Going for the max

Wairarapa United men's soccer coach Phil Keinzley isn't kidding when he says Queen's Birthday weekend will be a defining moment in his team's bid to win the Capital division one title in 2005.
The competition leaders are away to Miramar tomorrow and Lower Hutt on Monday and injuries and unavailabilities have combined to make what should have been comfortable wins into difficult assignments.
So difficult, in fact, that Keinzley believes the odds are stacked against his side coming away with maximum points.
"Obviously we'll be all out to get two wins but, to be honest, it's going to be an uphill battle," he said.
Missing both games through injury will be captain Murray Burling, Andy Robertson and Mirack Tvroch and former international Andy Taylor has withdrawn from tomorrow's game for family reasons. He will, however, be on deck for Monday's match..
Keinzley had hoped to fill the gaps with Rathkeale College players who are part of Wairarapa United's development squad but was disappointed to learn the college would not release them because they desired their services for a Wairarapa championship match, a competition in which Rathkeale are near the bottom of the points table.
"We postponed our development team's game on Sunday so that any players we wanted from them wouldn't have to play three games in three days and now we find we can't field some of their players anyway. It's pretty frustrating, to say the least," Keinzley said.
At the time these notes were penned the Wairarapa United coach was uncertain of the composition of his starting line-ups for tomorrow or Monday.
His main problem revolved around the crucial midfield roles with players not accustomed to playing there being forced to take up the challenge.
"It's a bit of a nightmare deciding who will play where," he said. " The aim is to move players into the midfield without weakening the defence or the attack but it's a big ask. Right now I'm not too sure how we are going to manage it."
Keinzley is concerned that if Wairarapa United lose both games this weekend they will forfeit their place at the top of the points table.
Currently they are one win or three points clear of Western Suburbs but with the latter almost certain to win tomorrow and again on Monday that situation could change drastically over the next three days.
"They (Western Suburbs) are a strong side with excellent resources and they are not the sort of side you want to give a start to at this stage of the season," Keinzley said.
"That's why this weekend is so important for us???any points we get could mean everything at the end of the season."