Petone For Sure 3- Wellington United Salmon 4

Petone For Sure 3- Wellington United Salmon 4

(Halftime 2-2)

Te Whiti Park

Scorers:
Craig Ireson (3)
Jonathon Hudson

MOM Points:

Jonathon Hudson -3pts

Michael Ashby – 2pts

Craig Ireson-1pt

Salmon were looking very short on Friday with only 9 players available- a call to the club was met with some reinforcements from the Elite and former Salmon Jonathon Hudson, who now plays for the Third team.

To add to the sense of disorganisation Capital Football had double booked us on Petone #2 so moved us to 12.30, then decided to move us again to the lush League pastures of Te Whiti Park.

So it was almost a result in itself that at 12.00 we had a full squad of 14 turn up, with Wazza making his 2012 debut.

Within 2 minutes Salmon had opened the scoring, something we were not used to doing so soon. Jessup sent a carefully weighted through ball over the defence for Jonathon to run onto, and run he did. He drove towards the near post, drawing out the keeper before rolling it across the box to Craig who slotted a simple left footed tap in.

Salmon then took the ascendancy, winning plenty of ball in the middle and releasing the wings for romps. Despite the organised manner it was a disorganised Petone defence which contributed to the second. Steve Westcott put a ball through for Craig, which was intercepted by the Centre Back on half way. Confused and under pressure he turned and played it into the path of Craig who took it in his stride and pushed past the cover defence to score a 1v1 against a now very irate Petone keeper. Craig was played in for a third after Jonathon picked him out with a pin point chip into the box, but the keeper smothered the rushed shot.

To their credit Petone scrambled, and with the strong wind at their backs picked up a first against the run of play with a long, looping cross –shot from the left.

With ten to go until the break Petone got a comic equaliser, as Richard M. and the defence got the wires cross and their head-banded striker, a ring in from Miramar no less, got between them to head into the goal. The comedy came from Tom H. and Adam H. falling over themselves to usher the ball into the goal, fighting a losing battle as the wind pushed the ball onward.

Petone pushed for a third but Salmon held out; it was probably a fair reflection of the half that it was a deadlock but the wind was worth at least one goal in the second half.

And so it transpired. The next 35 minutes were all Orange- The Elite lads really played their part, as did Ashby, running hard and pressuring the middle of the park. The third came from a wind assisted long ball which Craig took around the keeper for another tap in.

The goals could have kept coming but for a few smart saves from the agile For Sure keeper. Matt Fulton could have had his seconds for the season when he narrowly missed from a corner. The fourth goal came from Wazza marauding down the left wing; a cross was pushed onto the post by Fulton and the rebound fell kindly to Jonathon at the far post for a tap in. 4-2 with 15 to go and the salmon were in cruise control.

But it wasn’t to be a cruisy end after another mix up at the back allowed their bandanna’d predator a second goal with 9 to play. Salmon now went backs to the wall as Petone pushed for the equaliser. It would have been a travesty had they found it as Salmon were the better team throughout the day save for a few key moments. Just like against the Meke Salmon managed to hold out and took all three points, climbing back up the table to fourth.

Well done lads, the challenge is now to back it up with an even better performance this coming Saturday at Melrose against the youthful North Wellington.

Precious Point Prised from Petone

Petone Chuggers 3- Wellington United Salmon 3
Halftime 3-3)
Petone Memorial #2

Scorers:
Matthew Fulton
Craig Ireson
Richard Morrison

MOM:
Richard Morrison- 3pts
Simon Healy- 2pts
Matthew Fulton- 1pt

Match report from John Dow, with help from Craig


PRECIOUS POINT PRISED OUT OF PETONE

The sometimes Mighty Salmon faced a motivated and focused Petone Chuggers team on a windswept park in Petone and came away with a meritorious draw on Saturday July 9.

After 2 weeks of cancelled games the team was keen to get its 2011 campaign back on track and to get some much needed points on the board as the end of the season is rapidly approaching and with it the very real threat of relegation to Division 10 for 2012 alongside the hapless Terrace who have yet to win a match.

The selectors went for a 4-5-1 formation with Squirt playing the attacking midfield role which seems suited to his style of play, providing a very useful and effective outlet for the rest of the team to play to in the elusive quest for creating goals.

The central defensive pairing of Kahu and Simon looked strong and the team settled well and was soon on attack.

However, the howling wind blowing straight across the park in inconsistent gusts and a slightly boggy pitch was making control of the ball difficult and a Chugger player on the edge of the area lashed a hopeful shot on target that moved sharply and the keeper was beaten. 1-0 Chuggers.

