The Premmy Files – Week 13
It was Waitakere United versus Eastern Suburbs in our first game, the televised game even. West Auckland versus East Auckland. Also a game that could have some significant ramifications on the top four, as both teams entered on the back of three straight wins (sometimes the timing of these telly games really works out, aye?)... although Waitakere getting past 10-men Canterbury with a late comeback last week wasn’t quite as impressive as Suburbs’ 6-0 annihilation of Southern United. Not that past form ever means much in this league.
No need to change anything for Suburbs as they rolled up at the turf at Seddon Fields, same team man for man as in the Southern win. Waitakere did alter things a little from a week ago. An injury to Nic Zambrano meant that Alex Connor-McClean came in to start with Jack Porter (who has stolen his spot up top with some quality performances lately) while Jack Duncan got the nod at right wingback with Clarke Foulds dropping to the bench. Gerard Garriga Gibert returned to the starting team having been absent last week. Triple G, as he’s presumably known.
The game began the way it would continue the whole way through with a heavy physicality from both sides – nobody willing to back away from a challenge. Actual chances were slimmer pickings. Suburbs rate themselves in possession and Waitakere play an energetic pressing game so it took a while for things to build up although Martin Bueno was showing a bit of the touch that’d seen him score seven goals in his previous three games. Probably fair to say that Suburbs were the team doing more with the ball... yet Dane Schnell and Jack Duncan both kept Danyon Drake busy. It was something of a stalemate to be honest, for whatever reason neither team was able to bust things open. Lots of fun to watch but not much to report back on.
But don’t worry because that’s what second halves are for. As the game progressed, Suburbs started to feel a bit frisky at the lack of goals in this one. After all they’d scored 15 in their last three games. Influential new signing Adam Thurston began pulling a few more strings and Suburbs started cutting to the chase. Thurston nearly had the breakthrough but his shot was stunningly tipped onto the crossbar by Nick Draper. Then another Thurston shot was deflected onto the post and into Reid Drake’s path but his effort was saved by Draper before van den Hoven’s shot went into the side netting. Suburbs appearing to be edging ever closer...
And then the craziness happened. As Matt Palmer tried to run onto a flick through by Marty Bueno he was caught by Luke Searle and went down on the edge of the area. Free kick, sure. But Searle had already been booked only minutes earlier and now he was off, Waitakere a man down. Searle wasn’t happy about it but what can ya do? Waitakere had gone behind against ten men last game only to come back and win... fair play to them because after Bueno curled the free kick into the post they pushed forward and created a half chance or two of their own before Regan Murati dashed into the box and cut one back to Sam Burfoot who beat Danyon Drake at his near post. Third game in a row that Burfoot’s scored in after not scoring in the first ten games. He’s been superb all season.
A strange situation for Suburbs to find themselves in. The boost of seeing a team they’ve been trying in vain to break down all game reduced to ten men and then within a couple minutes they’re losing. Better do something about that, right? Reid Drake whipped one in for Matt Palmer who couldn’t keep his header down from a great situation. Adam Thurston was striking some beauty long balls as things got desperate but still the end product eluded them against a Waitak defence which suddenly had a lead to protect.
Which was when Kelvin Kalua got sent off. Again, he’d already been booked. Then he tried to run down a pass that had slightly gotten away from him and he clattered into Jake Porter, who got there just before him and drew the foul. Kalua was understandably pissed but this game had been stacked with heavy challenges and eventually the balloon was gonna burst. Suburbs’ bench was up and arguing and their trainer even got his marching orders within the verbal kerfuffle (having to make the long walk from the technical area to stand behind the gate two metres away... not really much of a punishment). That still left ten men against ten but Waitakere scraped through the six minutes of injury time to cling to the win... a massive win in their season. One which lifts them above Eastern Suburbs on the ladder and into third place. Man, this season. So wild.
Strange times for Southern United, with Terry Boylan taking over as gaffer this week following Paul O’Reilly’s resignation (as well as some pretty concerning hints about the direction of things at a governance level down south which O’Reilly left behind). Perhaps a change in leadership might spark a revival over the last six weeks of the season? The race for the top four is close enough that they’re still well in it. This week they travelled to Hamilton to see what they could get against a Wanderers team whose resurgence has taken a little hit lately with two losses in a row albeit both against top teams.
