Red cards puts Wairarapa on back foot

BAD DAY: Nathan Cooksley, sent off after second yellow card.PHOTOS/FILE

Has there ever been a more controversial Central League football match than the one that saw Petone upset Keinzley Agvet Wairarapa United 4-3 at Petone on Saturday? Probably not.

Wairarapa United were down to eight players when Petone netted their fourth, and most important, goal with time almost up. In fact, they played three men short for the last 15 minutes after Aaron Spierling, Nathan Cooksley and Fidell Richards were given their marching orders in separate second-half incidents, the latter two for picking up their second yellow cards.

Publicly criticising the referee is a dangerous practice at this level because it invariably rebounds badly on those who do it, so the Wairarapa United camp were keeping their thoughts pretty much to themselves, but some of the rulings on the field clearly puzzled them.

Perhaps none more so than the sending-off of Spierling, who, from many accounts, did not seem guilty of any offence worth punishment of that magnitude.

At the same time, however, it is a safe bet that coach Paul Ifill will have some harsh words to say to his squad about the need to maintain discipline, even in the most trying circumstances.

Petone started the match strongly and dominated the early stages of the first half.

They got out to a 2-0 lead before Wairarapa United found their rhythm and levelled things through goals by Magno Viera and Seule Soromon.

Spierling's ordering off also resulted in Petone being awarded a penalty that they successfully converted, but again Wairarapa United hit back when Hamish Watson, who came off the bench just after halftime, scored a fine goal.

Remarkably, even when down to eight players with Cooksley and Richards also cooling their heels on the sideline Wairarapa United had enough sting in their attack to provide hope of what would have been a stunning victory.

But as it happened it was Petone who had the final say, their fourth goal not only giving them the win but very probably ending Wairarapa United's hopes of taking away their first ever Central League title in 2015.

More than that, it is now almost certain that Spierling, Cooksley and Richards will all miss their Chatham Cup fourth-round match with Western Suburbs at Memorial Park, Masterton, this coming Friday from 7.30pm, a situation which will seriously test the depth of their squad.

Western Suburbs, for their part, also suffered a surprise defeat in Central League play on Saturday, going down 2-1 to Wellington Olympic.

In other games Miramar Rangers beat Palmerston North Marist 4-1 and Stop Out and Tawa drew 0-0.