The Premmy Files – Week 12
The clues were out there. The Wellington Phoenix top side had a bye this weekend whereas the ressies were hosting Team Wellington in the affectionately named Wel Classico. Chances were we’d see a fair few fellas on senior contracts getting a crack in this one and sure enough when the team lists came down it was A-League quality all over the show... even one of the imports had a run.
Matti Steinmann at centre-back, didn’t see that one coming did ya? Not really sure why he needed the minutes but he was suspended last game so s’pose Ufuk Talay didn’t wanna see him go consecutive weeks without a run. He’s the second import to get a game this season after Gary Hooper played 45 minutes against Eastern Suburbs. And as for the CB thing, well, he couldn’t play in the midfield because the midfield was stacked with Alex Rufer (returning from injury), Brandon Wilson (new to the club and settling in), and Sam Sutton (the current championship belt holder of The Next Sarpreet Singh title). Sutts wearing the captain’s armband as per usual when he’s available but it’s a bit of a different dynamic when there are so many senior players around him.
Oli Sail was in goal again. He hasn’t actually taken the park for top side yet this season and this was his fifth start for the WeeNix. Liam McGing was also in that backline. His seventh start. And Callan Elliot got a crack at left-back which makes sense given the injury to Walter Scott (pretty sure Elliot played left-back for the U20s in qualifying when Libby Cacace was unavailable so not completely unnatural). Also chuck in Ronan Wynne keeping up his impressive record of starting every WeeNix game, while up front Ben Waine made his third start with recent rising stars Riley Bidois and Benjamin Old in tow. That’s six players on senior contracts plus Waine and Sutton who have featured several times off the bench for the top side. Probably the strongest team they’ve named all season... although only Steinmann was playing Premiership for the first time. Rufer hadn’t played this term but was a regular back in the day while Wilson got sent off for the WeeNix a couple weeks back.
As for their poor vulnerable opponents... they weren’t that poor or vulnerable. Team Welly were coming off holding Auckland City to a draw – a game they finished the better team in too, just couldn’t put one away – and they had plenty of top tier Premiership talent as always, however they were blunted a bit by the recent losses of Ollie Bassett, Hamish Watson, and Ollie Whyte all departing for opportunities overseas. Watson and Whyte were the two players, therefore, to drop out of the XI from the ACFC game with the very tasty replacements of Marko Stamenic and Andy Bevin stepping into their spots and Nati Hailemariam holding onto Bassett’s old role same as last game.
Alex Rufer being Alex Rufer, he was booked after just five minutes so that’s how you know he’s back in business. Yet despite a few early sighters the WeeNix were unable to make the most of a fast start and things stayed scoreless as Team Welly, same as vs ACFC, began to settle into the game following those slow beginnings. Marko Stamenic in particular drew plenty of praise. The 17 year old has already made a couple starts earlier in the season, in fact he scored against Southern United, and it’s a pretty significant compliment to say he’s never looked out of place despite his age. He wasn’t the youngest on the pitch thanks to Old and Bidois but, you know, close enough. Stamenic is just a pure midfielder. Excellent on the ball. Great vision, workrate, etc. You might as well learn the name now and save the trouble later.
He couldn’t break that deadlock though and neither could Sam Sutton after Ben Old had gotten through and set him up for a shot which Sutts put over the top. All even at the break and still all even ten minutes after it when Steinmann made a fantastic defensive block and then we hit the hour mark and Paul Temple went to the bench. Off came Steinmann and Rufer, having done their dash, and on came Kurtis Mogg and Noah Tipene-Clegg. Chances continued to flow with Sail making a good save to deny Hailemariam and at the other end Elliot had a shot blocked. Then Stamenic shot over. Then Waine had a shot tipped over by Scott Basalaj (wearing the captain’s armband even with Gulley and Bevin in the team, both past captains – nice luxury to have so many leaders on the park). Then, right as a stalemate draw seemed on the cards... Team Welly worked the ball into the box and won a penalty in the fourth minute of stoppage time for a handball. Jack-Henry Sinclair put it away as he does. Fifth of the season for JHS.