The Tron Wands made two changes from the scrappy 3-1 loss to Auckland City last week, two very good changes too as defensive and midfield talismans Brock Messenger and Brad Whitworth came back into the lineup, while the sizzling front three of Tommy Semmy, Derek Tieku, and Jama Boss got a second effort all together. Southern United kept the typical crew in defence though they did welcome back Conor O’Keeffe after he missed last week. Cody Brook also returned to the starting lineup for the third time this season at the expense of Adam Hewson.
Not a huge amount to say here. This was a confident Wanderers team looking to get back to winning ways against a Southern team very short on confidence... but as the Tron Wands continued to push forwards in that first half the Southern defence was able to get a grasp on some of that old unbreakable identity of theirs. Hamilton tend to be extremely good in broken play and on the break but against a deep set defensive line it was trickier for them... which happens to be playing into the hands of Stephen Last and Conor O’Keeffe and the lads. This one held firm at 0-0 into the break and it continued scoreless for a long time afterwards.
Only very late did the breakthrough finally happen. Jordan Shaw burst into the penalty area where he was taken down and up stepped Xavier Pratt to make it 1-0 from the spot for the home side. Hamilton Wanderers taking 85 minutes but finally getting that goal they’d worked so long for. Aaaand then they blew it by conceding late. Deep deep deep into stoppage time and Southern had a corner kick. Matty Oliver got up to punch it away but Garbhan Coughlan was lurking on the edge of the area. Bang. You’d better believe he made the most of that one. It was his first goal since the 6-1 loss to Team Wellington way back on December 15. This one was a fair bit more important, earning his side a 1-1 draw.
Devastating for Hamilton Wanderers who really coulda used those extra couple points in their race for the top four, although they do still have that game in hand and as mentioned last week they’ve gotten the danger games of ACFC and Team Welly out of the way already. Incredibly this was their first draw of the entire season. As for Southern it’s a point that doesn’t do much for their place on the table but getting a result in the way that they did, not only the late goal but the committed defending before that, is a big boost for them. Slight concern that goalie Liam Little went off injured late on, however. Levi Waddington came on for his debut in place of him.
Hey so while all that was going on, Hawke’s Bay vs Canterbury was getting underway in Napier. Fascinating game this one because both teams have kinda sucked lately. The Cantabs hit it up on a four game losing streak while HBU, despite going six straight without defeat to start their season, entered this one on the back of five losses in a row. Well they couldn’t both lose, obviously. Something had to give.
Hawke’s Bay had old fella Richard Gillespie in goal once again while Jorge Akers made his first start since week seven with Angus Kilkolly on the bench. Otherwise the same as last week, whereas Canterbury Utd made a couple changes with Tom Schwarz obviously suspended after his red card last week and Tom Scott and Reece Dalton also missing out however Aaron Clapham was back having missed last game so he could sit his coaching badges and James Pendrigh was a welcome sight in midfield having served his own red card suspension. There was also a starting debut for Abdul Khalifa and Ben Stroud popped up out of nowhere following four years at Missouri State University, there’s a pretty handy signing right there.
Stroudy was in the mix of things quickly as he headed over from a corner kick after quarter of an hour, with Jake Richards having also been unable to keep a header down a little earlier. A solid positive start from the Dragons but soon enough Sho Goto and Gavin Hoy started forcing things for the home side and only the reflexes of Danny Knight kept this game even. But DK couldn’t stop Ahinga Selemani from bagging his ninth of the season in the 34th minute. Heading in from an Ihaia Delaney cross, the front fellas taking care of things for HBU in combination.
Hawke’s Bay continued to threaten but the score remained 1-0 at the half despite the work of Akers and Liam Schofield. Selemani then showed an unselfish nudge to set up Jorge Akers for a second HBU goal in the 53rd minute and HBU were looking good for their first win since mid-December. Or at least that was the case until Ben Stroud marked his debut with a goal, the defender doing what he’d tried to do early on and heading in directly from a corner kick.
