Island Bay United AFC

Saturday's game against Miramar was a game played for pride more than anything else, as our Capital One side had to win (and well) to give them any chance of remaining in the league that they had played so well last season to be promoted into.

This, coupled with players away, suspended, or simply having vanished, meant our normal first team squad was depleted, giving a great chance to some younger players to get in some Senior first team football. The weather was great, and possibly even too much of a change to what we've become used to playing in this year. The water bottles were definitely given a pounding.

This was certainly a game of two halves. The first ended 0-0, and though there were more chances than the scoreline suggests, it wasn't really even worth talking about, although Dave did have to make one really good save to keep us level.

In the second half both teams knew time was running out, and as the heat began to take it's toll, gaps were appearing for both teams to exploit. Dave wasn't able to gather in a dangerous corner from Miramar, and after 4 or 5 players smashing the ball at each other from 2 yards out, the ball ended up over the line, and gave Miramar the lead they had been hunting for.

We continued to probe for a goal, and pulled the lead back after Ian Paterson crossed a superb ball over the heads of the defense where all I had to do was head the ball on target (something which I wish I had been able to do more often this season).

A draw wasnt on the cards for either team, and as we pushed forward to get our winner, Miramar continued to pressure our defense. For the most part we dealt with them neatly enough, and turned defense into quick attacks.

We brought our super striker (Anthony Volpicelli) on for his 50th Cap with about 10 minutes to go, but unfortunately most of the action from then on was at the other end. Good support from their players outside our box finally worked for them, and an unmarked player slotted the ball home from the edge of the area to give them the lead again. We were still committed to getting something out of the game, but were simply missing the killer ball into their box to run on to.

With time running out a ball over the top was caught by one of their players who then managed to round Dave. I was sure he would put the ball in himself, but he actually passed the ball to another player (who was by now a flaming football pitch offside) to stub in from 3 yards, killing the game off and leaving us scratching our heads in frustration, and with our 6th loss of the season.

All in all, Miramar probably deserved the points, but it's always disappointing to come out of a game feeling the referees had a hand in the result.

The three College lads we had certainly never looked out of place, and I think they all should be proud of the performances they put in. It would be nice to think that they will become permanent Island Bay players once they leave college, and don't give the game away like so many do once school is out.

Island Bay's Premier season is over and pending the outcome of Stop Out's 3 catch up games (they have to win 2 of them) we'll either place 4th or 5th. If Tawa win their remaining game at home to Kapiti, they'll sew up the league with Karori probably coming 2nd (they only need 2 points from 3 games).

A special thanks to all the spectators who came to watch during 2009, and Island Bay will certainly endeavour to provide even more, (and hopefully winning) footballing spectacles next season.

Shark Attack!

Labels: away, lost, miramar, premier

We all know how bad the weather was on the weekend. I watched a boat slip it's moorings, and mash itself against the rocks, while the owners tried futilely to hoist it out of the water, only to have to give up and let it sink.

Still, we all got to play football, and wasn't it great to play in, or watch the game you were involved with?! Yeah Right!

On Saturday, through injury I was forced to join the throngs on the sideline, and watch Island Bay play Miramar's Second Team. After losing to their top side in the Cup the week before and been taught a few footballing lessons, I'd been looking forward to passing the knowledge onto Miramar's second side via a solid pasting.

The weather did not allow a football match to be held. Instead I watched a comedic game of Force Back. There is no doubt that each team tried their absolute damnedest to play footy, and I'm sure both teams would have loved to get the ball on the ground to pass to their team mates, but it was not to be. Instead both sides spent the majority of the game smashing the ball into the air, where they watched the wind toss it around before sending it back in a completely different direction where it would ricochet off the closest players head/face/feet/body.

To their credit, Miramar played Force Back better, getting closer to our line twice more than we got to theirs and hence scoring two goals to our none. The conditions evidentally made refereeing really tough, so we thank those guys for showing up when they could have stayed inside.....R.E.S.P.E.C.T, Ah?

Tawa, Karori and Stop Out all won their matches, meaning a nice leap frog for them ALL over us, sliding us down to third equal behind Tawa, who smashed 8 in against Kapiti Coast, making Kapiti's poor keeper pick his 30th ball out of his net in 7 games.

This Queen's Birthday weekend sees more double headers for us, as Capital Football strive to have our season over before the grass has begun to grow over the cricket wickets. We play away to Waterpark Karori on Saturday the 30th, before hosting Kapiti Coast United on Monday the 1st June, in the last game of Round 1.

We wish all teams the best of luck in their respective leagues, and hope that we can dig deep, get over our various injuries and complete the round with two more, momentous wins!

Go Sharks!

Labels: home, lost, miramar, premier

Well, we could have drawn Eastborne in the third round of the Illustrious Chatham Cup (Western Suburbs bet the unlucky chaps 10-0) but no, we somehow drew Miramar Rangers.

As I've said before Miramar have won it all at some stage or other, and currently sit on top (now joint after a horror 3-3 draw with bottom placed Palmerston North Marist - but they had just lost their coach) of the Central League after having won it last season, and in 2006.

They've also won the Chatham Cup three times, just in case you weren't satisfied we went into the game as underdogs.

It would be an understatement to say it was windy, but when isn't it?! Oh yeah, Sunday through Friday........

