Soccer: Battling Kingz divided on Lines

By TERRY MADDAFORD

The frustration is obvious as Wynton Rufer seeks to steady the rocking Football Kingz ship.

After a solid four-match unbeaten Australian Soccer League run, the Auckland-based side slipped to a 2-4 loss against the Wollongong Wolves in Christchurch on Saturday night.

During the match the Kingz lost Marcus Stergiopoulos with a hamstring injury and had Che Bunce sent off.

Neither will play in Friday night's away game against the Northern Spirit.

Rufer knows he has at least part of the solution waiting in the wings, but his efforts to get Aaran Lines off the sideline and into action are, he feels, being stifled by the Kingz management's reluctance to move at the same pace as the All Whites midfielder.

"Aaran Lines is waiting to play," said Rufer. "Here we have a player valued at $200,000 on the European market but we can't play him. We have a sponsor prepared to pay his wages and the small transfer fee."

Club chairman Chris Turner said: "From a coach's point of view he is right, but there are a number of things that must be worked through before Lines can join the Kingz.

"We are dealing with a potential sponsor but we have to do things within our budget and other constraints. But the bottom line at this stage is there is no guarantee Lines will be signed."

Rufer would find that hard to accept as he battles to maintain a top-half place for his team in the 16-team league.

"It is a big disappointment when you lose," said Rufer yesterday.

"One week the guys are good. The next they disappoint. We have caused problems and I still believe we are a top-six contender. Until Wollongong scored their first goal, I felt we had a slight advantage.

"In the end they deserved to win. They wanted it more."

Esala Masi - who was lucky to be playing - opened the scoring after 35 minutes when he finished a well-constructed move with a crashing volley.

Masi and David Huxley were sent off in the game against the Kingz two weeks ago and copped two-match bans. That was reduced to one on appeal, which allowed them to play on Saturday night.

Five minutes later Scott Chipperfield capitalised on a Jonathan Perry defensive error to give Wollongong their 2-0 halftime advantage.

Rufer, on as a halftime substitute, reduced the deficit with a 61st-minute penalty but the visitors replied quickly with a header and a penalty from Stuart Young for 4-1.

Rufer completed the scoring with his second penalty in a game in which Auckland referee Derek Rugg, particularly in the first spell, did his best to maintain the flow.