Keinzley frustrated by rules

Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley is frustrated by rules which allow Capital Soccer premier division sides to stack their teams with players from the higher-graded central league competition but he says nothing can be done about it.
A win to Wairarapa United over lowly-placed Western Suburbs in Wellington on Sunday would have been a giant step towards them winning the premier division title but Western Suburbs fielded the bulk of their central league side against them and won 1-0.
As it happened the loss was not crucial to Wairarapa United's chances of the title win which will enable them to challenge for a central league spot themselves next season because their main challengers, Tawa and Island Bay United, had been beaten themselves the previous day.
But it was a classic illustration of the length some clubs will go to ensure their second teams are also playing at the highest possible level, in this case the premier division competition.
"We were told after the game that they (Western Suburbs) had played nine of their central league side, that's how important avoiding relegation is to them," Keinzley said.
"Obviously it's not ideal for those of us who don't have a central league team to call on but from what we can gather it's all above board.
"We just have to grin and bear it."
Keinzley said Wairarapa United could expect little sympathy from the Wellington-based clubs in either the central league or premier division competitions in debating the fairness of the current situation because it had already been made obvious they would much rather see a club from the capital take the premier division spoils.
"It's not they have anything personally against us, it's just that they want to avoid any chance of having to travel to Masterton for central league games," Keinzley said.
"They don't want any more travel involved there than what there is at present."
Keinzley has heard too that if Wairarapa United are involved in playoffs for next season's central league series at the end of this season the condition of their home ground, the Pugh Sports Bowl, will be raised by their opposition.
"There is a growing belief that matches of that importance couldn't be played there because of the poor state of the pitch and that's something we are going to have to address," he said.
"The worry for us is there aren't too many other suitable options around and obviously we wouldn't want to give away home advantage."
Wairarapa United are, in fact, scheduled to play their next premier division match against Lower Hutt City at the Sports Bowl this coming weekend but even now there are grave doubts as to whether it will actually be staged there.
"We'll assess things a little later in the week but it is very possible a change will have to be made", Keinzley said.
Lower Hutt City is currently at the very bottom of the premier division points table and that scenario will very probably see them play a number of their central league side which sits third in that competition but seven points in arrears of the leader.
"Again I think we will find the team we are playing is a lot different that what it has been in the past," Keinzley said. "They (Lower Hutt) have an even better central league side than Western Suburbs so that tells you something about how strong they could be when they play us."