Island Bay United AFC

Could the Champs Premier League be any closer? Could it get any more difficult to work out which team might be where, if only we'd all played the same amount of games?

I'm getting sick of postulating where we might be on the table. I say, if you're playing well enough to advance through the rounds of the Chatham Cup, you're good enough to play your catch up games midweek! Of course I'm being completely two faced, and would complain in a heartbeat if we were still in the Chatham Cup and being asked to play midweek league games! :)

Saturday's match against Wests was going to be a test of our commitment to each other. In recent history, I cannot remember a season where we didn't drop points against teams beneath us on the ladder. With already having lost to Wests this year (in difficult circumstances) we were either going to sink or swim this time around.

To my delight, I'm able to use some words I haven't used in my reports for awhile:

Cohesion: Island Bay Premier's individuals bonded together as a unit, and outplayed Wests as a team. This is how every team should play, win, lose or draw!

Resolve: We showed that despite having injuries, politics, bad weather and facing opponents desperate for points, that we were taking the whole 3 points - end of story

Passion: There were some great goals, some flamboyant attacking, some inspirational defending, and some desperation tackles, but for the whole 90 minutes, (and this is where we sometimes drop the ball) we were passionate about winning.

Mo Terlau kicked things off in the right way, and after a touch to control, smashed a poor goal kick past the stranded Keeper from well outside the box to give us the lead.

Wests came back, their mixture of talented youth and experienced elders were proving to be a handfull, as Rupert Ryan, and Neil MacDonald were playing good one-two's to their players, and keeping us on our toes all around the park. The final ball from Wests wasn't coming though and we never looked like conceding the soft goal we normally do, entering half-time 1-0 up.

The second half could not have started better for us. Wests kicked the ball off, and within 1 minute, a fantastic run all the way down the flank from our right back Steelo and around his defender on the right wing was coupled with an equally deft cross, and Mo made no mistake about heading it past the Keeper.

2-0 up and Wests were struggling to get past our defenses since the first half loss of Neil MacDonald. We had a moment of panic when a corner wasn't cleared and several smashs towards our goal had to be repeled with some body-on-the-line defending.

Ian Paterson finally got a deserved goal after some fine counter attacking play, killing off Wests with a 3-0 scoreline. We're not only pleased for the win, but it's also nice to keep a cleansheet for a change.

This week sees us play away to Kapiti, and we'll have to come away with the points if we have any hope of keeping pressure on the other five teams within 5 points of top of the table.

Shark Attack!

Labels: home, premier, western suburbs, won

Barely two weeks ago, I was hurling criticism at Island Bay's Prem's as I played through a horrible game against Tawa.

In the last week however, I've seen us jump the table to third (Stop Out and Karori still have games in hand over us), played in two memorable victories, and seen our team transform remarkably, from a bunch of guys with talent, to a team with heart.

Admittedly, the first win was against bottom placed Lower Hutt, but we always like to make a game of it don't we? Coming from a goal behind twice in the match, to muscle out 3 points took courage, character, and cool heads against a team who are desperate for every point they can get.

Stop Out, whom we hosted on Saturday, were always going to be hard to beat, especially given their great run of results, and the fact that they were going to look for revenge after we bet them in the first round.

We were asked to deliver for our home fans, as our better games have been played on the road so far this season, and we walked out on to Shark Park with a quiet determination to keep the winning momentum turning over for ourselves as well.

I thought we started the match well, keeping possession for spells, but maybe not quite as cohesive as against Lower Hutt. Stop Out were keeping us under a tighter rein, but we still had plently of ball in and around their box, with only last ditch clearances and strong challenges keeping their Keeper safe.

We drew first blood after 20 minutes when a "Tahl Theodorou Wonder Chip" (edited from original "Speculative" - Happy now Tahl?) held up just short of the box, and Mo Terlau arrived in front of two markers to chip the Stranded Keeper in supreme fashion, giving him two goals in as many starts up front. Long may it continue....

We tried to sure up at the back for the next period of play, in order to re-focus and then return to attacking, but we lost the ball coming out from midfield, and Stop Out drew our defense out of position, letting their striker linger near offside (and on goal) just long enough to receive a pin point pass to feet which he neatly dispatched past Dave Plowright, bringing us level at halftime.

Like last week, the guys showed self belief in the dressing room, and shrugged our latest soft goal off, focusing instead on the next 45 minutes and securing a vital 3 points.

I'd like to say the second half was all Island Bay but while for long periods it was, Stop Out made it hard to us to turn promise into reward, and also put us under pressure at the back by playing long, angled balls across the park. I'm glad to say that our defense covered each other very well, and it was definitely our combined efforts which reduced their promising attacks at goal into nothing more than a few corners.

