Sloppy defence United's undoing

ATTACK: Stephen Hoyle, Napier City Rovers (left), tussles with Adam Wallis, Wairarapa United, during their Central League football at Park Island, Napier. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

Sloppy defence proved costly for Keinzley Agvet Wairarapa United in their 5-2 loss to Napier City Rovers in Sunday's Central League Football match.

United went into the game confident they could end Rovers' unbeaten start to the season, but it was the home team that set the game alight early.

Midfielder Ryan Tinsley drew first blood in the 14th minute, casually placing the ball past United goalkeeper Matt Borren following a Miles John cornerkick.

Six minutes later, an unmarked Saul Halpin made it 2-0 after latching on to a midfield through ball to slip it past Borren in the bottom right corner.

United pulled one back to 2-1 in the 26th minute from a cracker Sam O'Regan freekick that curled past the wall and goalkeeper Reuben Parker to thud into the net.

Rovers exposed a fragile defence with another cornerkick goal, 3-1, in the 37th minute, this time Angus Kilkolly, glancing a header into the net from a Josh Stephenson curler that looked like going in.

United captain Adam Cowan could have set the game alight in the 61st minute with just the keeper to beat at point-blank range but his touch deserted him as Parker prevailed.

In the 75th minute, Wairarapa were cruelly exposed again to a Halpin cornerkick with Tinsley finishing at the far post after Borren's parry swirled kindly to his foot for a 4-1 lead.

Cowan made it 4-2 in the 86th minute, pouncing on a wall-deflected freekick from O'Regan to muted applause.

Two minutes later, centre-midfielder Tom Biss took a no-look deft touch from a cross at the edge of the box to gift Tinsley a hat-trick goal inside the box for the Rovers to well and truly put the game to bed, 5-2.

Wairarapa United player-coach Paul Ifill said they had chances to put the ball away but didn't take them.

He said there were "some poor performances by a number of players" and it came down to "sloppy defence, a combination of poor goal-keeping, lack of communication, and lack of marking" that led to three of Rovers' goals. The one positive was Cowan's return from his Team Wellington commitments.

The result leaves Wairarapa United six points behind Rovers. With a third of the season gone, Ifill admitted it was going to be a tough ask to pull back the deficit.

He said: "We need to regroup and we'll need to beat the two teams that have beaten us, Rovers and Western Suburbs, and hope that other teams can take points off them."

Wairarapa United take a break from the Central League this Saturday to host Miramar Rangers in a Chatham Cup fixture at Memorial Park.

WOMEN'S FOOTBALL

Wairarapa United maintained their unbeaten run in the Wellington Women's Division One championship with a 7-0 thumping of North Wellington Recon in Johnsonville.

Coach Phil Keinzley said the team didn't play well in the first half and led only 2-0 at halftime. Meisha Boon and Jo Gorman scored two goals each, while Michelle Clarke, Lizzy Kedwell and Chantelle Le Ban scored a goal.

Despite their dominance in the first division, Keinzley said there was no chance of United being promoted to the Capital Women's Premier Division part-way through the season and that they would have to play out the season in Division One. United will play their second round match in the New Zealand Women's Knockout Cup on Sunday, when they host Central League team Valeron from Manawatu at Memorial Park.

LOWER LEAGUES

Wairarapa United moved into second place in Capital Division Three with a 6-4 victory over Wellington Olympic.

In Division Two, Douglas Villa slipped to their third consecutive loss, going down 2-0 away to Naenae.

The result drops them to eighth in the 10-team league.

Property Law Service Masterton lost 3-2 to Victoria University Stallions in Capital Division Four and remain in eighth place.