Wairarapa United bid fails

Wairarapa United would have been filthy with themselves after their 2-1 loss to Miramar Rangers in the top-of-the-table Central League match on a pock-marked Queen Elizabeth Park oval in Masterton yesterday.
Not that Trust House Wairarapa United played badly.
It was just that they were in catch-up mode after conceding two relatively soft goals early in the first half. Despite getting one goal back late in that spell and then completely dominating the second 45 minutes they came away with nothing to show for their efforts.
The number of times Wairarapa United came close to adding to their scoreline in a thoroughly entertaining second half would have run well into double figures. They attacked relentlessly and time and again threatened to split the Miramar Rangers defence wide open through the slickness of their passing and support play but somehow the visitors managed to hold them out.
It wasn't so much that the Wairarapa United finishing work wasn't up to scratch, rather that Miramar Rangers, in the manner of a side which hold the Chatham Cup and have yet to taste defeat this season, were determined enough scramblers to keep the ball out of the back of their net.
Sure, there were times when it might have looked more a matter of good luck than good management but, as the old adage goes, champion sides tend to make their own luck, don't they?
Miramar Rangers started the game with a hiss and roar, launching forays deep into Wairarapa United territory.The home team's defence was strangely tentative - particularly in midfield - and disorganised and was caught napping when David Johnson and then John Sutherland scored goals to put the visitors 2-0 up.
The longer the first spell progressed, however, the more Wairarapa United settled. Just before halftime they got a goal back when Nobuyishi Ishi, Campbell Banks and Seule Soromon combined in a move which ended with Soromon rifling the ball home.
The second spell was all Wairarapa United as they produced probably their best football of the season and gained an ascendancy which suggests that while they lost this particular battle they still have to be considered a very serious contender for the Central League title.
The energetic Soromon was the spearhead of the attack with Banks, Dale Higham and Adam Milne, who came off the bench late in the first half, little less effective. There was a pleasing surety too about the play of Adam Cowan and Ishi directly behind them. Whenever Nathan Cooksley, Waisake Sabatu and Carl Shailer pushed forward from the back they generally created space for themselves or for their supports.
The high standard of football completely belied the standard of the playing surface at the park oval where deep ruts had been made in parts of the ground after some vehicle had done "wheelies" or doughnuts there early Saturday morning.
The ruts did make for an uneven bounce but both sides seemed untroubled by it.