Wairarapa hope for second equal

Wairarapa United will at worst place second-equal on competition points in the 2012 Central League football series.

The commanding 4-1 win secured by Napier City Rovers over Miramar Rangers on Sunday guaranteed them the title and Miramar Rangers will now have to defeat Chatham Cup finalists Lower Hutt City in the last of their catch-up games this coming weekend to join Wellington Olympic and Wairarapa United in second place.

Napier City Rovers, whose 2-1 beating of Wairarapa United in the latter's 18th and final league game for the season, robbed them of any chance of becoming champions for the very first time, finished on 39 points.

Wellington Olympic and Wairarapa United both ended their campaigns on 37 points and Miramar Rangers have 34 with a game in hand. With three points being awarded for a win the best they can do is 37 points as well.

Lower Hutt City have 31, followed by Petone 25, Tawa 21, Western Suburbs 15, Wellington United 13 and Maycenvale 7.

Remarkably Napier City Rovers went through their whole league season without experiencing a draw. They won 13 of their 18 matches and lost five while Wellington Olympic and Wairarapa United both had 11 wins, four draws and three losses. Miramar Rangers, for their part, have had 11 wins, one draw and five losses from their 17 games.

Lower Hutt City emerged as the bogey team for Wairarapa United, beating them on two occasions.

Under Central League rules if teams finish first-equal on competition points the title goes to the team with the highest goal differential and Wairarapa United with a differential of plus 17 finished behind both Napier City Rovers (plus 27) and Wellington Olympic (plus 17).

So when it comes to final seedings the best Wairarapa United can do is third, which is where they finished in 2011.

On an individual note the highest goal scorer for Wairarapa United was Seule Soromon with 12 while fellow striker Paul Ryder scored on 11 occasions.