Salmon 2011 Season Wrap & Awards

Wgtn Utd Salmon 2011
League Placing= 7th/8, on goal difference, equal 6th/8 on points
Cup Placing= 6th

Player of the Season
Simon Healy- A consistently solid performer

Runner up=Jeremy Norman

Spirit of the Salmon
Warrick Jackson-Two goals and full of passion

Runners up= Craig Ireson/Richard Hallam

Fresh Fish- Best newcomer
Richard Martin- Great athleticism and organising, clever distribution

Runner up= Matthew Fulton

2011 Inductee into Order of the salmon- aka Life Membership:
Warrick Jackson

Who now joins:
Nic Preddle (2007)
Craig Ireson (2008)
Kahu Kirikiri (2009)
Adam Holloway (2010)

Golden Boot
Craig Ireson- 18 Goals

Silver Boot
Matthew Fulton-4 Goals

Lisa Simpson Award for Attendance
Craig Ireson/John Dow- 17 games each

Steve Austin Awards for commitment over and above
Warrick Jackson- Twice turning up injured or sick to play and/or ref (v.s Bears and v.s Karori)
Michael Ashby for restoring Salmon pride with a blinding, literally blinding, naked 400 metre spring and getting 2nd place.

Game of the Year

The last minute draw against Uni in the mud was very enjoyable, but not a pretty sight. The two draws against Legends, the first game of the Season and the cup draw, were also very enjoyable. But the last game of the league against the Bears, a 3-1 win was the game of the season. A scratch team playing out of position, an early goal to the Bears, a fight back, a sending off, a hattrick to the skipper and 3pts which put tipped us into double figures. What a game.

Goal of the Year

Take your pick from two of Rowan's- the first goal against the Legends,a top corner screamer, or his header against the Saints from a pin point Ireson cross, or Jeremy's top corner belter against the Saints (admittedly a very scant consolation goal). but really I'd personally find it hard to go past my own effort against the Terrace at Te Whaea. I have now scored 152 goals for the Salmon and this would be in the top three. A quick team move to set me free, then three cut backs inside to enter the box to unleash a chip into the far right corner. It was an important goal as well, taking us back into the lead after the Terrace started to gain some traction after a jammy equaliser.

Miss of the year
Runner Up-Ashby had a blinding chance to open his account against the Beavers at Nairnville- A Fulton cross having him 1 on 1 against their stand in keeper, but his first touch bounced it softly into the keepers gloves, when the whol goal beckoned.

Winner- Well, when you have scored 18 goals in a season you have to miss a few right? A lofted free kick from Simon against the Petoen Foresure at Wakefield bounced into my path 4 yards out. I missed. Petone won the game, Boo.

Orange Roughy Award for seeing red:
Ants the Cambodian Assasin with a round house swing against the Bears, which thankfully missed
Runner up: the original Orange Roughy Johnny Sneyd, with his hot temper against the Bears

Actually maybe the Bears are the link here?

Opposition of the Year
Seatoun Gulls
Very good team, and gracious with it, bet us both times we played although we gave them a run for their money

Word up! Cameo of the Year

Danny made three nice cameos, and Rowan played four games and scored four. Scott Dunkerly from the Ressies played twice and had a great game against the Bears. Craig Stewart scored in his only appearance against the Rovers.
I was going to give it to Rowan, but I think Dali was our cameo of the year. Two Games (v.s Legends and Vs. Bears) and he kept the step overs to a minimum and defended well. The best two games he has played for us.

Summary:
Not a great season, but not the worst- Great team spirit as always, some classic results, som stunnign goals, only two real capitulations, both against Upper Hutt. There is enough there to suggest that the best is yet to come from this team, so lets consolidate, keep fit, stay in touch and hit it hard next year.

Our Cup Run Runneth Over the Rovers

Division 9/10 Cup Round Two
Wellington United Salmon 5- Karori Rovers 0
(Half time 3-0)
Melrose Park

Scorers:
Craig Ireson (3)
Craig Johnston
Warrick Jackson

MOM:
James Stewart- 3 pts
Warrick Jackson- 2 pts
Adam Holloway- 1 pt

Great result Salmon; yes, more goals were on offer and at times we seemed somnambulant but we kept a clean sheet despite having some key players out and we took five of our chances which was more than enough to see the Rovers off.
We did all this despite illness, hangovers and injury plaguing our squad as well as unseasonable sunshine making Melrose a sweaty cauldron.
On to the match report- ably remembered and written by John Dow, with only a little input from myself:

SALMON SMASH FIVE PAST ROVERS IN PUSH FOR CUP FINAL APPEARANCE

On a Spring like afternoon at Melrose Park the Salmon took the field against a Rovers side known for leaking goals in pursuit of a score that would put pressure on the Legends and Petone leading into the final round next week.

With players injured and unavailable the thin squad was under instructions to take the game to the Rovers and score plenty of goals whilst keeping a clean sheet and a 4-4-2 line up saw Fulton join Captain Craig in the forward line while Kahu took on the goalkeeping with Richard away on business.

The Salmon put Rovers under immediate pressure with Jeremy and Squirt getting the midfield ascendancy and new recruit Convert Craig Johnston, showing some dash down the right flank.

Some quick balls forward had the Rovers defence under pressure and scrambling when a miscued clearance landed at John D.’s feet out on the left.

A pin point cross picked out Jeremy who expertly headed the ball well past the beaten keeper but the ball hit the post and bounced out into the path of Convert Craig who after a rush of blood to the head managed to finally get the ball across the line and the Salmon were in front 1-0.

