Reserves Towel Up Waiuku In Wet Weather

Wednesday, 08 June 2011 11:48

After a bruising encounter against top of the table Ellerslie last week, the Beachlands Maraetai AFC Reserve team returned to Te Puru to play Waiuku, determined to regain their recent form and rediscover their passing prowess. Influential midfielder Mark Laidlaw failed to recover from the previous week's game but would have felt at home in the dismal conditions. The driving rain and bitter wind just like a summers day in Leith. He was replaced by Team USA lookalike and ab flex cover boy Sean Langford. The team was also blessed with the services of fellow glamour first team squad player James Gibbs in goal for the first half.

With eight games of the season gone the formation has settled into a 3-5-2 shape. The back three of Justin Irvine, Mark Bignell and Josh Robinson have been working excellently together over recent weeks and meant far fewer goals have been recorded against us. Caid Szopa and Paul Startin were tasked with charging up and down on the wings. Sean, Ross Murphy and Brent Couper played thru the middle and Woody and Reid Szopa started up front.

In relentless rain and with both teams wearing white and blue the first passages of the game were far from fluid. Controlling the play was difficult but with the work rate of Sean and Ross, BMAFC were shading possession. Waiuku, however, did look threatening on the counter attack down the flanks. After 30 minutes of deadlock coach Tim Bateman was looking at making a change. He was reluctant to take young Caid off as the feeling was he might just do something amazing. Just then, Caid did something amazing. A BMAFC attack was repelled by Waiuku with the ball cleared back outside the penalty area. Caid took a touch and then unleashed an unstoppable shot passed the keeper. The balcony of the clubrooms erupted, where the first team were watching from.

The goal gave BMAFC added intent and from that moment the team really began to dominate. With the half winding down coach Bateman brought on Michael Bateman and Tim Alderdice for the Szopa twins. The move paid instant dividends as Tim turned in a pass from Woody to record his first goal for the team. 2-0 at the break.

With Sean and James returning to prepare for their first team game (cheers for the help lads!), there was some concern that the team might lose their impetus. However, Tom Hinton proved more than capable with the gloves and with Paul slotting into central midfield the team continued to dictate proceedings. Relishing his role as playmaker Paul put thru some clever passes that unlocked the defense several times. From one of these passes Tim secured his second goal with a left-footed chip over the keeper. There were suggestions that it was an intended pass to Couper on the far post but that seems pretty unlikely.

The majority of the second half was played in the Waiuku third of the pitch. The biggest barrier to further goals was the immense puddle that had developed around the penalty spot. Some fairly farcical scenes of players thrashing about in the water like shark attack victims ensued. Eventually, though Woody curled one high into the net to continue an impressive scoring record for the team. Complacency has hurt the team in the past (the shadow of the Bucklands Beach capitulation still fresh) but the intensity of the play never wavered. There was still time at the end for some Couper handbags after he was upended and also for Tom to make an excellent one handed save right at the end of the game.

A deserved 4-0 result with the team recording 3 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses at the halfway point of the season. Its back to Te Puru next week for a 1pm kick off against Three Kings.

By Tim Alderdice

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