That led to a tense final half hour of this contest where the Dragons, one goal down, went ham for that equaliser and had several chances to make it happen. Lyle Matthysen had a one on one with the keeper but Richard Gillespie denied him. Shout out to the veteran gloveman. Shout out again too because he was needed again soon after to keep a free kick out. Angus Kilkolly had a shot or two to close this one out at the other end which he couldn’t convert but thanks to the evergreen talents of Richard Gillespie it didn’t matter. 38 years old, the current principal of Te Pohue Primary School in Hastings, only playing because both the starting keeper and backup are injured... and old mate’s pulling off heroics like these. What a guy.
And thus the Canterbury Dragons remain at the bottom of the table. Other than the 6-1 loss to Eastern Suburbs they’re not even getting blown out. Their last three games have all been 2-1 defeats but they’re lacking a bit of belief or something. A few more goals wouldn’t go astray either though at least they didn’t finish with ten men this time like the last two weeks. Ben Stroud looks like a good signing. James Pendrigh is a quality player who hasn’t been able to contribute much yet. Just gotta find that slice of luck somewhere. Hawke’s Bay did it. They were in an equally deep hole but this win gives a shot of adrenalin to their top four hopes plus now they get two weeks off to rest up and recuperate before their next game as the split gameweeks emerge. This was only the second time this season that HBU have conceded fewer than two goals in a match.
Auckland City hosted the WeeNix at Kiwitea Street on a particularly sunny afternoon, two teams at almost complete opposite ends of the table. And for the first half of the game things panned out exactly how you’d assume they would given those contrasting positions. Auckland City had a few injuries to deal with, Tom Doyle missing this one as did both Conor Tracey and Mario Bilen after their head clash a week ago, but they had no dramas rolling out an extremely talented lineup as always. Enaut Zubikarai made just his third start of the season in goal. Brian Kaltack came into the back three for his usual alternating week’s start. Alfie Rogers and Jordan Vale both returned at wingback. Mario Ilich started after two weeks out of the eleven, having come off the bench last time in the win over Hamilton Wanderers... and that meant Clayton Lewis played further forward with Logan Rogerson the odd-man-out relegation to the bench so that Emiliano Tade and Myer Bevan could start up front.
And those attacking names were the ones doing it all early doors. The WeeNix had a very well organised defence and fitness levels were not an issue even in the heat but they still couldn’t quite cope with the movement and the runs in behind from Tade and Bevan, particularly with a midfield of Lewis/Howieson/Ilich capable of hitting a pass on a dime from anywhere on the pitch and that includes the big switch of plays to a couple wingbacks who had acres of space to work with. The WeeNix had rolled out in a 4-2-2 probably to help deal with that threat, two wide players to try shut down the ACFC width... but it wasn’t really working. Oli Sail had to be sharp with the ol’ gloves to deny Bevan on the turn-and-shoot however he was beaten to a ball over the top soon after by Vale, who’s cross found Bevan only for the league’s top scorer to be unable to keep an awkward volley down to hit an otherwise open net.
It was one way traffic. When the goal finally came it came down the middle. All them ACFC fellas linking up with those quick one/two touch passes and Sail made a superb save to deny Tade as he crept into the box but it was in vain as Clayton Lewis pounced on the rebound to open the scoring in the 19th minute. It was coming. Tade put one narrowly wide soon after while Lewis had a couple cracks from range. The shot totals were extremely skewed here.
The WeeNix lads had probably stayed up well past their bedtimes to watch the top side away in Perth on Friday night and being away in Perth and all that meant limited first teamers available for this one. Still, they had a few familiars. Oli Sail was making his third start in a row and his sixth overall – only one appearance fewer than Zac Jones. Liam McGing made his eighth start of the season, he was at CB with Ronan Wynne. Kurtis Mogg and Callan Elliot at fullback. Noah Tipene-Clegg and Henry Hamilton in midfield with Ahmed Othman at left mid and Steve Sprowson on the right. Ben Waine started up from with Byron Heath... Waino having missed a matchday squad with the top side for the very first time this A-League season. Saving him for this one, clearly... and it’s a good thing they did.
