Over 35's 2 Waiuku 1

The first half started with Waiuku knocking the ball around nicely, looking like quite an impressive outfit from the offset. Within the first twenty minutes, they had created 2 great openings but failed to convert either because of a miss kick by the striker and a critical save from Marty Round.

Infact the first 20 minutes was absolutely diabolical from a Pukekohe perspective and we didn’t remotely look like a table topping side. We chased around like headless chickens with no apparent direction, having no answer to the lively way Waiuku were playing. There was some serious basic stuff not being adhered to.

After about 25 minutes we made a couple of substitutions and had a dedicated reshuffle of the side. With a little bit more talking and better positional play, all of a sudden we were able to keep Waiuku quiet and create a couple of chances ourselves, with myself and Andy Davey going close from distance.

Towards the end of the first half an excellent through ball played by Russell Evans to set Robbie Leonard away free only to find the linesman kept his flag down but the referee over ruled and blew for offside. Unlucky lads, keep the work rate going and we are still well in this game.

The ref blew for half time and all in all lucky to be going in at the break level. The half-time team talk was (not from me I might add) the referee had wound us up so much, we had now started to play, maybe just a coincidence it happened as the same time we had the re-shuffle (whatever!! lost for words!!)

We started the second – half well and after some good chasing upfront from Peter Clark and Robbie Leonard we were starting to make an impression with the Waiuku defence, with Robbie Leonard forcing the opposing keeper into a great save. Were now starting to believe we were in with a chance here as Waiuku tired and our greater fitness carried us on.

Next after some great work in the midfield by Dave Barnard and Russell Evans, we managed to work the ball into the Waiuku penalty area and with getting plenty of bodies forward, the ball ricocheted off several defenders and ended up as a goal mouth scramble with Pete Clark to head home from on the line, 1- 0 Puke.

Two minutes later Pete Clark was involved in clearing a chance from our own line as he ran from 1 end of the pitch to the other. Great work Pete.

After the early first half shambles we were now the stronger, fitter side wanting the victory more than our opposition did and it started to show. After some great running and tackling from Andy Davey in midfield and a through ball played through from Marty Mercer, setting Robbie Leonard free, taking on the last defender the ball ricocheted towards goal and in a race with the keeper, I got there first, but could only manage to blast it over the bar from close range.

After a local derby challenge twenty five yards out Waiuku were gifted a free-kick, in words of the opposition “That was Ugly”. The ball was floated in to the penalty area and as the Pukekohe defence thought the ball had gone behind for a goal kick an opposing striker somehow managed to get to the dead-ball line and squeeze it home from the acutest angle to reduce the deficit to 1 – 1.

In all honesty our fitness was now starting to tell over there’s they were quite happy to take their time over the last twenty minutes and their defence was getting rattled the more we kept hassling and running at them, they were looking for a breather at any opportunity. The more they hated it the more we did it, this was the spirit that was missing in that first twenty minutes.

With some more great play from Andy Davey in the midfield, we managed to knock it into their penalty area and with Robbie Leonard going in on a 50 -50 with the keeper (or maybe a 60 – 40 if you ask me) the ball rebounded and Andy Davey had a shot that was blocked, Pete Clark had another one blocked and as the ball fell to me it hit a defender on the line and re-bounded for a corner. It looked quite comical as each player who took a shot ended up on their ass.

Our defence in the second half coped admirably with anything Waiuku could muster;  Roysa had a great 2^nd half marshalling the troops with the help of the Harveymeister, whose extra pace could clean up anything Roysa couldn’t.

Then out of nowhere, our keeper Marty Round unable to hold an opposing cross the ball dropped to 2 free Waiuku players, one with the ball and 1 the other in-front of our goal line, the striker shot and it hit his own team mate on our line to rebound for a goal kick, a little fortunate there but then fortune favours the brave.

With 10 minutes left we pushed Marty Mercer up front so with that little bit of extra pace, could cause havoc with the Waiuku defence. Running onto a through ball from Davy Bernard, he managed to not only get to the ball, but as the keeper approached, get his foot on it, flick it passed him and it was there for me to guide it home, well done Marty all the credit goes to you, you did the hard part.

2 – 1 Pukekohe and that’s how it finished. All in all the last hour was a great effort, the first twenty minutes I’d quite like to forget about, but I thought player of the day was between Robbie Leonard, Roysa, Marty Round and Pete Clark, but this week it goes to Pete Cark, work rate was second to none and you scored the first to set us on our way, well done Pete great effort.

A big thank you to TD for refereeing the second-half.