defensive structure but mostly it was a case of Wairarapa United launching attack after attack.

Goals to Omar Guardiola and Hamish Watson had them 2-0 in front and there would have been more but for a mix of poor finishing and the brilliance of Upper Hutt goalkeeper Chris Campbell, who made several telling saves.

Why Wairarapa United should go off the boil to the extent they did in the second half is hard to fathom. The concession of a penalty for a tackling infringement saw Upper Hutt City reduce the margin to one and, after opening up the Wairarapa United defence at will, mainly through long balls, a deserved equaliser was scored. There were a couple of close goes for the home team too, notably when former Phoenix player Tom Biss joined the action from the bench.

Individually, there were few standouts for Wairarapa United. Aaron Spierling led the team in what was his 150th appearance for the club's premier side, Carl Shailer made several penetrating runs down the left flank in the first half, Chris Cox had a useful debut at fullback and Watson and Biss have the talent to be star acts, providing the service they get is up to scratch.

Other Central League results from the weekend: Wellington Olympic 4, Napier City Rovers 2; Tawa 3, Lower Hutt City 1; Palmerston North Marist 2, Western Suburbs 2. The match between Miramar Rangers and Petone was postponed.

Competition points: Wellington Olympic 13, Miramar Rangers 12, Napier City Rovers 9, Wairarapa United 8, Lower Hutt City and Tawa 6, Petone 5, Western Suburbs and Palmerston North Marist 4 and Upper Hutt City 1.

Wairarapa United will play a first round Chatham Cup match against Wellington Marist this Saturday.