Experience counts for Wairarapa

It will be all roads heading to Carterton for the Wairarapa sporting fraternity tomorrow.
Doing battle in a Chatham Cup football quarter-final match at Howard Booth Park will be Wairarapa United and Waitakere City with the locals aiming to become the first club side from this region to advance to the semi-finals in this time-honoured national knockout competition.
Even a cursory glance at the overall record of the two clubs would suggest it should be a one-horse race with Wairarapa United set to finish a distant second.
But as often happens in sporting contests don't be surprised if appearances prove deceiving on this occasion.
The Waitakere City line-up of 2011 contains few names which roll easily of the tongue.
In the main they are a young side with their best footballing years ahead of them and while they will have the edge in raw potential you have to wonder whether that will be enough to give them the edge.
The odds are that if they start well and manage to get a goal or two up early on then it could be a very long day at the office for the home team.
But, conversely, if Wairarapa United can utilise their greater experience and curb their opposition's youthful exuberance it could be all on for young and old.
Tactically, Wairarapa United seem sure to adopt their usual attacking stance.
They will want to allow front runners like Seule Soromon, Adam Cowan, Pita Rabo, Dale Higham and Carl Shailer the chance to regularly impose themselves on the Waitakere City defence.
Soromon, in particular, promises to have a marked effect on the game.
He had a somewhat sluggish start to the season by his standards but has been in outstanding form in recent weeks, not only for his high workrate on attack but also for his willingness to do more than his share on defence as well.
Speaking of defence, it will be imperative that Wairarapa United are up to speed in that department.
Word from up north is that the Waitakere City strikers are a pacy lot with a hunger for goals and the onus will be on the likes of Waisake Sabatu, Scott Robson, Pablo Moya, Nathan Cooksley, James Oxtoby and, of course, goalkeeper Matt Borren to keep them in check.
Of these players it will be Cooksley who will probably lead the way.
He has made a huge impression in his first season for Wairarapa United with the solidness of his tackling and his never-say-die attitude and if his co-defenders follow his example they are sure to do themselves proud.
Wairarapa United officials have organised temporary seating for some 700 people for Sunday's match and special guests will be two people who have made significant contributions to the club's wellbeing over the years, in former Masterton Mayor Bob Francis and MP for Wairarapa John Hayes.