Late drama for sure. The WeeNix don’t have the same pressure for results as other teams but they’ll be extremely frustrated at some of the late goals that they’ve conceded this campaign – all in their last six games they’ve had a 93rd minute equaliser conceded against Canterbury, an 85th minute equaliser conceded against Southern, and a 94th minute winner conceded against Waitakere... and now this. It’s a goal that makes a big difference for Team Welly though, it means they avoid going three straight games without scoring and the three points keep the pressure on ACFC while further solidifying their stake for a home semi-final.
Let’s move north for Eastern Suburbs vs Southern United now, where if you thought that Southern team was stretched before, here they had to do it without captain Conor O’Keeffe who was unavailable and the extent of it all saw eight teenagers in Southern’s 16-man squad. Oh and just in case that wasn’t enough change going on, earlier in the week coach Paul O’Reilly announced that he’d resigned his post for personal and family reasons and would be returning to Ireland after this his final game, bringing his tenure to a close at a little under four seasons with the Southerners – peaking with the fifth placed finishes of the previous two terms. The Premmy was wild with coaching changes in the offseason and Southern were one of the few clubs that managed to retain their previous season’s manager – the others being Hamilton Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix. Well, Ricki Herbert had already resigned and now so has Paul O’Reilly so congrats to Paul Temple at the WeeNix... now the longest serving gaffer of the lot of them. SU assistant Terry Boylan will take over the team from this point onwards.
O’Reilly’s final team was more or less the same as the lot that beat Canterbury last time, just with Javier Langley coming in for O’Keeffe (Langley’s second start of the campaign). Their opponents on the other hand seem to be going from strength to strength and Tony Readings handed a debut to new signing Tyler Lissette at centre back here, he came in for Christian Gray who had started every previous game, while Leon van den Hoven also got a start and Campbell Strong was able to keep up his run of matches despite initially dropping to the bench after Kingsley Sinclair was a late scratch through injury.
Mate, this one was never even close. Suburbs took the lead ten minutes in through Marty Bueno after he was picked out by Kelvin Kalua and he gave it a little karate-kid-in-training with the celebration, a sign of a clear head and a determined spirit considering what was to come. Great ducking header for the goal too. Southern basically could not handle the movement of the Suburbs midfield or the attacking runs of their fullbacks and the game was effectively ninety minutes of Suburbs knocking it around and looking for the next goal. The second would arrive in the 22nd minute, Michael Built getting forward and continuing his run into the box after his cross had gone deep to the other fullback Kalua... who slipped it back to Built and the side-footed finish took care of the rest.
Neither Built nor Kalua are naturally fullbacks but each were absolutely brilliant here. Built was an enterprising presence all day, with clever run after clever pass after clever turn, while Kalua could hardly put a pass wrong. Two assists in the first half and he was only just getting started. It should have been more by the break but Bueno had a goal disallowed while Alec Solomons headed just wide at the far post from a flicked on corner late in first half. But it didn’t take long in the second stanza for them to get cracking. Two minutes, in fact.
Straight on the attack, Reid Drake’s shot was blocked but fell to Bueno who calmly smacked it across Liam Little and inside the far post. Not so mindful with his celebration this time, instead only a cheeky cupping of the ears to take in the gentle applause of the home crowd. His third celebration, about six minutes later, was even more subdued. Built had stepped up to win the ball on halfway and then continued his run into the box after Adam Thurston had fed the ball through to Reid Drake. Built got it back from Drake and squared it to Bueno, who finished on the turn to make it 4-0 and this was getting very ugly for Southern.
