United aware of Cup complacency

Paul Ifill, left, will start on the reserves bench in tomorrow's Chatham Cup fixture. PHOTO/FILE

Wairarapa United won't be taking anything for granted in their first-round Chatham Cup football match with Waterside-Karori at Memorial Park, Masterton, tomorrow with kick-off at 5.30pm.

The fact they play one tier above Waterside-Karori at club level means Wairarapa United will start firm favourites but their coach Paul Ifill isn't about to predict a comfortable victory.

"They [Waterside-Karori] have some quality players and they've been playing well this season, they will be a handful. We're expecting a tough game, very tough."

Not surprisingly Wairarapa United's game plan will be similar to that which provided a confidence-boosting 5-0 win over Petone in a Central League encounter last weekend and the starting line-up is likely to be the same too, something which means that Ifill will be sitting on the reserves bench.

Highlight of the Petone victory was the scoring of all five goals by Sam Mason-Smith and obviously Wairarapa United's cause will be best served if he and other clever ball players like Tam DiMario, Godwin Addai, Cory Chettleburgh and promising youngster Callum Elliott are given regular opportunities to express their skills.

"We need to be positive but we also need to keep our structure. Nothing will come easy, we'll have to be prepared to work hard for everything we get," Ifill said.

And first-round games in the women's equivalent of the Chatham Cup, the Knockout Cup, will be played on Sunday with Wairarapa United taking on Napier Marist at Park Island in Napier.

As the leaders in the Capital premier division competition, Wairarapa United go into the game with a form background impressive enough to say they should give a strong account of themselves against a Napier Marist squad expected to offer the sternest opposition the visitors have had all season.

"Quite honestly we don't really know much about them but their results over the last couple of years have been good so we're anticipating a close battle," Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley said.

Having all players in their squad available for action is a big plus for Wairarapa United as is the return to the club of talented midfielder Chontae Laban who has been playing in the United States.

Meanwhile, the selection of ex-Wairarapa United Central League player Hamish Watson in the All Whites team has been welcomed by Keinzley, who was his coach when he first joined the Wairarapa club few seasons ago.

"He did an outstanding job for us, he scored a lot of memorable goals and always looked a player capable of performing at the very top levels," Keinzley said.