The Salmon were undaunted and went straight back on the attack, pushing players forward and stretching the Chuggers defence and when Wozza made a strong run into the penalty area and knocked the ball across the goal Fulton reacted quickest and guided the ball onto the inside of the post and the team’s were 1-1.

Adam who had been having a strong game at right back was switched for Danny who came into the midfield while Wozza moved into the defence.

Danny who has been like a fish out of water playing in a different side this season discovered his natural home in the Salmon midfield and his running game and close ball control put the Chuggers under pressure and the Salmon started to get on top. Squirt who had been working hard and looking dangerous put a great ball through to Craig which split the defence and created a one on one chance which was well taken and the Salmon were in front and dominating in many aspects of the game.

The Chuggers then rallied and pushed forward with real purpose and a speculative effort from out wide was picked up by the wind and flew into the back of the net and the team’s were again level.

Sensing they were getting some momentum the Chuggers pushed hard and another well taken shot from distance found the net and it was 3-2 to the home side.

As the first half was coming to an end the Salmon got forward in numbers and Ashby, with typical doggedness and speed, forced a freekick just outside the box and out wide. Craig spotting the Chuggers defence was disorganised knocked the ball in towards the near post for Squirt to dash in front of a fullback and slip the ball home for a well deserved goal and half time score of 3-3.

A half time call to arms put the team in the right head space for a second half battle that so very nearly produced a great away victory as a number of chances fell the Salmon’s way as the players all rose to the occasion determined to at least hold on to the draw and potentially snatch a winner.

Craig hit a couple of shots wide of the mark from good positions and the midfield worked tirelessly right across the park with Squirt, Danny and Jeremy constantly in the action, successfully supported by Kahu and Wozza getting forward on occassions, all trying to push the team goalwards and winning possession from a Chuggers team who were also keen to get 3 points themselves.

Fulton was full of his usual running and was rewarded for getting into an excellent goalscoring position with his first half goal and Ashby also showed some real pace out wide and also got into a great position to score the winning goal late in the game but an awkward pass stopped him producing the required killer finish. James showed some ability on the ball out wide in the second half and Dave’s strong defensive play on the left also included dangerous runs down the wing on attack. Adam also burst back onto the field in the second half and quickly rekindled his dominating play from early in the match. John Dow chipped in with his own goal saving scramble, showing the hunger and determination which personified the fighting fish.

The defence ably organised by Simon, despite being subject to regular changes of personnel through the intelligent use of rolling substitutes, never allowed the intensity or focus to drop, successfully forcing the Chuggers to shoot from long range, and keeping them scoreless in the second half.

However, not for the first time this season the team watched in awe as Keeper Richard pushed a top class long range strike over the bar. With about 10 minutes to go this great effort kept the side on track for a well deserved draw and in larger stadiums around the world would have produced a standing ovation from the visiting fans.

The Salmon adopted their tactics to suit the wind and were smart in never pushing up too much nor sitting too deep to invite attacks- tactically it was the most astute we have played this season. If the bounxe of the ball had gone our way and had Danny, Craig and Ashby all finished their half chances, or had their laissez-fair Ref pointed to the spot after a deliberate trip on Craig in the box late in the 2nd half then the full 3 points would have swum back across the harbour.

Overall though a well deserved hard fought away point that keeps the Salmon alive and within striking distance of the Legends who scraped a rare win against the bottom placed Terrace.

With 2 regular season matches against the Tawa Bears set to determine the Salmon’s fate for 2011 the team is starting to show the combinations, commitment, goal creating and scoring attributes of a side very capable of competing with any team in this division and getting results.

Can the Salmon build on this performance and prove they can play at another level and beat the Bears ??

Will the goalscoring chances keep being created and converted ( 5 goals scored in the last 2 games) ??

Can the defence continue to put attacks under severe pressure and deny them goal opportunities ??

Will the return of Lane "The White Kenyan' Nichols from his New York sojourn herald a Dom Post media frenzy in the plight of the Salmon?

& will Danny realise that he looks better in Orange than Green and White stripes and come back to his old school??

A result at last!

Petone Chuggers 3- WU Salmon 3

A really good game, a draw was a fair result- more to follow

Salmon win in the wind & rain

Salmon won 3-0 against Petone Stewsmum, to put clear air (5 pts) between oursleves and them at the foot of the table.
Craig scored twice and Danny once in the first hallf and then ground out a second half stalemate to pick a well-deserved 3 pts.
MOM Wazza for an inspired game in central midfield.

