Cowan a major gain for Wairarapa United

Manawatu national league skipper Adam Cowan is a major gain for the Wairarapa United men's soccer squad, currently in the early throes of preparation for their first-ever season at central league level.
Cowan is a versatile player who has played most of his soccer as a central midfielder but who has actually been turning out for Manawatu as a striker and has also filled the fullback role.
Not surprisingly, Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley is delighted to have a player of Cowan's proven calibre at his disposal.
"He expressed a keenness to play for us and we're rapt to have him," Keinzley said. "He gives us skill and experience, and that's a
good mix."
Gordon will be one of four Wairarapa United players who took part in this season's national league, the others being goalkeeper Matt Borren, fullback James Oxtoby and striker Seule Soromon.
Captain Pita Rabo would almost certainly also have been part of that action but for suffering a shoulder injury which kept him out of his team's central league qualifying games towards the end of their 2008 season, an injury which is still in the recovery process.
Gordon may not be the only notable acquisition for Wairarapa United's central league campaign either.
Another possibility is Troy Burling, a former leading age group player who turned out for the Upper Hutt premier division side last season, while a talented midfielder in Masterton Athletic's local league side, Chris Kirkham, is also in the reckoning.
Keinzley is delighted too that all but Anton Ross and Guiseppe Cugliari from last year's Wairarapa United squad which won the Capital premier division title before qualifying for central league, are available to play again in 2009. Ross will be attending Otago University while Cugliari will be player-coach of the club's seconds team.
Three pre-season games for Wairarapa United have been organised against fellow central league teams Taranaki, Palmerston North Marist and Napier City Rovers the venues for which are still to be finalised but they won't be defending the Hilton Petone Cup title they won last year.
Their national league players would be unavailable for most of the games involved there as would Rabo so Keinzley has decided to give it a miss.
Interestingly enough, all of Wairarapa United's central league matches for next season have been scheduled for Sundays with their home games being staged at the Pugh Sportsbowl.
Keinzley has no issue with the Sunday situation, saying it would create an opportunity for people participating in other codes on the Saturdays to also follow Wairarapa United's fortunes at first hand. "We had a huge support base last year and hopefully we can build on that," he said.