Wairarapa still hurting discipline key
Phil Keinzley has had his surgery and is in good health.
Oh, and the Central League soccer match at Howard Booth Park, Carterton, today will be kicking off at 2.30pm as scheduled, it seems, come hell or high water.
However, the Wairarapa United coach isn't going to talk to Hawke's Bay Today.
"I want an apology from you for what you wrote about us, so until then, goodbye," Keinzley said last night before his second-placed league side's clash against bottom-placed Cru Bar Maycenvale United.
It seems last year's Chatham Cup champions are still smarting after their 1-0 loss to 2011 runners-up Bluewater Napier City Rovers at Park Island on June 24.
A usually expressive Keinzley and his men were in no mood to talk to the press after their loss, with the coach asking to be interviewed a day later.
Deadlines aside, where exactly an apology arises is anyone's guess, but needless to say, all that doesn't bode well for the Dion Adams-coached Vale.
Despite holding Wairarapa to a a scoreless stalemate in the first round in May, Adams said last night the hosts were still right up there, so nothing would change.
The Tom Biss-captained Vale have lost the services of Regan Steele and Jared Ott, who have returned to college in the United States.
Veterans Rafael De Gregorio and Leon Birnie are still out with injuries and in the next round Biss will jet off to India as part of the Wellington Phoenix squad's A-League pre-season build up, but Wellington-based De Gregorio will return.
The weather will no doubt be a major factor today.
"I expect the park to be a shocker. We played there last year and it was diabolical and facilities were poor," Adams said, adding it could have improved in 12 months, though doubting that would be the case. "We have nothing to lose."
Wairarapa Times scribe Gary Caffell did speak to Keinzley, highlighting the need to win today with a one-point lead on the competition table over the Rovers.
After today, Wairarapa United play Miramar Rangers away, Lower Hutt City at home and the Rovers away.
All three of those are formidable opponents, with Miramar and Napier City well positioned to challenge for the top spot.
"We have to be more assertive early on, we are taking too long to get any fluency into our play and that won't go down well against the better sides," Keinzley said.
Assertive as Wairarapa need to be, discipline will also be important. Skipper Nathan Cooksley, James Oxtoby and Waisake Sabatu are on four yellow cards and another today will see them on the sideline next weekend.
"It's the old story for them, they have everything to gain and nothing to lose," Keinzley said. "We can't be too cocky otherwise it'll all turn to custard."
Prolific goal scorer Seule Soromon, a former Hawke's Bay United player, is expected to return to the fold today after time off for a honeymoon and he will probably fill a dual-striker role with Paul Ryder, who scored the two second-half goals which enabled the side to come back to beat Wellington 3-2 last weekend.