More to follow....

Petone Stewsmum v. WU Salmon -Match report

Petone Stewsmum 0- Wellington United Salmon 1
(HT- 0-1)

Petone Memorial Park
1/5/2010

Team:
............Kahu..........
Richard....Simon...Warrick....Dave
Adam....Danny...Lane...Ben...Nigel
..........Craig.....

Subs:
Enrico
Cameron
Daniel Mitchener

Scorers:
Craig

MOM points:
Adam-3
Craig- 2
Ben- 1

At long last WU Salmon managed to put together two consecutive halves of football to grind out a very well deserved 1 nil win over old rivals Petone Stewsmum.

After conceding 15 goals in the previous two weeks (12 of those in the second half) it was fantastic to get a clean sheet, and even better to pick up three points.

An amped up Wgtn Utd Salmon took to a pristine Petone Memorial #1 in beautifully still conditions. The game plan revolved around tight defence and patient counterattack, with a five man midfield given a defensive brief, allowing a lone striker to patrol the line.

The plan was enacted perfectly- Salmon started much the stronger, as we have in all our previous games. This time however we did not let this lull us into a false sense of entitlement to the points, if we went into the 80th minute at 0-0, well that would be fine.

However there was a sense that a Salmon goal would come, after Craig asked early questions of their keeper, driving low shots into the corners from distance. Danny also had a great early chance, deciding to try and round the keeper, but being snaffled by a two footed lunge from their quite agile custodian, and Lane was making good runs into the box from deep.

Craig won a free kick after being taken out with a shoulder barge while through on goal- 3 metres closer and it would have been a spot kick- the cynical foul riled up the skipper.

The break came after 30 minutes or so. Ben played Craig in on the edge of the box, and Craig skipped across the top of the box, took one look up and curled a shot around the defence and into the right hand corner- After testing the keeper at the near post, the knockout blow came at the far.

1-0 and Salmon had a deserved lead from all their pressing. In fact Kahu was underemployed in goal with the Petone long ball game plan failing to trouble Wazza and Simon, and the Stewsmum wingers haven’t difficulty getting past a double team of Adam/Richard and Nigel/Dave on the flanks.

At the half time break it was all about maintaining intensity and staying focused- one half does not make a game.

The second half was as expansive as the first, but this time Petone started to find some groove with their game plan. However Ben dropped deeper to sweep in front of the back four, and the use of our fresh legs, in particular Dan and Cam, meant that the quick counter attack was not catching us short. The best chance of the half began from deep as aforty yard through ball from Ben deep inside our half was met by Craig, steering it past the last man and bearing down on the keeper. The skipper chose the wrong option, shooting wide when Danny was free in the middle. Ben had the next best chance, popping a shot from the edge of the area which looked certain to go min, their keeper pulling off a fine save to claw it out for a corner.

As the clock ticked down it seemed as though the early misses might come back to haunt us, as Petone now started to throw more bodies, and longer balls, forward. Desperate defence from Adam, including a cynical shoulder on the touchline (still not as cynical as Petone denying a goal scoring chance in the first half) meant that it seemed likely that Salmon would finish with all three points. The few corners they got were ably defended, including a fine take from Kahu in the crowded box.

With three minutes to go Petone had one last chance, getting into the box, but Simon swept in to clear for a corner. Every Orange shirt crowded the box, and as the ball feel tantalizingly at the feet of the Petone forwards a rugby style ruck and maul ensued, Wazza managed to clear but only as far as the edge of the area – the resulting cross was met with a powerful diving header to safety by Danny- such commitment encapsulating the Samon’s determination.

The ball fell at last to Craig’s feet outside the box, and having watched one too many Inter Milan games he set off for the corner flag, despite the fact that Lane was calling for a simple pass in the centre circle. A throw in was won and Adam and Craig ran down the clock well away from the Salmon goal.

It wasn’t always pretty, and it could have been a bigger margin but a 1 nil win is a real football score, and it was great to be on the right side of it-Well done Salmon, everyone deserves to take heart from this- especially the defence who held firm- three points to Adam Holloway who had his best ever game in an unfamiliar position, providing great attacking ball and supporting Rich in defence. 2 points for Craig for tactical nous and a winning goal, and one point to Ben for directing traffic in the middle, and sweeping up the rubbish.

C’mon Salmon- the first battle has been won, but the war goes on!