Our midfield coped better with theirs than in earlier matches, I think thanks for the most part by a better understanding of our positional play by the team as a whole. We also showed we had a bit of mongrel when we needed to, forgoing some of the class in order to win and control the ball's path.

A loose ball on halfway was placed well into the stratosphere by Mo, only to be nearly palmed in by their Keeper once it reached Earth again.

A promising Island Bay Attack was halted by another foul, and the resultant free kick was directed nicely into the box but over my head, yet it was close enough to Scott Clayton for him to be fouled by both Stop Out's Left AND Centre Backs, giving Richard Steel yet another Penalty attempt around the 80th minute.

We've become so sure of him (100% record to date) that most of our team ran off to get water. Thankfully, even though his kick wasn't up to his normal high standards, it went through the keepers hands anyway, giving us the lead we'd fought hard for.

Stop Out ran out of time to come back, and went a player down after their skillful winger turned on the Ref (Silly, Silly, Silly Boy), effectively killing the game off, and giving us our second win in a row for some time.

In other games, Tawa bet Karori 2-1 (Tawa are now in the drivers seat for first place, with a game in hand) Miramar as still top of the table after beating Lower Hutt 6-2, Upper Hutt jumped up to 4th, accounting for Wests 1-0, and Kapiti Coast devoured Naenae 6-2.

This Saturday we'll be out for revenge as we host Wests in the return league. Wests eventually bet us 3-0 (0-0 HT) at Endeavour Park in the first round, as we ran out of gas after playing with 10 men from the 5th minute onward.

Shark Attack!

Labels: home, premier, stop out, won

Firstly, on behalf of the Premier Team and it's Management, we express our sincerest and deepest condolences to Jamie Milne and his family, as they farewell his father.

Bruce lost his battle with Cancer early on Saturday morning.

About the game:

What can I say? A week after receiving a mauling at the hands of Tawa, and we were a completely different team. Sure, we still conceded our standard early soft goal, but it didn't faze us.

Against Lower Hutt, we almost became South American's. We were simply going to score more than the other team did. It's called self-belief, and yesterday we played like a unit who believed in one another from the first whistle until the last, and it was magic!

15 minutes in, Lower Hutt's striker finished well with a lobbed header over a stranded keeper, after the Ref told us to stand still while he talked to one of our players, but then let Lower Hutt take the free kick early anyway. That was interesting.

We fought back by playing the ball out wide to both of our wingers, and were unlucky several times to be flagged back by the linesman for offside, as both wingers were destroying their markers. Mo Terlau latched onto a neat cross from Steve Davey (after Steve left the right back doing spinning dance moves) and scored from close range to level the game up.

Steve smashed one in only to be declared offside yet again, and Mo helped a ball which was running alongside him in with his hands, receiving a bright yellow card for his troubles.

At the other end, Lower Hutt scored again when a great save by Dave Plowright landed sweetly to one of their players who then slammed home through a crowded defence, seeing us into the break 2-1 down on the score sheet.

Plenty of chat in the changing rooms proved that we didn't believe the scoreline correctly reflected the game at all, and we were determined to switch the result around in our favour during the second half.

The first 20 minutes of the second half was all Island Bay. We pushed Lower Hutt as far back as possible, with them only being able to play on the counter. Steve was put through on goal by a deflection, and tucked the ball away from an acute angle to level the score up at 2-2.

Lower Hutt tried to come back, but at this point Pedro Garcia was their only real attacking option and he was having to make the plays as well, dropping deeper and deeper to pick up the ball in midfield.

Another great run by Steve gave him some space to cross the ball into the box, and Ian Paterson's magic left foot smashed the volley into the far corner, giving us the lead for the first time, with 15 minutes to go.

It was slightly disappointing to see us revert to kicking the ball away in the last spell rather than holding onto possession, and forcing Lower Hutt into more defensive mistakes, but despite their attempts to draw level, they ran out of time, and the game ended 3-2, seeing us back in winning form, and giving us a much needed 3 points!

In other important games, No. 1 Tawa played No. 2 Miramar (Miramar won 1-0, which sees them take the No.1 spot) and 4th placed Stop Out drew 2-2 with 5th placed Upper Hutt, giving Island Bay back 5th Place on the ladder, and yet only 1 win shy of 1st place.

Karori (presently in 4th) are really still in the driving seat though, with 2 games in hand, as they played Palmerston North End in the Chatham Cup, coming from behind to win 3-2 in Extra Time and getting them through to Round 4.

This weekend we play host to Stop Out, in another six point game which is sure to produce fireworks!

Shark Attack!

