United on a yellow card knife edge

Gary Caffell
Wairarapa United won't be holding anything back in their central league football match with Napier City Rovers at Park Island, Napier tomorrow.
With four of their key players-goalkeeper Sacha Nathu, skipper Pita Rabo and national football championship duo James Oxtoby and Adam Cowan- all just one yellow card away from being suspended for one match that quartet at least could be excused for treading warily.
But that won't be the case according to coach Phil Keinzley who says that while having any of them sidelined would be a "disaster" he would be encouraging them to play their usual style of game.
"We need them giving everything they've got, we can't afford anyone holding anything back," he said. "Yes, the yellow cards are a problem but they've got to put them out of their minds.".
Keinzley expects a whale of a game against a Napier City Rovers team sitting two places and two points above them on the competition table.
In Solomon Islander Andrew Abba they have a striker who Keinzley rates as one of the most lethal in the competition and their skipper Stewart Wilson is a regular goal scorer as well.
And players of their ilk tend to be well suited by the firmness of the Park Island pitch which is widely regarded as one of the best-if not the best- in the country.
Keinzley anticipates NCR adopting an attacking game plan which will see them using the whole width of the field, something which the classy Western Suburbs outfit did so effectively in their 1-1 draw with Wairarapa United last Sunday
"We know they are going to move us around with the idea of keeping the defence guessing and it's important that we retain our shape, no matter how much pressure they apply on us," Keinzley said.
"We did a decent job in that respect last weekend and we have to do it again."
The only change in the Wairarapa United starting line-up from that against Western Suburbs is Seule Soromon in for Kote Maeno but whether the Vanuatu international will play in his usual role of striker is still a matter of debate.
Fijian Sakeo Valevou was the lone ranger up front last Sunday and while he lacks Soromon's acceleration and unpredictability he did a sterling job, particularly in the manner in which he was able to hold up ball long enough for his supports to arrive and continue the attack.
Valevou's effort gives coach Keinzley the option of utilising Soromon on the fringes of the midfield where space could be more plentiful or perhaps even playing two strikers on this occasion.
Keinzley himself wasn't giving any secrets away when questioned yesterday as to Soromon's starting position.
"He's such a talent we can probably use him two or three ways, we'll just see what happens on the day."
What Keinzley would say, however, was that Wairarapa United were travelling to Napier intent on picking up maximum competition points and he was confident they had the team to do exactly that, providing they showed the same focus and determination they had against Western Suburbs.
"It's all about building on what we achieved there, that's the key to a win," he said.