Island Bay United AFC

Gameday 18.
The last of the season.
Last position only on goal difference.
Beautiful day.
Quality pitch.
The opposition a team we've already beaten this season.

The scene was set for us to prove our quality and get out of that dreaded auto relegation spot.

Dave Wiggins took his spot in the centre of defence, despite a slight scare after training on Thursday. It was double good news, as it meant a consistent back four and also that Milney could be released up front.

And it wasn't long before Milney got the opening goal. We had kicked off into the sun and immediately took hold of the game. We worked the ball down the wings and had threatened a couple of times through crosses and corners.

Merrick has been keen for us to use our set pieces better all season and it may have taken all season but it looks like we have finally got there! After about 15 minutes Kev Mills, being welcomed back after a holiday to Canada, knocked in a quality corner and Milney was right there to nod it goal bound. The 'keeper was beaten but the Petone player on the post got across to let loose a fly kick, clearing the ball. The ref was well placed though and ruled the ball had already crossed the line. A big call, but apparently the right one.

It was the start we needed, knowing that 3 points was the minimum required result, to hopefully jump ahead of Brooklyn (who were playing Stokes Valley back at Wakefield park). But we were also conscious our fate could be decided on goal difference so we couldn't sit back happy with a 1 goal lead.

Shortly, Milney was celebrating wildly for a second time. We'd won a free kick about 25 yards out and Milney was straight on the ball, demanding he take it. The rest of us got forward, in case of a half block, but knew full well where this kick was going...

Milney hit it well, but straight at the wall and a hefty deflection made it sail into the goal, just under the crossbar. Maybe a little lucky, but Milney wasn't worried and neither were the rest of us!

2 nil is how it stayed till the halftime break and we went into the sheds a little anxious at how the Brooklyn game was going but also knowing we were best just to focus on our own game.
We did find out Brooklyn were 2-2 with Stokes Valley at halftime, so there was definitely no sitting back.

We had looked good in the first half, and were sure more opportunities would follow. It was also important to keep our D solid, as the pace of Petone's attack had turned us round a few times, and Adam had already made two amazing saves to keep our buffer. One of them he came from nowhere to get the slightest of touches on, which was just enough to have the ball hit the post and rebound away.

So as we turned around and the Sun lowered directly into Petone's faces there was plenty of chatter to make sure we tested their 'keeper and defence with the kind of tricky long balls we received in the first half.

We continued in the same vain in which we ended the first half, with Mills controlling the midfield well and our wide players, Mitch, Luciano, Matt W and Steelo creating and using the space well to deliver quality crosses.

Corners and free kicks were plentiful as Steve Davey was charging around the pitch like a teenager and it was another set piece that gave us our third. This time from the right hand side, Mitch swung in a pinpoint corner to Steelo's noggin and Steelo would not waste this opportunity to get his first open field goal of the season to add to his multiple penalties. Up goes the trademark shark fin, but we were still conscious three mightn't be enough to save us from auto relegation so we continued to push forward.

And on such a roll with set pieces it wasn't surprising that no 4 also came from one. This time Mills was over the ball, about 35 out and got the free kick into the mixer. The Sun was right behind him and as the ball came down the 'keeper must've lost it in the brightness and meekly fell half on it. It popped out the back though, where an excited Luciano was waiting to sweep the ball into the empty net.
Assist no3 for Mills apparently - after he claimed ownership for 'creating' the hole in the wall for Milney's free kick - yeah right!

4 zip, and while we were still being tested every now and then at the back, good cover from Josh as well as scrambling from the back four was evidence of our determination to keep that clean sheet.

Josh was eventually replaced by a wired Jimmy, who went up front, and that resulted in a couple of great chances for Jimmy. First, he couldn't quite get on top of a top notch cross from Looch, and second, he got it his header on target, but not with the contact he needed and the 'keeper cleaned it up.

So 4 nil it stayed and we went into the sheds satisfied but intrigued as to how Brooklyn had fared against Stokes Valley. And after a painful 10 minutes or so when we couldn't get hold of anyone, the call finally came through. And boy was it interesting. We got the full story of how the game panned out and in the end it was probably good we never had any progress reports. Brooklyn apparently went 2 nil up, and Stokes Valley clawed back to 2-2, but then then had a man sent off. Much to our relief though, they still managed a third and also to hold out Brooklyn. Wahoo! We'll get that chance to prove we belong in Cap 1 and build on our year, with a playoff.

Congratulations to Marist on taking the League (just, on goal difference), and earning direct promotion back to Cap Premier at their first attempt. With a stingy defence conceding less than a goal a game to go with an attack that scored just enough when required, you deserve it.

Also congrats to Olympic who will get another well deserved crack at promotion, after last year losing the corresponding playoff fixture to Miramar. This year it'll be against Naenae who were only last year promoted from Cap 1.

I feel a bit for Brooklyn as it was a very close league and I don't really think either of us were far off the pace that Marist, Olympic and the Dreamers had set all season. But someone had to come last and I'm just stoked it wasn't us.

After a fair amount of disruptions from the year before this year turned into a rebuilding one for the club and it's great that our destiny is in our own hands with a possible playoff to come against one of Miramar, Olympic and Tawa, depending on results in the final week of Cap 2.

It means the season isn't quite over and we'll continue to train with purpose, knowing we deserve another crack at Cap 1 and that given that chance, we can even give the title a good nudge next year.

Shark Attack!