The game started with both teams managing to get a couple of shots off and settling down to play some football. Miramar were in control, but we were happy to push them wide, and to our credit we managed to force them to do so. Unfortunately we hadn't counted on the wind having laid a large bet against us at the T.A.B, and a ridicuously hopeful cross from Miramar suddenly turned into a Beckham wonder goal, as the wind picked the ball out of the sky, turned it 90 degrees and then threw it into the net, much to the horror of Dave Plowright in goal who had absolutely no chance.

Less than 30 seconds later, when no one from Island Bay was looking, Miramar scored again to make the lead 2-0. This carried into halftime, with both sides having settled down again.

We came out after the half looking to make amends for the two goal deficit, and pushed Miramar into defending on many occasions. Naturally, having some players from Team Wellington to "fall back on" meant that Miramar were not going to stand aside, and unfortunately, as we were searching for a goal as a way back into the match, they managed to sneak in a couple more. I put my hand up here and apologise now for not bringing the scoreline closer, sending a golden opportunity over both the cross-bar and the actual-bar.

Dominic Rowe ended up scoring twice, as did Michael (of course I claimed the cross) Eager, so perhaps in hindsight we should have just double teamed those two players and let Peter Halstead shoot til the cows came home.

Anyway, Island Bay exited the cup after going down 4-0 to Miramar. A thoroughly deserved win from a top central league unit. Congratulations and good luck with the rest of your campaigns!

This week we seek to return to winning form, as we play our third home game in a row, against Miramar for the second time in a row (their 2nd team this time people!) and try to consolidate our position at the top of the table.

Elsewhere, Stop Out play Naenae (for the second week running), Kapiti host Tawa, Upper Hutt welcome Karori, and Lower Hutt spend Sunday at Wests.

Go Sharks!

Labels: chatham cup, home, lost, miramar

Our condolences to Marist, who's seesawing relationship with Capital Premier continues, and good luck to Miramar Rangers, who will play off to stay in this league.

Go Sharks!

Labels: marist, miramar, notices

Coming off the back of earning a hard fought point the previous weekend against Wairarapa, to play Miramar (the only team we'd failed to score against in the first round) was going to be a true test of the Premier side's commitment to keeping their league lead.

The Miramar side was bolstered by a few Central Leaguers, who had had their home match against West's postponed (for some strange reason), and this proved to be the catalyst needed to fire up the rest of Miramar's second side.

True to form against teams lower down the table, Island Bay failed to dominate or hold possession, and only had a handful of half chances in the first half. Miramar on the other hand looked dangerous, as the ball was constantly played in the air to Kevin Thompson upfront, who knocked it down well to the other Miramar players breaking forwards and into space.

0-0 at the halftime, and as it was Island Bays defense who were having to work overtime to plug the onslaught from Miramar's fast front men and quick support from their midfield, the Island Bay defenders were happy to have kept the sheet clean so far.

The second half saw a change of formation from Miramar, Left backs playing Right wing and that sort of thing. It seemed to work, with Michele Zanotti delivering a low cross behind our marked up defense to the back post for an untracked man to hammer home from an acute angle, giving the visitors their first goal.

Chasing the game meant changing our formation, and after a few subs, we were playing slightly more aggressive football, but the touch and passion that had been there in previous games was still missing and Miramar's packed defense wasn't opening up.

We created a few chances, through patches of good football, but unfortunately it was Miramar who scored next, breaking out through the midfield yet again, attacking our back line en mass, and an unmarked David Batty popped up on edge of the area to slam a shot goal bound, taking a nasty bounce in the process and skipping over Dave into the net.

To Island Bay's credit, at 2-0 down, we were still fighting for some sort of comeback, but Miramar weren't playing nasty, so penalties wouldn't be coming to save us this time. Time ran out on the clock before we could score, (and we could have been there all night and still not have forced a save from their keeper, so, well done to Miramar who;

~ took four points from us in two matches
~ kept us scoreless for 180 minutes
~ are the only team we haven’t scored against in 2008
~ ended our unbeaten run at home
~ possibly ended our league contention.

This week we play Tawa out at Redwood Park as we look to improve our overall team game dramatically, win all our remaining games, and put pressure on Wairarapa (playing Upper Hutt) in case they drop points too.

Go Sharks!

Labels: home, lost, miramar, premier

On Saturday Island Bay Capital Premier played Miramar, who had recently been thumped by both Tawa and Wairarapa. It was clear early on that our oppositions confidence had been shaken by the previous weeks experiences and we looked by far the more capable team. Balls flowed easily forward and our backs, playing into a very strong southerly, were easily dismissing their challenges. As a result we inevitably managed to get several chances on goal but failed time and again to convert chances, even one on one, into goals.

As more time went by without us scoring, Miramar definitely grew more confident. To their credit they were well organised and maintained a good shape to repel our attempts at securing the win. In the second half they got 10 players behind the ball on defence playing into the wind and looked to counter attack. Our stronger performances came from our backs and man of the match goal keeper Shaan. Unfortunately their match winning efforts were not converted by our forwards.

Early in the second half frustration lead to changed tactics, leaving only three at the back and putting three up front, to try and break the dead lock and injected fresh legs into the midfield. Though we came close on many occasions to getting the winner it was not going to be our day.

It is frustrating not to have been able to put teams like Miramar and Marist away especially going into the next couple of weeks challenges against Tawa and Waterside Karori who are undoubtedly two of the stronger teams in the competition. But the spirit within the side is very strong, as is the belief that we have a very good side this year. We are looking forward now to our next game, as we can only make amends by making a difference in these upcoming games.

This week sees us return home to take on league leaders Tawa.

Go Sharks!

Labels: away, drew, miramar, premier