Just one of those days

Wainui travelled to David Farrington Park to take on Miramar Rangers yesterday afternoon for what was a must win game.  Playing Miramar on their own turf is a challenge, I've played against them a few times out there and the closest I got to a result was a 3-1 loss in a very entertaining game of football.



Joel Evans about to score

 The team yesterday played with a high intenstiy that put Miramar off their game in the first half and with around 25 minutes of the game gone Callum Patterson cut down the left wing and delivered an inch perfect cross into the box which was headed home by young Joel Evans.  They dealt with everything Miramar threw at them for the remainder of the half with some ease but there was a case for a penalty to Miramar which the referee waved away.  A lucky escape I thought which also saw the Miramar coach vent his anger at the referee and linesmen as both teams trudged to the dressing rooms at half time.



Simon Rippon keeps Miramar out

 Miramar came out a more determined side and put Wainui under some pressure and finally won themselves a penalty with about 20 minutes to go.  The spot kick was duly dispatched into the back of the onion bag (Tommy Smyth with a Y refernce there) but this kicked Wainui into gear for the remainder of the match.  A lot of pressure was applied, Joel Evans hit a thunderous freekick from all of 25 yards that the Miramar keeper did well to keep out, Callum Patterson jinked his way into a scoring shot but hit the side netting.  Miramar themselves came close at the death but neither team could find the winning goal, a draw was the fairest result on the day for both teams.

A point for Wainui could have been an ok result for the days work but with Marist beating league leaders Upper Hutt (a shock result if ever there was one) the boys now face a tough challenge to break out of the bottom two and avoid the drop.  But with two of the three remaining games to be played at their home pitch anything is still possible.