Anyway, Waine’s pace and skill up front made him easily the WeeNix’s best option in the ACFC half but can’t say he saw a whole lot of ball as City completely dominated the midfield. Ilich and Howieson are a step above any midfield duo in the league and even more so when you add in Lewis too. They were winning the ball all over the place, usually in the WeeNix half as those lads tried in vain to establish any meaningful possession. Never was that more evident than for the second goal as Sail coughed up the ball in a terrible place and Mario Ilich straight up slammed that thing home for 2-0, 34 minutes played. Sail did make some amends with a fine save to smother Bevan before he could beat him and there was a diving one-hander in there too. Sail had an otherwise excellent game to be fair, just that one moment he’ll be kicking himself about.
If City had been a little sharper in front of goal then they’d have been four or five up at the break but two goals still represented a pretty comfortable lead for the Premiership’s best defence. The WeeNix thus made a couple changes at the break with both wingers replaced. Othman and Sprowson off, Riley Bidois and Benny Old on. Immediately those subs made a difference as the replenished energy saw the Phoenix lads up the tempo of the contest and create a little chaos to enjoy, particularly when Ben Waine could really step on the accelerator. But ACFC survived that period and settled back into their previous dominance. How exactly Tade didn’t finish off a perfect cross from Cam Howieson was anyone’s guess.
City seemed to be catching a wastefulness vibe though. Having failed to make the most of several opportunities in and around that WeeNix goal, eventually they were made to pay for it... and in magnificent fashion. Benjamin Waine, dude. He was out of his weight class against all three of those ACFC centrebacks but he’d shown glimpses of some excellent strength and balance on the ball a few times so it wasn’t a shock when he was able to hold off the attentions of a couple markers as he drifted across the pitch, from left to right a few metres outside the area, seeking room to unleash a shot. But it definitely was a surprise – a thrill too – when he then mashed that little bastard into the top corner with his right foot (no less). An absolute sizzler of a goal, as good as you’ll see anywhere on this beautiful sacred planet of ours. Paul Temple used the word ‘thronker’... if indeed that even is a word. But if it isn’t it is now and it’s the right one.
Naturally, the City slickers then scored again within two minutes. All it took was a wonder goal to remind them to sharpen up and a glorious little move ended with Clayton Lewis cutting the ball back for Emiliano Tade for the strike. Slicker than a greased eel, that one. But, hark! There was more to come.
No sooner had Jose Figueira spared Mario Ilich the final fifteen minutes, Clayton Lewis dropping deeper and Logan Rogerson coming on up front, than it was back to a one-goal margin. Riley Bidois had done plenty of running down that left wing, not always making the right decision when the ball did come his way, or simply being shut down by the City defence, but he did the goods on this occasion as his cross was hacked and sliced into his own net by Angel Berlanga. Fair old finish, actually. Right in the top corner... he could teach some of his mates a few lessons about how to shoot because that ACFC profligacy had left the door open for an unlikely comeback going into the final ten minutes of the match.
The WeeNix thus threw everything they could at the home side in desperation to get that point. Ben Waine was shut down by Super Zubi as he gathered a ball over the top. Riley Bidois headed wide from a Ben Old cross. Then, finally, a free kick from just inside the ACFC half saw literally everybody go forwards including Oli Sail who very nearly got a head on Old’s deep ball into the mixer and after some frantic head tennis (pretty sure it was Berlanga who made an essential clearance amongst it all) the ball was finally cleared to safety and the final whistle followed soon after. 3-2 to Auckland City, clearly the better team for most of the game but jeez they had to sweat for it.
Here’s one for ya: this was the first game in which Auckland City scored a goal but Myer Bevan did not. The only other times Bevvo had been kept off the scoresheet were in their three 0-0 draws. Speaking of goals, Ben Waine has four of them in only four Premiership appearances this season. He’s only one goal off their top scorer Ahmed Othman. Then the other one is that Zubikarai has played three games and conceded twice in each of them (all wins, granted). Not that he could do much about the two that he conceded here, to be fair to the bloke. It’s just weird because Conor Tracey has only conceded twice in a game on two occasions from ten starts. For what it’s worth, here’s how the statties look for the CB rotation...