Labels: away, capital 1, clean sheet, Petone, win

Another solid fighting display on Saturday resulted in a nil-nil draw with BNU. They beat us 4-2 in the first round, so it was a good turn around, however it's these sort of games, where we perhaps lack the killer instinct, that might come back to haunt us nearer the end of the season when we are fighting to stay in the grade.

With only 6 matches left in the season we need to convert these one pointers into three, and get well out of the danger zone as the table is still very compact.

In the game against BNU we started well again, which was a little surprising after a bit of a disjointed build up. We didn't know who was playing let alone in what positions and in the end we had a slight change in formation, but were pretty well settled.

We welcomed back Milney to the midfield and Stu Dunn on the wing (after a relatively long injury layoff), while Matt Whitburn slotted back in at left back.

We controlled the first half well, keeping up the intensity we have discovered in the last few weeks and although there was a typically difficult southerly blowing across the park, we perhaps didn't play to the conditions quite well enough.

Crosses into the wind weren't working and we struggled to work the ball to the windy side where the danger balls would really come from.

And in the end, the game must've been as uneventful as the score line suggests as I'm struggling to think of any highlights.

It's not that we didn't create chances, as a number of players, including even Dave Wiggins who made a sprightly surge from the back, had good opportunities, but either desperate defence or that unlucky final touch meant we stayed scoreless.

We had a few hairy moments on defence too, with a couple of tidy crosses and play through the middle stretching us, but desperation managed to keep them scoreless also.

We definitely tired towards the end, which is probably a by product of the intensity at which we start and play most of the game at, but encouragingly we make up for that loss in energy with determination and pride.

All in all it probably wasn't a good day for the spectators though, with both the weather and football a little bit lacking!

The climb to safety all starts this week against Wainui, who humbled us 3 nil in the first round. We're at home again (12:30 kick off) where we've had a much better record than away with only one loss in 6, so let's bank that point and hopefully nab all three.

Nick

Labels: bnu, capital 1, clean sheet, draw, home

Now that is an amazing turn around! Not only in result but the whole attitude, desire and intensity which led to a remarkable improvement in performance, and we got the due result.

All week at training you could sense that everyone was keen make amends for our disappointing game last week, and although its a typical cliche - it really is the test of a teams character for how they come back from heavy defeats. So it was nice to see everyone respond accordingly and train hard.

It was great to be back at home, and it was a beautiful, if chilly, winters day at Wakefield Park. We were well organised and well amped for our return match against Wellington United, who beat us 4-2 earlier in the season, and sat second in the league, prior to the weekend.

And we started like we really wanted the match. We were aggressive but composed and absolutely dominated in the first half hour. We held onto possession well and fought like men possessed to get the ball back when we did turn it over.
The whole midfield absolutely worked their arses off, with the contrasting combo of Lomu and MJ teaming up well in the middle of the park to both win possession and create opportunities, while young Matt Hickey and a little less young Jody Bullen flew up and down the wings but still trudged back to help out their defence.

Unfortunately we couldnt get the goal(s) we deserved, but with the defence holding staunch we felt it was just a matter of time till we took the lead.
We went off the boil for the last 10 or so minutes of the half, but it was always going to be tough to keep up such high intensity for the whole game, and we went into the break at nil-nil.

We talked about sticking to the game plan and ensuring we kept up the concentration as we couldnt afford the sort of lapses we had displayed the first time we played these guys.

Again, we started solidly but it was the introduction of Luciano after about 60-65 minutes for Milney (who had been an absolute menace up front and tired out the defenders - and then had to start for the firsts!) that really sparked us into action. Luc (said Looch) chased after everything, and one nice through ball to the edge of the left hand side of the box was absolutely spanked by Lucs left foot into the net.

It was well deserved and a great welcome back for Luc after sitting out a fair few weeks because of injury. His partnership with Jimmy had continued on from where Jimmy and Milney started, and more and more chances were coming.
Unfortunately the chances were at both ends and but for an amazing backwards scrambling save from Adam and resulting immediate block off the line by Krip, things wouldve been back to square and our character really tested!

I wouldnt say we had it comfortable for the rest of the game, as Wellington United lifted with desperation, but we ran ourselves into the ground to defend our lead and still did enough to keep them stretched at the back.

Two more changes were made, and both kept up the intensity, but at the pace and commitment we were playing at we couldve done with 3 or 4 more, and we were really tiring. Lomu had to go off to stretch after cramping up, leaving us with 10 for a few minutes then Jody called to Mez for a sub, not knowing wed already used our allocation. Then I, along with others Im sure, started cramping up.

I thought Id throw that in there, to try and explain what apparently was a very clumsy challenge from me as I assisted their nippy midfielder into performing a double-pirouette-with-half-pike-flip, about ten out from our box. Luckily the resulting free kick was pants and we survived another attack.
Worth the yellow card I reckon! And should be covered by the team ;)

Then we got the buffer we needed after Luciano got behind the defence again and was taken late by the scrambling last line of defence in the box. No-one exactly rushed up to the spot for the penalty, perhaps feeling the pressure and having very weary legs, but Jimmy took it upon himself and made no mistake in blasting it past the keeper who had made a few cracker saves throughout the game.

2-zip with maybe 5-10 minutes to go and we were determined to keep our clean sheet so battled right to the end.
Then came the final whistle and some very satisfied lads.

Weve now got to make sure we build on this result, and continue our push up the table. The league is still competitive as hell - we sit ninth but only eight points from first - and with Stokes Valley, who are bottom, away next week, three points is a must to get away from them and among the mid tablers.

Nick

Labels: capital 1, clean sheet, home, wellington united, win