Hawke's Bay United dent Team Wellington's top-two hopes

Hawke's Bay United substitute Paul Ifill tormented Team Wellington's defenders. Photo:ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ.

The booking of Finn Milne was an ominous sign for Sunday's highly-anticipated clash between Team Wellington and Hawke's Bay United.
Referee Chris Kerr had already lost control of one ASB Premiership match at David Farrington Park this season and showing the Hawke's Bay captain a yellow card indicated there could be a second.

Take nothing away from Hawke's Bay, who deserved to win 2-0. They played the bulk of the football and might've had five goals on another day.

Referee Chris Kerr tried to maintain order as Team Wellington captain Cole Peverley was sent off at David Farrington Park. Photo:ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ. 

But once Milne went in the book, Team Wellington's Saul Halpin, Bill Robertson, Cole Peverley and Anthony Hobbs then followed. Cory Chettleburgh copped one for Hawke's Bay, before Peverley was shown his second yellow, then a red, and had to wander off.

Throughout it all the players, Kerr and the respective dug outs kept up an unnecessary dialogue that did nothing but amplify the animosity between the teams. Team Wellington started the day second, with Hawke's Bay third, so the stakes were high and the game always likely to be willing.

But once Milne was carded for a hard, but fair-looking, challenge on Luis Corales, emotions were immediately inflamed and settling scores tended to become more important than stringing passes together.

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In terms of football, Hawke's Bay's was far superior. Chettleburgh, Fabian Kurimata and Birhanu Taye were excellent in the middle of the park, while new signing Andrew Blake was a constant threat down the right flank. Blake has joined the club from the Wellington Phoenix for the rest of season, in what amounts to a swap with Hamish Watson.

Watson, who scored two goals and was then sent off in the Phoenix's 3-2 loss A-League to Newcastle on Saturday, was in Miramar to congratulate Hawke's Bay on their win.

Tom Biss put them 1-0 in the sixth minute, before Kurimata made it 2-0 in the 74th. He then made way for Paul Ifill, who was a class apart from everyone else on show.

Ifill might not be the fittest he's ever been, but retains the touch and vision and guile of a man who's played in the highest echelons of English football. Team Wellington were without captain Peverley by then, but a goal still looked imminent every time Ifill was on the ball.

With a top-two finish all-important, Team Wellington coach Matt Calcott wasn't happy to have conceded second place to Hawke's Bay.

"It wasn't a great performance and we just never got going at all. We were second to everything and that's unfortunate," Calcott said.
That's unlike Team Wellington who tend to be a side who're always 'up' for it.

"One hundred percent and we're almost at a period where we've had too many games and not enough [training] sessions. That's six or seven games in 22 days or whatever and we've had very few sessions together and that's starting to tell a bit."

Calcott said it had been "hugely" important that Team Wellington won on Sunday and the loss leaves them scrambling a bit now.

"That's a real disappointing performance because normally at home one thing we've given is a hell of a lot of passion and pride in what and we haven't brought that today," he said.
Fourth-placed Canterbury United's subsequent 2-2 draw with Waitakere United on Sunday kept Team Wellington third, although the Dragons do have a game in hand.

Meanwhile, the Blake-less Phoenix Reserve team lost 4-2 to WaiBop United in Mt Maunganui on Saturday. Logan Rogerson and Oliver Whyte were the Phoenix's goal scorers.

CREDIT:http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/77115379/hawkes-bay-united-dent-team-wellingtons-toptwo-hopes