Mario Bilen: 9 GM | 9 GA | 2.55 PTS/GM
Adam Mitchell: 12 GM | 12 GA | 2.50 PTS/GM
Angel Berlanga: 9 GM | 6 GA | 2.33 PTS/GM
Brian Kaltack: 8 GM | 9 GA | 2.25 PTS/GM
Then, to wrap it all up, while that game was taking place there was another one happening concurrently in Wellington where the TeeDubs sought sweet revenge upon the emerging threat of Tasman United – winners of three of their last four games. Nine points out of 12 in 2020... that’s two more points than the TeeDubs had taken from that same run of games.
Team Welly have had a few issues with the goals lately. Hamish Watson is in Oz, Ollie Bassett has gone, Ollie Whyte’s departed too... and Sam Mason-Smith was on the bench for this one too, oddly, while Mario Barcia was unavailable. Just preferring to challenge themselves, clearly. The defence was all the regulars but Alex Palezevic finally made what pretty sure was his first appearance of the season... definitely his first start. He was next to The Prodigy Marko Stamenic, while Aaron Spain also got a run after a couple weeks out of the lineup since Scott Midgley returned to fitness. For Tasman, they copped a couple big blows as Fox Slotemaker was out suspended and Hamish Cadigan was also missing at fullback – the first starts either have missed this term. But Sam Wilson made another start at the back and Max Winterton came into the midfield while the brilliantly named Jimmy Wild got a debut up front. And at left back was Jackson Manuel – who doesn’t even turn 17 for two more weeks. He’s played a couple times off the bench but this was his first start, although he’s a veteran in other ways having made his Premmy debut two years ago for the WeeNix at the ripe old age of fourteen.
Considering the secret to Tasman’s success has been that superb defensive unit... missing most of them (remember Cory Brown has also gone back to the States) was always gonna mean trouble. Team Welly were in front after just seven minutes, Jack-Henry Sinclair gnashing a penalty straight down the middle after Scott Midgely – who had already rounded the keeper a couple minutes earlier but didn’t have the angle to score - was taken down in the box. Must have been a little contentious though because Tasman gaffer Jess Ibrom was booked in the process. But regardless, the TeeDubs didn’t care and they went down and scored again in the 10th minute as Taylor Schrijvers headed in at the far post from a free kick.
So that counts as a good start to a game, right? 2-0 up after ten minutes and it was only the excellence of Nick Stanton in goal that stopped Nati Hailemariam from making it three soon after. And then the linesman’s flag after Midgley fed in Sinclair who made no mistake through one on one however that pesky flag meant no celebration forthcoming. However in between Jesse Randall did have a decent chance and Scott Basalaj had to be at his best to stop the in-form Jean-Phillipe Saiko from scoring a remarkable gymnastic effort and after testing him once more soon after Tasman finally cracked one as Sam Wilson volleyed in after a deflected free kick had landed his way. No less than they deserved at that point.
But then Rory McKeown made it 3-1 right before the break with a beauty of a finish and Team Welly had control back. The game slowed down as the second half eased in. The TeeDubs did have the chance to kill it off in the 58th minute after McKeown earned a penalty but this time Stanton knew what to do, guessing the right way to deny Sinclair what would have been his seventh of the campaign... damn that dude’s having a monster season... penalty miss aside.
It was only really in the last fifteen minutes that Tasman were able to get much going in attack again with Saiko shooting wide on one occasion and then, with five minutes left, he managed to shoot past Basalaj only for Justin Gulley to get back and clear it away for a corner. If one of those had gone in then we might’ve had a big finish like in the Auckland City game... but nah Team Welly recovered and held on for the 3-1 victory to keep themselves six points behind ACFC and now more than a win clear of third place as well. There’s distance at the top there. Tasman know all about that because they’ve got Auckland City next game (in two weeks). Good for the TeeDubs to score three in a half after only scoring once in three previous games... while Tasman mourn the end of JP Saiko’s four-game scoring streak. Oh well, just means he’s one game away from the next streak.
And now we come to curious times because as already mentioned the next few weeks are a split gameweeks, with three games on the 15-16th of Feb and then two games the following week (although at some point in there they were hoping to replay the HW vs WU game that got postponed), then three more and then two more. It’s not until March 14-15 that we get a five-game weekend again although that’s only because the lovely Oceania Champions League shall be gracing us with its presence. For Eastern Suburbs it begins next week while Auckland City’s group stage campaign takes place in the first week of March.
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