More Premmy Files 2020-21 Season Reviews:

Team Wellington

Auckland City & Hamilton Wanderers

Eastern Suburbs & Waitakere United

Wellington Phoenix Reserves

Canterbury United

Final Standings: 6th (18 points)

Top Scorer: Garbhan Coughlan (6 goals)

Most Appearances: Danny Knight (14 starts), Tom Schwarz (14 starts), Cory Mitchell (14 starts), Garbhan Coughlan (14 starts), Yuya Taguchi (13 starts, 1 sub)

Premmy Files MVP: Cory Mitchell

Three games in and it was all looking disastrous for the Dragons in what would soon be confirmed as their final ever season in existence. A 4-0 defeat at home to Waitakere, a 3-1 defeat away to Eastern Suburbs, then a 3-2 defeat at home to Hamilton Wanderers. There were signs of improvements in the third one as they sparked a half-comeback in there... but 3 games, 3 defeats, with 10 goals conceded, is not the way to begin a semi-final worthy season.

Yet what they did from there on was every bit worthy of the semis. Starting with a 3-0 win in Napier against Hawke’s Bay which was chased by a dramatic late 1-0 win over Auckland City in Christchurch, the Cantabs turned things around in sudden fashion. There were no drastic reshuffles in the team. The same dudes were shown faith, just with a couple minor tweaks along the way. The back three experiment didn’t last as Lee Padmore eventually preferred an extra player in the attacking areas instead, while Andrew Storer came in at centre-back for the third game and played so well he stayed there the entire reset of the way... forming a very physically commanding partnership with Tom Schwarz.

The Dragons thus took 18 points from 11 games with their only subsequent defeats all coming against Auckland City or Team Wellington. Ultimately that poor start cost them a spot in the top four as results didn’t go their way in the final round (other than their own 5-1 win over the WeeNix) but it was one hell of a comeback. If this had been a normal sized season with four more games to be played then they’d probably have made it.

One of the thrills of watching the Dragons, which really came to the fore once they settled on a sort of 4-1-3-2 formation (though for reasons about to be explained it’s very hard to nail down the front five shape), was the way in which they moved so fluidly in that attacking third. Someone like Yuya Taguchi making those late runs into the box from midfield. Garbhan Coughlan playing deeper or playing as a target man, no dramas either way. Lyle Matthysen’s skill and pace. Ihaia Delaney linking things together. George King’s crossing. Young fellas like Seth Clark, Eddie Wilkinson & JJ Richards all chipping in.

At the back this team was as structured as they come. It was a brick wall shielded by the absolutely immense (and massively underappreciated) Cory Mitchell and the work that he did at the base of midfield. But further forward there was freedom to move and create. Enabled by good players, obviously, but also by growing combinations – the Dragons had four separate players who started every game, one in each line. Goalkeeper, central defender, defensive mid, striker. That’s the spine right there. No surprises they saved their best ‘til last with a 5-1 spanking of the WeeNix (admittedly they played against ten men most of the way though).

Home field advantage was a useful presence. The turf at English Park was one of the nicer turfs on show this season – though it’s still turf, urgh – and you can always trust a Christchurch crowd to rark up their team. After those first two losses the Cantabs won four of their remaining five home games, losing only to Team Wellington, and keeping a couple clean sheets in the process. Two clean sheets (plus another one on the road) might not sound excessive but clean sheets this season were like hen’s teeth. There were zero 0-0 draws all season. And with three cleanies Danny Knight was tied second on the overall standings – equal with Nick Draper and one behind Cameron Brown of ACFC.

Then there was the drama. No team scored more goals off the bench than the Dragons did (5) and Jake Richards himself scored three, which was more than five other clubs (Auckland City and Hawke’s Bay the two with zero goals off the bench). Richards also scored one as a starter so four overall... but it was his three as a sub that really stand out...

