Cowan to step in for absent Utd skipper

Table-toppers Wairarapa United will be without inspirational captain Nathan Cooksley for their Central League football match with Maycenvale United in Hastings on Sunday.

Cooksley has a prior commitment in Australia and the skipper's band will be worn by Adam Cowan, who led Wairarapa United to their memorable Chatham Cup final success last season.

It is a testimony to the depth of talent in the Wairarapa United squad that while coach Phil Keinzley knows Cooksley's hard-nosed defence will be missed he isn't losing any sleep over his absence.

"We were always going to have some very good players on the bench and this just means one of them will get the opportunity to start, it certainly shouldn't affect the result one way or the other," Keinzley said.

"It should be business as usual."

With Wairarapa United holding a four-point advantage at the top of the points table and Maycenvale United still looking for their first win of the 2012 season there is no question of who will be expected to win but, typically, Keinzley is quick to dismiss the thought of his side being a past-the-post proposition.

"They [Maycenvale] held us to a draw last season when we were expected to clean them out and they'll be dead keen to catch us on the hop again," he said.

"We do know they have a couple of useful imports waiting their transfer papers so a lot could depend on whether they are available or not. We are preparing for a tough battle, nothing less than that."

Three of the United squad in Seule Soromon, Darren Cheriton and Tim Schaeffers were initially on the reserve bench last weekend after missing a training session that week but all are likely to be part of the starting line-up on Sunday.