Bueno turned provider for the fifth, storming into the penalty area before rolling the ball back behind him with his sprigs for Reid Drake who gave Liam Little another one to pick up out of the net, still twenty minutes remaining. Aaaand there was another one three minutes later, this time Kelvin Kalua deservedly getting in on the action. He’d had a couple close calls already with his marauding play from right back but this time he skipped between a couple defenders and did what everybody else had been doing all game... thumped it low and hard and into a bottom corner. That’s six now if you’d lost count.
Mercifully it would end there. 6-0 to Eastern Suburbs who have won three in a row and scored 15 goals in the process with only one conceded. No goal for Adam Thurston after he scored in his first two games for the club but so it goes. Garbhan Coughlan was basically a spectator for Southern. All of a sudden Martin Bueno is up to 10 goals for the season after scoring seven in his last three (!) and we might even have a golden boot race on our hands after all. This Eastern Suburbs team have made steady improvements throughout. The defending champs are taking this very seriously. They’re not giving that trophy back without a scrap.
Southern United, meanwhile. Their last three defeats have been 6-1 to Team Welly, 5-0 to Tasman, and now 6-0 to Suburbs (all away from home). Aside from that, and aside from one lil administrative error, they’re okay but a few too many draws in between have meant they haven’t been able to overcome these dramatic dynamics. Their biggest win is 4-0 over Hamilton, their biggest loss was this 6-0er. That’s a difference of ten goals. Could be a long rest of the season for them.
Hamilton Wanderers finally lost their perfect record under Kale Herbert last week and away to Auckland City, a team that beat them 5-0 in week three (back in the Ricki days) and who they’ve never beaten before, they probably weren’t gonna bounce back straight away. And they didn’t. But to be fair to the Tron Wands they put up a pretty decent showing at Kiwitea Street. Tommy Semmy drew several saves out of Conor Tracey and Joe Harris went close with a volley as well as for about half an hour the Tron Wands genuinely looked like they might take the lead.
There was no Brock Messenger for Hamilton and regular readers will know the talismanic value of the Brockster. In his place came an old favourite, Joe Nottage back with the club after having the first half of last season off (this was his third start since his return). Kohei Matsumoto was another familiar returnee as he made his comeback having not played since week three. And then also Jama Boss got the start up top having played with Tasman up until now... he even scored at Kiwitea Street back in week five. Another go for Joe Harris in defence. JC Mack also got a start.
On the other side ACFC once more refuse to name an unchanged back three so Adam Mitchell and Mario Bilen came in alongside Angel Berlanga, with Tom Doyle playing at left back. Clayton Lewis got another go ahead of Mario Ilich who was on the bench. And the front three of Emiliano Tade, Myer Bevan, and Logan Rogerson was untouched as it should always be... that’s a scary looking trio right there.
It was a couple of that trio who combined for the opener. After withstanding the Wanderers’ early efforts the City Slickers took the lead as Bevan slipped one through for Tade who slipped one past Matty Oliver for his first goal since he departed the league for South Africa. The sort of thing that ACFC have done plenty this season, scoring timely goals to ensure they can control games even if they aren’t at their peak... which you’d have to say they haven’t really been all too often this season which is another scary look considering they’re still undefeated.
That lead was made two just before the half. Cam Howieson had already gone close with a shot over the top before a Tade corner kick was fired in at pace and although Logan Rogerson couldn’t quite get that key touch on it, he did enough that Matt Oliver couldn’t get a better one on it himself – the goal credited as an OG for the keeper Oliver.
Into the second half and Tommy Semmy had the opportunity to get his team back into it but Tracey denied him one on one. Tracey would later end the game with his flowing locks all bandaged up after a collision with Mario Bilen that saw the latter have to be replaced and if there was concern about that one, there was anger soon after when Boss slid in on Tracey and Adam Mitchell tried to step him out. Yellows for Mitchell and Boss both. The game itself would be put to bed in the 77th min when Tade won the ball back in a dangerous area and returned the favour from earlier to set up Bevan for his 13th goal of the season... keeping him three clear of the surging Martin Bueno. George Ott grabbed a late consolation off the bench for Hamilton Wanderers so 3-1 was the final score.
