Wanganui 'play best footy' | Hawkes Bay Sport | Surfing, Rugby, Soccer, Football, Cricket in Hawkes Bay

The after-match report had an air of predictability about it.

In keeping with tradition, Lotto Federation League-winning coach Bill Robertson remained circumspect about Cru-Bar Maycenvale United.

Wanganui United counterpart Kenny Halliday brazenly spoke his mind, while Palmerston North End's Rhys Hodge drew another blank on the heels of a persistent rash of losses.

Except for Napier City Rovers Reserves coach John McCarthy, of course, who provided SportToday with a candid overview on the league, albeit his opinion after a 6-1 drubbing at the hands of Halliday's men at Park Island, Napier, on Saturday.

"They've [Wanganui] played the best football and their technical nous has been better.

"That's better than other teams in the league, including Maycenvale, who played a kick-and-chase game with Joachim Rande up front for most of the season," McCarthy said.

Vale thumped Wanganui 6-0 in the top-of-the-table clash a fortnight ago at Akina Park, Hastings, to stay on track for promotion to the Central League.

Robertson's troops beat North End 3-1 at home on Saturday and this Saturday, at 2pm, will host Wellington Premiership champions Upper Hutt at Akina Park in the home and away matches to decide who will play the wooden spooners in the premier winter league.

With Rande serving a one-match ban after accumulating five yellow cards and midfielder Ryan Martin ill, Robertson fielded his senior players.

"I didn't have the luxury to rest the key players because we'd like to keep that momentum going forward," he said after Vale led 1-0 at halftime.

Daniel Ball, Phil Dol and Leon Birnie got on the scorecard while Hodge's men benefited from an own goal after former All White defender Jonathan Taylor's back pass caught goalkeeper Shaun Peta in a tangle.

Wanganui didn't waste time, charging to a 5-0 half-time lead courtesy of Chris Annabell, Dalin Wilson, Fedor Luib and an own-goal.

"It should have been 10-1 but we tried to walk in in the second half," said Halliday, after Annabell made it 6-0 in the 65th minute.

The Rovers pulled one back in the 71st minute Homeworx Pacific Premiership striker Corey Jensen, coming on as a substitute, took advantage of what Halliday termed as a "lucky bounce that caught his shin" to beat an agile goalkeeper Hayden Englefield.

Halliday felt the young and lightweight Rovers struggled in 50-50 balls but were good aerially and challenged the visitors in the middle with quick-flick balls.

Third division club goalkeeper Gary Wheatley, 49, won plaudits from Halliday, who named Wanganui striker Steve Kerser as his player of the match for setting up goals.

McCarthy's season of massaging worry beads aren't over as he contemplates fielding a team this Saturday for their final league clash against Palmerston North Marist Reserves at Park Island.

"Most of my boys are playing in national tournaments [starting today] so they will limp on Friday and not want to play on Saturday because they will be battered and bruised," he lamented.

He felt his team had rolled over for 15 minutes on Saturday but injecting Jensen and rightback Ali Richards had stopped the rot in the second spell when both sides scored a goal each.

Reiterating their midfield was fragile and couldn't feed the ball up front, McCarthy hoped the Rovers club would take it on board for some experience in the engine room to enable his youngsters to flourish.

The Dave Harris-coached Red Sox Manawatu went down 3-0 against Central League side Palmerston North Marist yesterday in the bragging rights for the China Cup derby.

"We didn't deserve to be 2-0 down and got with their pace out wide twice," Harris said before playing North End this Saturday.

Taradale, a point above Sox, have finished their campaign and will await the result to secure third sport in capping off a promising season as the club celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.