United trounce Petone

A dazzling second-half performance highlighted Trust House Wairarapa United's 5-1 beating of Petone in their Central League football match played in wet, murky conditions at Queen Elizabeth Park Oval in Masterton yesterday.
No one could have guessed such a comprehensive win was in the offing when the two teams went to the break with the scores locked at 1-1.
In fact, so evenly contested was that first 45 minutes that everything pointed to the end result going down to the wire.
Petone might have got their goal right on the stroke of halftime but they thoroughly deserved to be sharing the halftime spoils after mounting several dangerous attacks, many of which were foiled by the astute positional sense and fearlessness of Wairarapa United keeper Matt Borren, who pulled off a handful of outstanding saves under extreme pressure.
Wairarapa United, too, created several prime goal-scoring opportunities in a first half played at a hectic pace but, like Petone, they had just the one goal to show for their efforts, Pita Rabo scoring about midway through the spell.
The second half was an entirely different story with Wairarapa United dominating territory and possession and adding four goals without reply.
A bumble by the Petone 'keeper, which saw the ball slip from his grasp, allowed Campbell Banks to pounce and make it 2-1 and not long afterwards Dale Higham split the defence down the left flank and rocketed a well-placed shot into the back of the net. Wairarapa United 3, Petone 1.
Banks picked up his second goal after another Higham break before Martin Pareyra came off the bench and capitalised on more good lead-up work by Higham to give Wairarapa United a 5-1 advantage.
Higham, who missed Easter Friday's 1-0 win over Napier City Rovers because he was at a national under-21 training camp, would have had to be the front-runner for any Wairarapa United player of the match award. He had few chances to display his speed and superb ball control in the first spell but with the home team launching most of their attacks down his flank, they were clearly evident in the second.
The two goals scored by Banks were fair reward for solid endeavour in the striker's role and while neither Seule Soromon or Adam Cowan got themselves on the scoreboard they were always dangerous.
Goalkeeper Borren was undoubtedly the standout in the Wairarapa United defence but there also a lot to like about the steadiness of Carl Shailer and the aggressive intent of Nathan Cooksley and Scott Robson, both of whom pulled off several telling tackles and intercepts.
Yesterday's win continued Wairarapa United's flying start in the Central League competition. They have now won their last four matches to be sitting on 12 points and vying for the lead with hotpots Miramar Rangers, a far cry from last season when a slow start saw them drop well off the pace before launching a spirited comeback to claim third position.