Happy days for City. They clearly learned a few lessons from the goalless draw against Team Welly last time out, finding a way to score in important moments. Their lead at the top remains six points, nothing much else to worry about there. Hamilton Wanderers drop down a spot on the ladder thanks to other results but what’s crucial to remember about that is they’ve already played Auckland City, Eastern Suburbs, and Team Wellington twice each. Those are the top three clubs so every game from here on is one that the Tron Wands can consider a winnable game. They’re only four points out of the top four as things stand with games against all the teams around them. All in their own hands.
Tasman United were dead last as recently as week eight but here we are after week 12 and they’re way up in fifth and potentially one win out of the top four. They’d caught a loss last week against Waitakere but back in home conditions they claimed their third win in four in 2020. Hawke’s Bay United were the victims.
First thing to note here is that Tassie were without the services of Cory Brown. He was never likely to be a long term option anyway and after seven games played he’s gone back to the USA to have another punt at making it over there. The arrival of Brown was the spark in this Tasman season, his first game was their 1-0 win over Team Welly and all three of their clean sheets came with him in the lineup. TU’s player of the year so far Fox Slotemaker’s still there though and he’ll now be partnered by Sam Wilson, a local fella who left for the WeeNix and college in the USA. There was one other change for Tasman too as Josh Sansucie made his first start for the club. He began the term with Southern and the Aussie has come off the bench a couple times since moving to Tasman. He replaced Texan Free Kick Specialist Ben Watson in the eleven.
HBU welcomed back midfield string-puller Josh Signey after the Manchester native sat out the loss to the WeeNix (for yellow card accumulation, pretty sure). CB prodigy Kaeden Atkins was also back in the team after being away through January. James Hoyle and Fergus Neil dropped out – the first game Neil’s missed all season. Most important for the coaching duo here was that continued consistency up top with HBU’s dip in form unsurprisingly coinciding with a drop in goals. Also with regular keeper Ruben Parker out injured that meant Richard Gillespie got to join the realms of ‘old fella coming to the rescue’ alongside 38 year old Adam Cowan.
Early on it didn’t look like either team would score. The heat in Nelson was doing its thing although there was at least a breeze to help proceedings as Tasman looked to stretch things down the wings. Jesse Randall heavily involved as always. Tasman’s success has come on the back of an extremely well organised backline though and Wilson slipped in without a drama as they kept up the same old focus and shape in thwarting an HBU side that was already struggling for creativity. Then Jean-Philippe Saiko slammed in the opener from the edge of the area with ten minutes left in the half and oh okay it was gonna be that kind of game.
Max Winterton scored in the 53rd minute. Saiko got a second in the 73rd. Ahinga Selemani did pull one back deep into injury time but it was far too late (and only really means that Tassie still haven’t kept a cleanie without Cory Brown). 3-1 to Tasman United and only Auckland City have taken more points since the league resumed this year. That form will be tested against Team Welly and ACFC the next two weeks but to even be in this position after they didn’t scored a single goal in their first three and a half games, that’s wild. Speaking of goals JP Saiko has now scored in each of the last four games, really coming into his own now.
Hawke’s Bay United had no excuses. They’re going through some things at the moment, a few too many alterations to a shallow squad causing them to fall out of their rhythms to where co-coach Chris Greatholder reckons they’ve succumbed to the habit of losing. Five defeats in a row so you can’t argue with him. They’ve only scored three times in four games since Dylan Sacramento left. Having scored at least twice in each of their first seven games they’ve only done that once in the five games since.
