Third placed Andersons Meat Wairarapa United have rung the changes for their Capital Soccer premier division match with fourth placed Brooklyn Northern United at Wakefield Park, Wellington tomorrow.
Frustrated at a below-par showing in their loss to Tawa last weekend coach Phil Keinzley has gone with the experienced Robbie Bull at fullback and joining him there will be Aaron Spierling and Andy Robertson.
Fijian international Petero Dauniseka has gone from fullback to a midfield which will also include Guiseppe Cagliari and Murray Burling with Troy Burling and Carl Shailer on the flanks.
There will be an all-Fijian forward line but whereas Pita Rabo is guaranteed a start Keinzley was still undecided as whether to go with Lai Gataurua or Sakeo Valevou at the time these notes were penned.
Bull's inclusion at fullback should enhance Wairarapa United's communication on defence, which was a major problem in the Tawa game.
Another concern there was the lack of assertiveness in defensive situations in midfield and the positioning of Dauniseka in that area has been done with that in mind.He is a player who enjoys physical confrontation and Keinzley sees that as an advantage against a Brooklyn-Northern United side which doesn't mind dishing it up in a physical sense either.
Rabo has clearly been the pick of the Wairarapa United strikers to date, worrying every defence with his ability to make space for himself, but while Gataurua is also a fine attacking player he is now under pressure from Valevou, who has been in grand goal scoring form for the Wairarapa United seconds who are leading the Capital third division series.
Keinzley is confident his side won't show the same second half malaise as they did against Tawa when they turned a 2-0 lead into a 3-2 loss.
He said the players were well aware of the need to be more focused, especially on defence, and that a win was a must if they wanted to stay in contention for competition honours.
"It's a very important game in the context of the whole season??..we really don't want to drop any points in this one," he said.
Keinzley rings in the changes
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