WAIKATO BOUNCE BACK

by Bruce Holloway at Waikato Stadium
nzfc.co.nz

Waikato FC have leap-frogged Youngheart Manawatu to move back into fifth spot in the New Zealand Football Championship after a hard fought 3-2 home win over Shane Rufer's team today.
 
Manawatu's ambitions of picking up nine points inside a week came unstuck, despite enjoying an early lead and looking dangerous on the break all day.
 
For Waikato it was a morale-boosting, but relatively ugly win, in which the greasy Waikato Stadium surface made it hard for all players to control the ball, and victory was due more to perspiration than inspiration.
 
It was Waikato's second successive home win, and a nice way to sign off from their last match of the season at Waikato Stadium.
 
But Waikato owe a huge thanks to keeper Dan Robinson, who made several improbable saves after his defence uncharacteristically parted like the Red Sea to allow Manawatu strikers to stroll through on goal.
 
Gonzalo Nieres benefited from an early Waikato lapse. Manawatu gained possession cheaply in midfield and it allowed Osea Vakatalesau to play the Uruguayan in for an easy goal in the 18th minute, drawing Robinson and sliding the ball home.
 
Nieres retired with a groin injury shortly afterwards.
 
But Waikato fought back and were rewarded when Aaron Scott climbed majestically at the far post to nut home a textbook header from a pinpoint right wing cross from David Samson.
 
Scott celebrated by turning to the smallish Hamilton crowd and gesticulating passionately for them to get behind the team.
 
Scott, who has previously turned out at centre back, right back, centre midfield and right midfield for Waikato this summer, showed his versatility with an equally solid showing at left back after Stewart Watene - who has been struggling for fitness most of the season -- withdrew from the squad before kick-off.
 
Just before half time Waikato took the lead. Luke Findley twisted and turned on the edge of the area and squeezed in a low cross, which fellow striker Steven Holloway got to ahead of three defenders to steer a left-footer into the net from close range.
 
Eight minutes into the second half Manawatu levelled when substitute Prince Quansah headed home an Ian Sandbrook free kick. It was a well executed move, expertly taken, though also owed something to the fact the Waikato defenders had taken up positions far too deeply at the far post, leaving a free channel at the near post which Quansah exploited.
 
Flashpoint in the match came in the 73rd minute. Holloway played Shaun Van Rooyen in, on the right of the penalty area, and he fell in a tackle from Manawatu substitute Peni Finau, with referee Neil Fox awarding a penalty.
 
Holloway calmly stroked it into the net for the winner, though Rufer was far from convinced about the worth of the penalty.
 
"When the opposing coach admits he didn't think it was a penalty, it speaks for itself," he said. "It's a shame to score two goals away from home and lose."
 
Wilkinson had no comment about the penalty - apart from offering a few free coaching points on the importance of defenders staying on their feet in the box.
 
But Wilkinson was delighted with the win.
 
"To score three goals without our leading goalscorer (Rob Gill) was a good effort," he said. "We had to show a lot of character to come from behind against a team that can be tough to beat. Remember, Manawatu were the form team coming into this match."
 
Rufer gave a veiled warning that his starting line-up could be quite different against Auckland next week.
 
"We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We should have won that game, but defended poorly and didn't take our chances.
 
"In a team game you need 5-6 players to be on form at a minimum. Today we didn't have that and paid the price."
 
Best for Waikato were Robinson and Scott, while Sam Wilkinson had his best game in several weeks in midfield.
 
Ian Robinson was perhaps the pick of the Manawatu players, though Rufer couldn't recall any of his players particularly making an impression.
 
Meanwhile Hamilton Boys High schoolboy Sam Margetts got a couple of minutes game time as substitute for Waikato, ahead of the more usual benchwarmers, as reward for training ground efforts.
 
"He is the sort of player who can jink and run and who knows, he might just have enjoyed a fairytale finish at the end, though it was not to be," Roger Wilkinson said.
 
But his run was also a reflection of how desperately thin the Waikato squad has become, with Wilkinson welcoming tomorrow's arrival of the transfer window more than most.
 
Waikato are poised to add at least three players to their squad. Matt Friel is an experienced American midfielder-defender previously with Carolina Dynamo and New Jersey Stallions. Dale Beattie is a former lower division Scottish pro, and Michael Gwyther, a North Shore-based striker who was last with the club two seasons ago.
 
Rufer said he had no plans for signings during the transfer window, pointing to how difficult it was to secure players under current transfer regulations.

Photos: Tony Whitehead www.wildlight.co.nz