United expect 'one hell of a game' in opener

Wairarapa United are expecting "one hell of a game" when they meet Hastings-based Maycenvale United in the opening match of the central league soccer playoff series at the Pugh Sports Bowl in Masterton this coming Sunday.
Any thoughts that Maycenvale United would provide anything less than spirited opposition quickly dissipated when they walloped Palmerston North Red Sox 5-1 over the weekend in a fixture to decide the playoff qualifier from a region encompassing Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Gisborne and Wanganui. It was a huge result considering Red Sox were aiming for their tenth consecutive win.
Wairarapa United coach Phil Keinzley was among the spectators at the match and came away hugely impressed with the all-round capabilities of the Maycenvale United unit.
"They were good, very good," Keinzley said. "They were up against a pretty handy side and they demolished them, they probably should have won by seven or eight goals they were that much in control. They are going to give us one hell of a game, no question of that."
Keinzley was especially taken with the organisation of the Maycenvale United midfield who looked structured and composed in everything they did. And it was clear they wouldn't back off when it came to the more physical aspects of the game either.
"It's an experienced midfield and they play with the confidence of players who know what they are doing, they back themselves to dominate the opposition and they obviously have the skills to do it," he said.
That Maycenvale United are no slugs in the goal scoring department is evidenced by the fact they have now scored 71 goals this season, and that they had thumped the powerful Palmerston North End side 5-1 the weekend before their big win over Red Sox, despite going into that game as underdogs as well.
All five goals in that win over Palmerston North End were scored by former Napier City national league striker Leon Birnie and Keinzley expects him to again be the mainstay of their attack at the Pugh Sports Bowl.
His impression of Birnie was of a player who was very strong on the ball while, at the same time, having the vision to link with other team members if they were in a better position to score ... a player in the mould of former Wairarapa United striker Kevin Murray.
"He certainly doesn't play like he sees himself as a one-man band, he's got a lot more to offer than that," Keinzley said of Birnie. Sentiments which are supported by statistics leading into the Red Sox match which showed that Maycenvale United's top scorer was actually Chris Greatholder with 11 and another player in Nick Lucas had six.
Compare that to Wairarapa United's record in winning the Capital premier division competition this season where their main striker, Vanuatu international, Seule Soromon, scored the highest number of goals ever scored for the club in one season, 26, almost half of their total of 48.
"Obviously they have a large number of players capable of scoring goals and that makes them hard to close down," Keinzley said. "You can't afford to revolve the defence around just one or two players, they have too many options for that."
The series with Maycenvale United involves one match at home and one away with the winner being the team with the best aggregate. Should they finish equal on goals scored a penalty shootout will be held at the end of the second game.
Keinzley is aware of Wairarapa United taking full advantage of playing the first match at home as heading to Hastings with a deficit to make up was not a happy prospect.
"We have to treat Sunday's match as the most important of the season for us, it's one we can't afford to lose. There is too much riding on it for that to happen," he said.
In Wairarapa United's favour is that all members of their premier division-winning squad are fit and healthy although there was disappointment that a scheduled training session with New Zealand Olympic coach Stu Jacobs at Howard Booth Park on Sunday had to be called off at late notice because Jacobs found himself with another commitment he could not break.
Keinzley said he would be finalising his starting line-up after training tonight with another practice session planned for Thursday evening.