Wednesday, 08 September 2010
WHAKATANE Town have seen another title slip beyond their grasp with their second straight home defeat on Saturday.
They went down 1-0 to Taupo at Rex Morpeth Park, which leaves the Pullar Builders side in third place on the Waikato Bay of Plenty federation league. Whakatane have three games left and are 12 points adrift of league-leaders Claudelands.
Three weeks ago the team had a perfect home record, an undefeated streak of 11 matches and were primed for an end-of-season charge. But football can be a cruel game.
In the last three matches Whakatane have suffered losses, two of them at home, and have scored just one goal. Prior to the slump they averaged nearly 3.5 goals per match. It was also just the third time this season that Whakatane have been held scoreless.
It is a familiar theme for the Whakatane side, who found themselves in a similar position last year and ended the season in third place.
Saturday’s game was locked at 0-0 at halftime and the visitors scored in the second half from a corner. Whakatane’s player of the day was Paul Taylor.
In the Bay of Plenty first division, Gary Fowell Builders Plains Rangers gave Papamoa a 5-2 lesson at Awakeri.
It was their fourth consecutive league win and combined with two CNS Cup wins, they have not lost since June.
The match against Papamoa had Rangers stick to their combinations and play good football butthey were given a boost at the start. The visiting keeper dropped a regulation cross and Cameron Wills reacted quickly to turn it into the net.
Papamoa evened the scores as they started to find some rhythm, Rangers found another goal when Barrie Hawkes fed Ben McPherson who headed over the keeper. But Papamoa levelled the score again before halftime.
In the second half Rangers controlled their play better with some flowing attacking moves. McPherson set up James Krause with a good pass, and Krause rounded the keeper to score. Injuries in the Rangers defence meant a reshuffle, but they held their shape well, with substitute Adam Mayor making some good tackles.
Rangers’ centre midfielders Christian Wetting and Ben Fretwell combined well to give Krause another chance which he finished and then McPherson capped off a good day with his second goal. Rangers improved second half earned them the three points and maintained third place with one league game left.
Rangers’ coach Aaron Muggeridge was pleased with his team’s second half performance and named Hawkes player of the day. His concern will be making sure the team is injury free for the CNS Cup final against Katikati on September 18. They have no game scheduled this weekend.
Also in the Bay of Plenty first division, Whakatane Town’s second team had a 1-0 loss to Otumoetai. The loss kept Whakatane in fifth place, nine points behind Rangers.
In the second division, Whakatane went down 7-2 to a rampant Opotiki at Waioweka Domain.
The Whakatane team have some cup action ahead of them however, when they play in the final of the CNS Bowl after a 4-2 win over Otumoetai 3. They will play at Tauranga on September 18.
On Sunday the Chiropractic Centre Whakatane women’s team had a 1-1 draw with Taupo to go top of the Bay league.
The Whakatane team have lost just one game this season, scoring 52 goals while conceding just six.