A Hard Days Work

After missing last weeks loss to Waterside Karori I was back in Wainuiomata for the much anticipated clash against Petone at Richard Prouse Park.  By all accounts it was as well I missed last weeks encounter as the rain poured down out in Karori.

Wainui started well and Josh Wilkie had their first and ultimately only chance of the first half as headed over from a Joel Evans corner kick.  Petone soon took a strangle hold on the game as their left winger, pictured above outfoxing Michael Barnes and Neil Barclay, made his way into the Wainui box and opened the scoring inside the first ten minutes.

Petone dominated for large periods of the game and Wainui just couldn't get going in the opening half as Petone looked for a killer second.  It almost came as the half time whistle approached when a powerful shot whized past an onlooking Michael Howells, rebounded off the post and, luckily, out for a corner off the unsuspecting Howells.

Wainui clear their lines again

Petone found the killer second soon after the restart when another long range effort found the back of the net, although there was still plenty of time for Wainui to mount a comeback.  The comeback almost began when Cameron Blake found himself in possesion of the ball on the Petone byline inside the penalty area.  With two players surrounding him he made the space for a shot by flicking the ball up and away from the defenders then tried to beat Simon Rippon, in goal for Petone this season, with a delicate chip.  The Gods were with Rippon and Petone as the effort sailed just inches wide.

The game was well and truly ended as a contest with another Petone ripper from outside the area to make it three nil.  Wainui pushed on and earned a late consolation goal when Joel Evans sent a free kick past the seven man wall into the back of the net to give the home fans someting to cheer about.  It also enabled them to give last seasons goalkeeper Simon Rippon a bit of ribbing!!

So a hard days work in the end for the boys, Joel Evans was awarded man of the match for Wainui in the after game speeches for a tireless display of football.  Next week sees local rivals Stop Out come over the hill for another dose of Premier League Football.