Not to mention the utter carnage that was their 3-3 draw against Waitakere, in which the Dragons were 2-0 up at the break looking sweet as whilst playing against ten men. Then some stuff happened. This from the write-up at the time (Week 9):

• 40th min: Canterbury already 2-0 up as Burfoot is sent off

• 75th min: Still 2-0 and the Dragons seem to be cruising

• 77th min: Dane Schnell scores a beauty out of seemingly nothing

• 79th min: GGG slips in a sudden equaliser

• 81st min: Canterbury awarded a penalty which is overturned

• 85th min: Waitakere appeal for a penalty which is initially declined, then given on second opinion

• 87th min: Alex Greive puts the ten men of Waitakere up 3-2 from the penalty spot

• 89th min: Garbhan Coughlan booms in an equaliser for 3-3

Quite likely the game of the season for sheer insanity.

Lovely to see Garbhan Coughlan popping up with the equaliser at the end there because he didn’t always get the rewards that he deserved throughout this campaign. It was only really in the very last game with a hatty against the WeeNix that he got his close-up. But while Coughlan struggled for goals at times but he always full of work. Surely the most fouled player in the league and a pretty selfless one too given how he willingly dropped deeper throughout the season to help more as a creator. Still ended up with six goals plus a chunk of assists so it’s nothing too dramatic but to watch the Dragons play his massive influence on how this team played was clear and obvious.

Especially cool to see him doing well because he was pretty much the only intimation of that talked-up connection with Southern United. When the Dunedin side withdrew from the season, thus ending their existence even if they weren’t to know it at the time, the chat was that they’d combine under the Canterbury United banner to represent the whole South Island. But while Stephen Last did play in week one, he was nowhere to be seen ever again. Andrew Cromb found a nice home as probably Waitakere United’s most consistent defender so that was sweet. But yeah Garbs was the only recurring Southern x Canterbury link.

He doesn’t quite get Premmy Files MVP status however... that one’s reserved for Cory Mitchell. Nobody pops up more often with a crunching tackle or a crucial block out of midfield, plus he even scored in that draw with Waitakere. Special mention also to Tom Schwarz who embodies the old fashioned tropes of centre-backery in the best possible way. Matthysen and Taguchi both had their moments too. Not a glamorous final season in the end... but Canterbury United were in the hunt for the playoffs going into the final week and 18 points from 14 games is eight more than they managed in earning the wooden spoon last season in two fewer games. After that initial stumble they were always tough to beat, always enjoyable to watch. And at least we’ll still have the Canterbury United Pride flying the banner next season.

Hawke’s Bay United

Final Standings: 7th (13 points)

Top Scorer: Jorge Akers (6 goals)

Most Appearances: Bill Robertson (14 starts), Jackson Woods (13 starts, 1 sub), Jorge Akers (10 starts, 4 subs)

Premmy Files MVP: Karan Mandair

You thought Canterbury United had a bad start, how about Hawke’s Bay United who got things underway with five consecutive losses conceding multiple goals in each of them and scoring only twice themselves? Funny thing about that is while they lost 3-0 on three occasions, the two others were 2-1 defeats away against the two top sides. Team Wellington needed a last minute winner from Joao Moreira to beat them after Jesse Randall had given HBU a 66th min lead, then Auckland City trailed for fifty minutes following a Randall goal and didn’t win that one until injury time. Two devastating late defeats for The Bay though also signs that things maybe weren’t as glum as they might have seemed.

Sure enough they got it clicking with a 2-0 win over Waitakere Utd in week six. Once more Jesse Randall supplied the goals – taking his tally to four while the rest of his squad still were yet to taste that sweet nectar of goal-scoring. Which made things really awkward when Randall then hopped on a plane to head to Northern Kentucky University. But in his absence Gavin Hoy scored a couple in a 2-1 win over Eastern Subs the next game and Jorge Akers really came into his own after New Years playing as a striker, he’d score six goals in the team’s final seven games including doubles in wins over Hamilton Ws (4-1) and Wellington Phoenix (3-2). In the end, same as in recent years, HBU could not overcome the amount of goals that they were conceding and it cost them as they lost four of their last five to finish second bottom. Only the WeeNix’s winless second half keeping them from sipping their soup with a wooden spoon. But that’s a hell of a lot better than what was on the cards after starting: 0 W | 0 D | 5 L.

