Cup bid beleagured

Wairarapa United had every reason to feel aggrieved about what transpired before and during their vital central league football fixture with Miramar Rangers at Dave Farrington Park, Miramar, on Sunday.

That was the feeling immediately the final whistle sounded with Miramar Rangers 3-2 ahead and not even hindsight can alter that opinion.

The drama actually started before kickoff with Wairarapa United not being informed of the starting time or venue until about 9am Sunday morning.

The match had originally been scheduled for the day before but had been called off then, ostensibly because ground conditions were not up to scratch. That no change in venue was deemed necessary 24 hours later was an interesting decision, to say the least.

It would be wrong, however, to blame the conditions at Dave Farrington Park for the defeat. In reality they were passable - just - although you could argue the goal scored by Miramar Rangers within five minutes of the start of play was due to the uneven surface, the ball appearing to bounce awkwardly for Wairarapa United keeper Matt Borren and slipping from his grasp into the path of the opposition attackers.

It spoke volumes for the resolve of the Wairarapa United side that after a very ordinary first 15 minutes where nervous anxiety was clearly affecting their play they struck back to take the lead at 2-1. First profiting from a sizzler of a shot from all of 25m out by Nathan Cooksley and then from a piece of individual magic by the diminutive Nobuyishi Ishi.

The feeling then was another goal to Wairarapa United and they would be home and hosed and it should have happened.

Dale Higham was brought down in the penalty box but despite the appeals of the Wairarapa United players for the referee to go to the spot he allowed play to continue.

And worse was to come with Miramar Rangers scoring the equaliser just seconds after when there was good cause to think one of their attackers should have been penalised for dangerous play.

At 2-2 it was all on for young and old and again Wairarapa United was given a golden opportunity to take the lead with just 15 minutes of play remaining when Miroslav Tvaroh was fouled in the penalty box and this time the penalty was awarded.

Campbell Banks, who had been subbed on minutes earlier, was in the driver's seat but to the delight of the hundreds of Miramar Rangers supporters his shot was saved and the home side lived to fight another day.

Not only that, just a minute or two later a Miramar Rangers player seemingly initiated a clash of heads with Wairarapa United's James Oxtoby and a skirmish broke out. Remarkably it was Miramar Rangers who were awarded the free kick and from the resultant cross the winning goal was scored.

That Wairarapa United's bid for central league glory should end in such controversial circumstances must have been galling for players and management. Maybe it's too strong to say they were robbed but they certainly had every reason to feel they didn't get the result they deserved.

There is a silver lining to every cloud, and for Wairarapa United it is their opportunity to make history by beating Napier City Rovers in the Chatham Cup final in Palmerston North this Sunday.