Wairarapa need net result

OFF TARGET: A frequent sight for Heartland Wairarapa, a shot at goal is wide of the mark in their match with Auckland United at Hullena Park.

HEARTLAND Wairarapa will be taking nothing for granted in their away ASB national youth league football match with Hawke's Bay on Saturday.

While the sides are languishing at the bottom of the 12-team points table with just three points from their nine games, bare statistics suggest that if there is ever a game Heartland Wairarapa should win this has to be it.

Remarkably, while they have yet to secure their first win in the 2014 competition, they have only twice been beaten by more than one goal. The exceptions to the rule were the fixtures with Nelson-Marlborough Falcons and Waikato-Bay of Plenty which ended in 4-1 losses.

Other defeats have been against Wellington (1-2), Auckland City (0-1), Waitakere United (1-2) and Canterbury United (1-2) and there have been three draws, 1-1 with Southern United, 2-2 with Auckland United and 1-1 with Wanderers last weekend in Masterton.

Hawke's Bay surprised when they beat now joint leaders Nelson-Marlborough Falcons 3-1 but they have lost to Auckland Utd (0-4), Southern Utd (1-3), Wanderers (1-4), Canterbury Utd (0-2), Manawatu (0-7), Waitakere Utd (0-8), Auckland City (0-2) and Wellington (1-3). They have conceded 34 goals and scored six. Heartland Wairarapa have conceded 19 goals and scored nine.

Heartland Wairarapa coach Lloyd O'Keefe feels the omens look good for a Heartland Wairarapa win on Saturday but he is quick to add that like all teams in the national league Hawke's Bay are capable of a big performance, especially when playing in front of their home supporters.

"We have talked about the importance of playing well and picking up our first win but we also understand nothing will come easy," O'Keefe said.

Tactically, Heartland Wairarapa will be looking to continue a game plan which revolves a lot around a quick transition from defence to offence.

It's an attractive and entertaining style of play which has often drawn praise from opposition coaches but O'Keefe also admits the end results have tended to be frustrating because of prime scoring chances coming to nothing.

"I'd hate to think how many games where we have played the better football and failed to come away with the points. It's been an all too constant trend we could do without."

O'Keefe is hopeful his team's finishing work will be more clinical this weekend with the players working hard at what he labelled a "very impressive" training session on Tuesday to improve their execution in that phase of the game.

"Unlike most other sides, we don't have that one special player who can score goals from anywhere. For us, it comes down to teamwork and that's where the focus has to be," O'Keefe said. "It doesn't matter how creative you are if you are not putting the ball into the back of the net you don't win games, do you?"

On top of the national youth league points table with just two rounds remaining are Waitakere United and Nelson Marlborough Falcons with 21, followed by Wellington 18, Manawatu 16, Canterbury United 15, Waikato-Bay of Plenty, Wanderers, Auckland City and Southern United 13, Auckland United 7 and Heartland Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay 3.

-Heartland Wairarapa's last game will be against Manawatu at Hullena Park in Masterton on Saturday, December 20.