Tasman United's Maksym Kowal put one past Bay United goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks in Napier on December 10 and did it again in Nelson yesterday. Photo/Photosport
Tasman United's Maksym Kowal put one past Bay United goalkeeper Ruben Parker Hanks in Napier on December 10 and did it again in Nelson yesterday. Photo/Photosport
The proud run of five consecutive playoffs has come to an end for Hawke's Bay United after they slumped to Tasman United yesterday.
The Thirsty Whale-sponsored side succumbed 5-2 on the road in round 14 of the ISPS Handa Premiership soccer match at Saxton Field in Nelson after veteran Paul Ifill bagged a hat-trick of goals.
Bay United coach Brett Angell recognised the quality of the former Wellington Phoenix English import Ifill but lamented his troops' habitual lapses.
"It was a self-inflicted defeat. In essence, we actually gave the opportunity to them to score through all our mistakes," Angell said after the visitors trailed 2-0 at halftime.
The first goal gave from a back pass in the fourth minute which Maksym Kowal pounced on. The second to Ifill in the 28th resulted from a lapse in marking from set-piece play to Ifill.
The game had a frenetic finish with four goals scored in the last 10 minutes after Bay United centreback/captain Bill Robertson pulled one back in the 78th minute.
"It's what's been happening on a regular basis. We get back into the game and we conceded another three goals in the space of five minutes," Angell said after Ifill scored a brace (83rd, 85th) and Lyle Matthysen handed a thank-you-for-coming card in the 86th.
Bay midfielder Birhanu Taye, out of the game against Auckland City FC this Sunday in a 2pm kick off after accumulating enough yellow cards for a match suspension, scored from a penalty kick a minute later.
"I think the group's lacked fortitude all the way," he said, baffled as to why good performances were replicated although he had pushed in young talent, such as Karan Mandair, because they were thin.
"I knew that but the needs of the player base was very, very thin this weekend but, notwithstanding that, we had enough to go and get something from the game."
Hawke's Bay United coach Brett Angell. Photo/file
Angell disclosed it was a goodwill arrangement between Tasman United and his franchise not to field their former player, Tinashe Marowa, yesterday after the winger was released to play here in the January transfer window to resurrect his career after his attitude took a hiding following a failed attempt to clinch a contract with the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League.
"They could have stood him down so he could have been just available to us for one game.
While that put a restraint on Bay United, Angell felt it was an honorable gesture and, consequently, only right to reciprocate on a "gentleman's agreement".
Asked if the playoffs was over, he said it never was but pulled out the mantra of winning the remaining four games - at home to City, the Canterbury United Dragons and then it's away to Waitakere United before signing off with hosting Southern United at Park Island.
"I don't whether that'll be good enough but the truth is I've always maintained we have to win all our games to give us the best opportunity but we failed that in our first one.
"We've got four left but even if we won all I don't know if it'll be sufficient but that's what we have to go for because it's not mathematically impossible."
While nothing was impossible what frustrated him most was Bay United going one step forward and three back to lose any momentum garnered.
"There were just too many individual errors today - turnover in too many areas and making poor decisions defensively to be able to deal with it."
Angell said it was interesting that the referee pinged his players with four yellow cards and didn't flash a single one at Tasman United.
"You know, that's the game. It's strange that we can pick them up very quickly in comparison to the opposition but that's part and parcel of it, I guess."
Auckland City, defending champions Team Wellington and Eastern Suburbs are at the cusp of securing the top three rungs on the premiership ladder.
The bun fight is on for fourth and final rung between South Island campaigners Canterbury United and Tasman United.
Fourth-placed Canterbury are three points ahead of Tasman and have a game in hand which was imperative in lighting the torch of intensity yesterday against Bay United.
Bay United sit in seventh place, equal on 16 points with Waitakere in sixth place on a better goal difference.