And finally it’s a quick trip to Christchurch where the Canterbury Dragons sought to get off the foot of the table against Waitakere United in the telly game. The Dragons had let leads slip in their last couple games so gotta tighten that up. Tom Schwarz played his 150th game for the club the previous game though, how about that? He started alongside his brother at the back for the Cantabs here, with Sean Liddicoat back in the lineup however they were without Aaron Clapham while James Pendrigh was suspended for his red card against Southern and no sign of Calum Ferguson either, so Jake Richards got only his third start of the campaign. He got a run around with George King and Reece Dalton up topskees. As for the Waitaks it was another start for the in-form Jake Porter up front ahead of Alex Connor-McClean while Hayden Aish made his first start of the season in midfield and Lachie McIsaac was back in there on the left. Otherwise all the regulars.
It was a stuttering sort of start to the contest. WU’s Clark Foulds had the first real chance as he was played through beautifully by Sam Burfoot but he took too long to settle himself and couldn’t get one past Danny Knight in goal. Same deal for Nic Zambrano a little later on when Waitakere again worked an overlap but Zambo’s shot was a bit scuffed and straight at the keeper after a first touch he perhaps didn’t have time for. Dane Schnell also shanked a volley following a cute find from Burfoot... but in case you thought it was all one way traffic it certainly was not, with George King driving one just past the post for the Cantabs. Tom Scott got good contact on a volley from outside the are too though he dragged it wide. But, yeah, still fair to say the Waitaks were the more aggressive team early on.
However the Dragons withstood all that. They tightened up a little at the back and the drinks break probably helped to settle things too (particularly after Tom Schwarz was booked for crunching Robert Tipelu) and then they honestly should have taken the lead as Reece Dalton was fed by Cory Mitchell and with a beauty of a shimmy back inside he took two defenders and the goalie out of the play... only to hit the crossbar from about twelve yards out with most of an open goal to aim for. Mate, what’s happening there?
That signalled a strong end to the half for the Cantabs with several little forays into dangerous areas, Dalton again involved in a few of them while some physical determination from Mitchell earned him the chance to shoot but he hit one straight at the keeper Nick Draper. All tied at the break and yet both teams probably felt like they ought to be in front. ‘Poised’ would be the appropriate word.
What you don’t wanna do when your team’s battling for points at the bottom of the table, in some searing heat on the artificial turf (which always amplifies the heat for whatever reason) is to have to do it with ten men. But Tom Schwarz, already on a yellow, got silly and left his boot up in the 53rd minute and the ref had no real choice. What you do wanna do is keep being positive in your play and committing dudes forward at the right times and that’s what happened when the Dragons surged forward on the break after a Waitakere corner, Dalton feeding King who played a brilliant switch back across to Dalton and the Aussie midfielder slid it to Jake Richards who buried that sucker deep. Mere minutes after the red card and the home side was in front. How good is the sport of football, aye?
It was almost 1-1 immediately after but for a heroic Mitchell sliding block. Then it was almost 1-1 again except Nick Draper was able to deny George King. Then it really was 1-1 but not for very long as Sam Burfoot’s sweetly struck half-volley was ruled off for a foul earlier in the play as the corner kick was chipped over. A rough one since Jack Duncan’s challenge might have been enough for a whistle but it was nowhere near the play and had no effect on the ball going in the net. But a foul is a foul, s’pose, and if the whistle had already gone... eh whatever. There was a drinks break straight after so everyone got to say their piece yet the decision was final, as always.
No worries. With Waitakere very much going absolute hundies against the ten men they eventually got the goal they wanted. Sam Burfoot, poetically. A bit of a screamer from outside the box too and within minutes of that one they had another with Dane Schnell awkwardly popping in a header which bounced first and then went in off the crossbar. Jammy? For sure. A crucial winning goal that keeps Waitakere in fourth place on the ladder and gives them their first win of the season against a team that isn’t Tasman of the WeeNix? Also for sure. The Dragons have now lost four straight games in which they took the lead. Two of those games they were still leading after 80 minutes. That’s... yikes. Not good.
Note that the bottom five teams all lost this week and the top five teams all won, the only teams changing position were Tasman and HW swapping place in fifth and sixth. We might finally be seeing some sort of clarity in the table and it’s only taken two-thirds of the season. Damn.
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