Wairarapa focus vital at Tawa

Wairarapa United face a possible "banana skin" central league football match against Tawa at Tawa tomorrow.
On paper, Wairarapa United should cruise to victory. They are on a five-game winning streak and are three points clear of second-placed Miramar Rangers and Western Suburbs on the competition table.
Tawa, on the other hand, are back amongst the strugglers with just seven points. Last weekend they lost 2-0 to a Petone side which were on the end of a 5-1 thrashing by Wairarapa United on Easter Monday.
From all accounts, however, Tawa are a much better side than their latest showings would suggest and, what's more, have a habit of producing their best form on their home turf. And is there any better way of turning your season around than beating the top side?
The challenge for Wairarapa United then is to avoid any sign of complacency. That they have played some excellent football this season is obvious by their results, but they have also had periods where their structure and work-rate has allowed opposition teams to call the tune, albeit for a brief time.
Fortunately they have been able to get their act together soon enough to regain the ascendancy but it is a dangerous habit which, if continued, must surely have disastrous consequences at some time or other. Last weekend's crucial 2-1 success over Wests was a case in point. There Wairarapa United were level-pegging at 1-1 at halftime, but as coach Adam Cowan later conceded, it was only the brilliance of goalkeeper Matt Borren which stopped them trailing by at least a couple of goals.
Come the second half and after what was apparently some frank discussion during the break, Wairarapa United were more organised and unified in their approach. They had much the better of the last 45 minutes and in the end their one-goal win was probably deserved.
There is little doubt if Wairarapa United replicate that second half effort for the whole of their match against Tawa they should secure a comfortable win, for there is hardly a side in this Central League series capable of holding them when they are operating anywhere near prime efficiency.
Borren and Nathan Cooksley have proved to be the rock stars of the defence, with Waisake Sabatu and Scott Robson not far behind them, but one shouldn't discount either the input of the only home-grown product in the usual starting line-up, Carl Shailer, who seldom puts a foot wrong.
Attacking-wise the good news last weekend was that Seule Soromon got both of the goals. He had been struggling a little in that department in recent games and now that the radar is back on, further multiple successes can be confidently anticipated.