Wairarapa United players' hopes dashed

The alarm bells are ringing for Wairarapa United leading into their Central League football match with Petone at Petone tomorrow.

Hopes that four recruits from the Pacific Islands would be on deck to help swell numbers drastically affected by unavailabilities and injuries have been dashed because of immigration hassles.

Just when Esava Naqueleca from Fiji, Joses Nawo and James Naka from the Solomon Islands and Brian Kaltack from Vanuatu, all of whom have played for their countries on the international stage, will get to debut for Wairarapa United was not clear yesterday.

But coach Phil Keinzley said the chances of all, or any, of them being part of their squad for the Petone match had to be rated as "nil, absolutely nil".

That news could hardly have come at a worse time for a Wairarapa United line-up already without regulars in Phil Imray, Darren Cheriton, Aaron Spierling, Miroslav Tvaroh and Seule Soromon and with another couple of players battling niggly injuries.

"We are a bit like Mother Hubbard, the cupboard is starting to look pretty bare," Keinzley said.

So bare, in fact, that a member of the club's seconds team, Chris Cox, has been promoted to fill the vacancy left at striker by the prolific scoring Soromon; a huge ask in anybody's language.

Keinzley is optimistic, however, that Cox will make a decent fist of moving from playing at Capital fourth division level to Central League.

"He appeals as the sort of guy who will rise to the occasion, it could be a real surprise packet for us."

Cox will be joined up front by Paul Ryder, who will now have the responsibility of leading the attack, and in midfield will be Pita Rabo, Adam Cowan, Nathan Cooksley and Dale Higham.

They are an experienced quartet from whom much will also be expected, especially Cowan and Higham, who are both proven goal scorers in top company.

Making up the defence will be Tim Schaeffers, Waisake Sabatu, James Oxtoby and Carl Shailer with Richard Gillespie in goal.

Wairarapa United go into tomorrow's match one point behind Wellington Olympic at the top of the points table but with a game in hand.

Petone are six points further back in fifth place but still close enough to make a late run for the title, a fact which has Keinzley anticipating they will come out all guns blazing.

"They (Petone) know another loss will probably put them among the also-rans and that will have them fired up for this one," Keinzley said.