Labels: away, lower hutt, premier, won

To the Spectators who were there to support our men's first team on Saturday against Tawa. - We apologise profusely for being on the receiving end of such a thrashing. We have NO excuse for being destroyed, at home, in the manner you witnessed.

To my teammates - to those who played, and those who could not - Breathe In......Now, Breathe out!

Feel the pain and anguish of what was a massive defeat. DO NOT FEEL YOU WERE UNLUCKY, OR HARD DONE BY (Even though 1, 2 or even 3 goals may have been comical) AT ANY POINT DURING THAT MATCH. We all, as a collective, did not deserve a point from the game and were undone by a team who, once they were in front, were determined to take their pound of flesh home from Wakefield Park. It's called determination, and Tawa did not let up at 2-0, or 3-0, nor did they sit back after half time.

That said - DO NOT, FOR ONE MOMENT believe we aren't better than that 1 performance, or, if you do, please don't come to training. Stay home in the warm, and watch some "Reality" TV. Eat marshmallows. Whatever. Don't waste your time, our time, or Island Bay's spectators time by putting on our sacred yellow jersey.

The difference between an average player and a great player is not blood or bone, it's brains and heart. The brains to know what needs to happen to get the task done, and the heart to see you through it when the task is a tough one!

5 points separate the top 6 teams, and we have 24 possible points left to put body, mind and soul on the line for!

SUCK IT UP, and (for those of you who read this before Tuesday) turn up to training with determination and focus. Decide to share what we felt against Tawa, with our next opponent. It starts with training EACH week, pauses with the final whistle at Bell park on Saturday, and then resumes again the week after.

Finally, well done to Tawa, winning at Wakefield park, (in style) for the first time since 1992. You deserved your win, and we'll now have to start from behind as we race you for line honours.

Still, look out for the Shark Attack!

Labels: home, lost, premier, tawa

On the Queens Birthday, while she was sipping high tea and giggling at a re-run of Coronation Street, we were freezing our bits off chasing a few bits of stitched together leather around a paddock.

Wakefield Number 1 looked like it had been used by the NZ Army for Tank Wars, so the match was transfered all the way over to Brooklyn's home ground, Wakefield Number 2. Ahhhhhh, much better............;p

We'd sat inside our nice cosy changing room, and convinced each other that today we weren't going to let ourselves down, do the simple things well, play decent football and then turn the confidence we'd regained from keeping hold of the ball into decent goal scoring opportunities. We had also committed to doing this as soon as the first whistle went.

I've decided upon reflection that it must have been too windy to hear the first whistle, as we actually started in panic mode, giving away far too much ball, and then inside of 20 minutes, one bad ball at the back led to another, and the nippy striker dispossessed our centre back, tootled around Plowright in goal, and toed it into an empty net. Did I say he was fast? He was so fast, the rest of their team had to run twice as fast just to keep up with him!

True to form, after conceding, we settled down nicely, and at some moments looked dangerous with ball at feet and some nice crisp passing movements. Unfortunately our shots were not on target and yours truely blazed a golden op over the bar, so the half ended with us still down 1-0.

A bit of a re-iteration in what was wanted and needed at halftime, and we were back out into the balmy weather to try and turn things around.

The first 20 minutes weren't much to write home about, with few good scoring opportunites from either side, but after Dave Plowright stopped a one on one shot and held it while right out at the edge of his box, we seemed to wake up a little.

Kapiti seemed to be content with the one goal, and let us bring the game to them. I must say I am amazingly proud of the way Island Bay can play when we want to, and in the last 25 minutes, we really turned up the pressure, forcing Kapiti to throw themselves at everything, resulting in the Ref whipping out his little yellow card like he was an Action Man "with authentic wrist action".

We hit the crossbar, sent the ball just wide, and then a handball in the box ended with a penalty (almost just like the one we should have had against Karori, except in the Ref's line of sight) and Steelo tucked it in to bring us level.

We wanted the whole 3 points, and unfortunately as someone once said, "we didn't lose, we just ran out of time." In almost the last kick of the game, Scott Clayton spun his man and curled a shot across the goal. The Keeper disturbed the air flow around the ball with his flapping glove (i.e - the absolute faintest of touches), which sent the ball onto the bar, and richocheting back into the flying David Rutherford (who knew nothing about it) before bobbling inches wide of the net, and 2 more, much needed, points.

The game ended a 1-1 draw, which annoyed the writer no end, because he alone should have "Bulged the 'ol onion bag" 3 times. Maybe next week.

The start of the second round sees us hosting Tawa, and we hope to build on our last 25 minutes of the last round, and begin winning again.

Shark Attack!

Labels: drew, home, kapiti, premier