United topple Olympic

Trust House Wairarapa United toppled early competition favourites Olympic 3-1 in their central league football match played at Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton yesterday.
Player-coach Adam Cowan made his first appearance for 2010 for Wairarapa United after sitting out a two-match suspension incurred at the end of last season and he made an almost immediate impact, skilfully chipping the Olympic keeper and scoring within two minutes of the opening whistle.
It was a dream start for Wairarapa United and they maintained the pressure throughout a first half which saw them constantly probing holes in a surprisingly shaky Olympic defence through snappy passing and support play.
The home team went 2-0 up when Campbell Banks put Pita Rabo into space and he wrong-footed the keeper and then not long before halftime another inch-perfect pass by Banks gave Cowan a second golden opportunity to find the back of the net and he did not disappoint.
Up 3-0 at the break Wairarapa United adopted a more defensive-orientated stance in the second half, often having all 11 of their players operating deep inside their own half.
It was a policy which allowed Olympic to spend large periods of time on attack but, all they had to show for their efforts was a consolation goal to Hicham Kamri.
There would have been many strong contenders for player of the match for Wairarapa United with perhaps defender Nathan Cooksley at the head of them. He was always decisive and aggressive on the tackle and picked up a number of telling intercepts.
Goalkeeper Matt Borren had a busy second half while others to impress, in a win which has Wairarapa United challenging hard for the Central League lead after two wins in their first three games, included Scott Robson, Cowan and Banks.