So how did The Bay turn things around? Similar story to Canterbury of trusting the players who’d shown glimpses of the right stuff in those first few games and doubling down on the team’s strength: in this case gritty defence and counter attacking footy. The gritty defence was gritty but maybe not quite sharp enough as they still conceded multiple goals in all but three of their games... but they generally made it tough for teams. As you’d expect from a backline with Jim Hoyle and Fergus Neil usually involved. Not to mention co-coach Bill Robertson, a legend of this competition and still delivering lockdown defensive performances at age 36. There were games when he looked like he could single-handedly take on all challengers – the win over Waitakere for sure plus he was fantastic in those two late defeats early on against the two finalists. Big game player and all that.

But it wasn’t only the grizzled veteran brigade at the back, 19 year old Kaeden Atkins missed the first month of the season but then started every one of the remaining ten games in his second full season for HBU. Appearing pretty bloody comfortable at this level too. Atkins is the son of Wayne Atkins who played for Hawke’s Bay United in the early days of the club... can’t think there’d be too many other examples of father and son both playing for the same club (let alone in the competition at all) during the 17 year span of the Premiership. Atkins’ first game saw a switch from a back four to a back three with wingbacks that seemed to suit them more, allowing for more freedom to get forward in support in those wide areas. Jackson Woods was usually one of those WBs, he played for Auckland City’s youth team in 2020. A few other options were tried on the other side but the one who made it stick was Ahmed Othman.

Othman came to Aotearoa as a refugee back in the day and has played for Tasman, the WeeNix, and now HBU in the last three seasons. In the first six weeks of the comp the Hawke’s Bay attacking strategy was to unleash The Prodigy Jesse Randall and his untouchable pace whenever possible but after he left they were forced to find variations and a few different blokes stepped up. Othman was one, a skilful player who can score and assist from out wide or through the middle with equal adeptness. You also had the movement and energy of Gavin Hoy doing his thing, plus clearly Jorge Akers absolutely loved playing striker. He’s filled in as a wide defender and as a winger, as well as an attacking option off the bench in his short Premiership career. Now he got the chance to be a regular starting striker and voila. A couple of his goals were fantastic too (same deal with Randall).

Probably fair to say they didn’t get as much out of Kailan Gould as they’d have wanted. Seemed like an ideal signing for them, a tricky winger who can create things 1v1... but it didn’t click for him in the first half and then when the team’s adjustments might have gotten more out of him in the seconds he transferred to Team Welly. Fair enough. You could say the same but louder about French midfielder Hugo Delhommelle and his intimidating beard. Got injured after one game then started four more in the middle only to disappear afterwards. He was great when he was around but he wasn’t around enough. For obvious reasons, this was not a season for international imports and that hurt HBU, who in recent years have been brilliant at scouting those types (Adam Thurston and Josh Signey, for example) so that was one more hill that needed climbing.

However they did have Karan Mandair. Whether he was asked to play as a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder, he was never not one of the best on the park for HBU. Just as good at getting a crucial tackle in as he is slipping a perfect through ball in. Wonderful player who deserves more recognition than he gets, being overshadowed a little for playing in some less than great HBU teams the last couple seasons. At 20 years old with multiple years of Premiership experience he’d hold his own against almost anyone else his age in this comp.

Oh and can’t forget the goalies. Scott Morris only turned 20 midway through the season and he was trusted with the gloves the entire way, showing no signs of shrinking with that responsibility despite the inexperience. Good shot stopper and sneaky decent distributor as well – huge credit to Chris Greatholder and Bill Robertson for giving such a young goalie that opportunity too because many coaches would not have. But if he seems young to you, then know that the one game Morris was rested for saw 16 year old Oscar Mason given a debut and he looked a pretty amazing prospect himself in a win against the WeeNix.

That’s probably the most memorable thing about this HBU season. It was up and down in terms of results, not the successes that the faithful would have been hoping for in their final season (although they gave Eastern Suburbs an almighty scare in the last game, almost kept them out of the playoffs), but as this club disbands we’ll still be seeing its influence for many years to come in the likes of Karan Mandair, Scott Morris, Jorge Akers, Kaeden Atkins, and Oscar Mason as they each go on to further glory. Jesse Randall, Ahmed Othman and Jackson Woods too... but especially the local finds. Other than the WeeNix, not sure any other team gave as many minutes to players that young, though Prem resources being what they are I can’t prove/debunk that theory for you. But that’s okay. The vibe remains.

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