Defence key to side moving up

LEAP: Heartland Wairarapa's Anu Singe (left) goes for a header against Southern United. PHOTO/CHRIS KILFORD

Heartland Wairarapa have one last chance to move off the bottom of the table in the southern conference of the national youth league football competition.

Heartland Wairarapa tail the field with six points, one less than Southern United to whom they lost 3-2 in Masterton last weekend, and victory over YoungHeart Manawatu in the last of the qualifying round matches at Palmerston North tomorrow would see them end up fifth, providing, of course, Southern United lose to Team Wellington.

The fact Manawatu will start firm favourites can't be disputed.

Their first-round clash with Heartland Wairarapa saw them run out comfortable 4-1 winners and only last weekend they inflicted the first defeat for the season on Nelson Marlborough Falcons, beating them 1-0.

Making the latter success more noteworthy was that Manawatu travelled to Trafalgar Park, Blenheim, with several of their first-string players missing, including Wairarapa United Central League regulars Matt Borren and Nathan Cooksley.

Plus, their captain Wade Randle had to be flown from Hamilton where he was at a wedding to join the other available 12 players in Wellington before the flight south.

Heartland Wairarapa will be looking for a more complete performance than they delivered last weekend. From 0-0 at halftime they fell three goals behind through the early and middle stages of the second half before playing some of their best football in the last 10 minutes, producing two excellent goals in the process.

Spearheading that comeback was striker Anu Singe, who came off the bench after the interval and made a huge impression with his speed and assertiveness. One imagines he will be part of the starting line-up tomorrow and along with Mark Hemi and Kurtis Paine he will give Heartland Wairarapa an attacking unit with the pace to test the defensive capabilities of the Manawatu side.

It will be their own defence, however, which will probably have the biggest say in how Heartland Wairarapa fares.

Against Southern United last weekend the support given goalkeeper Sam Martin by his fullbacks was not always as sure as he would have liked and it was only Martin's bravery and athleticism that stopped at least another couple of goals being scored.

Meanwhile, the first-round draw for the 2014 Central League has been confirmed with Wairarapa United having four home and five away games.

Their draw is: April 5, v Miramar Rangers at Dave Farrington Park; April 12, v Palmerston North Marist at Palmerston North; April 18, v Petone at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton; April 26, v Wests at Endeavour Park; May 4, v Upper Hutt City at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton; May 18, v Napier City Rovers at Park Island; May 25, v Lower Hutt City at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton; May 31, v Tawa at Redwood Park; June 8, v Wellington Olympic at Queen Elizabeth Park oval, Masterton.