The Salmon continued to dominate proceedings and playing some good constructive football opened up the Rovers backline who were constantly flat footed and lacking organisation, a few shots went high and wide, plus Captain Craig in 2 efforts straight from the FIFA Fair Play dossier penalised himself for foul play which the Rovers greatly appreciated as he was in dangerous positions both times.

Rovers made a few forays forward including forcing a couple of corners but it was the Salmon who looked the more likely to score.

A loose ball in the midfield was knocked back to James by John D. and his long ball forward had Captain Craig straight through on goal and with a tidy finish Salmon were now 2-0 ahead.

Still Rovers pushed forward and with their striker clean in front of goal and only Kahu to beat he thrashed his shot against the crossbar and the ball flew to safety.

Rovers had a few more corners and were showing they were determined not to lie down.

However it was the Salmon who got Simon and Wazza into the penalty area for a few attacking corners which caused some major problems for the Rovers with one botched clearance landing nicely for Squirt on the edge of the box who lashed it back towards goal but unfortunately too high to cause the keeper a problem.

Another corner saw the ball land on a very firm and forthright part of Wazza’s anatomy, bounce up gleefully into the air, then with great gusto Wazza smashed it into the roof of the net for a much deserved goal and the Salmon were now 3-0 ahead and the Cup Final dream was very much alive.

The Salmon kept searching for the elusive extra goals and just before half time another pin point cross from the left wing floated past Fulton’s head, was completely missed by Captain Craig right in front of goal unmarked and Convert Craig also failed to dispatch a golden opportunity and the Salmon went to the half time break knowing more goals than 3 could easily have been scored.

The team were looking a bit tired as the second half got underway and the Rovers were keen to keep getting forward and sensed they weren’t completely out of the game.

Jeremy and Squirt were trying to get the midfield moving forward at every opportunity and Convert Craig and John D. were getting space on the flanks ably supported by Adam dashing down the right and James very keen to get into the action down the left.

The dominance was starting to convert into corners and a stirling effort from Jeremy was scrambled out the back door for Craig Stewart to pick up. He drove to the bye-line and dinked a short cross into the 6 yard box, where Captain Craig headed home unmarked for his 150th Salmon goal. Salmon ahead 4-0 with plenty of time to play.

Simon and Wazza were controlling the centre of defence and also showing a willingness to put pressure on the Rovers by going forward particularly for corners and freekicks.

Rovers themselves got in to a few scoring situations but some poor finishing, a post and a dominant keeper in Kahu managed to keep them at bay and scoreless.

Hanse, a friend of Fulton's, brought some fresh younger legs onto the field and Convert Craig continued his runs down the right flank which the Rovers struggled with.

A pin point through ball from Adam, afetr he dispossed their winger, was cleared back to the rover's keeper by the left back. The Keeper should have handled it comfortably, but it was seriously misdealt to and Captain Craig in true predatory fashion cheekily slipped it away from him and then sent the ball goalward for a much deserved hat trick and the Salmon were now 5-0 ahead.

A clever tactical move saw Kahu become a keen and eager target man with Captain Craig who was running out of puff donning the keepers jersey determined to keep a clean sheet as the team laid down the challenge to the Legends and Petone through a very solid win.

With Fulton maintaining his high workrate and putting Rovers defenders under pressure, Kahu started causing them other problems as he made himself available for the ball, held it up and managed to set play up or create scoring chances, in contrast to the play of Salmon’s usual striker.

A cross from John D. found Kahu’s head in the six yard box but Rovers scrambled the ball clear, then in the last play of the game a well constructed move saw Jeremy clean through on goal with only the keeper to beat but he blazed the ball over the bar from 8 yards out and the game was over with Salmon 5-0 victors.

Was such a victory going to be enough to hold off the challenge of group favourites the Legends who expected to smash the Rovers next week and finish with the best goal difference ?

News came through from the Petone Stadium that in fact the Legends and Petone had drawn 3-3 throwing the group wide open with the Salmon on top leading in to the final round.

With Petone only beating Rovers 3-1 in the first round the Salmon are in the box seat with a better goal difference than both rivals and a point more than the Legends too.

A straight win against Petone will catapult the mighty Salmon into the promised land of a glorious Cup Final appearance, regardless of what the Legends might achieve against the Rovers in their last match.

A 1-1 or 2-2 Salmon draw with Petone would give the Legends a chance of finishing top by crunching the Rovers by 5-0 or better.

A 3-3 draw and a 5-0 Legends win would leave both sides exactly equal on goal difference and perhaps a toss of a coin would be required ?

Can this Salmon side who have shown plenty of endeavour, played some good football, fought hard against tough opponents, scored quality goals and defended stoutly throughout the season ( with the odd lapse in form and attitude) finish 2011 with an appearance in a glorious Cup Final and with it the chance of winning some silverware ??

Revenge is a dish best served cold

Wellington United Salmon 3 - Tawa Bears 1
(Half Time 1-1)
Onepoto #2

Scorer: Craig (3)

MOM
Craig -3pts
Jeremy - 2pts
John Dow - 1pt

Revenge is a dish best served [on a] cold [day], they say, and Salmon got the chance to avenge a 4-1 loss to our auld enemy the Bears within 4 days. This was a great result, coming as it did against so much adversity. a thin squad, a moment of madness which almost resulted in Salmon going to ten men, a typically soft early goal and the team being asked to play out of position- e.g. Richie Hallam on the right wing, Craig starting at full back, a midfield consisting of Adam Holloway, John Dow and Stevie Jessup. In fact it was Adam Holloway who suggested that playing out of position contributed to the result as it meant players had to think differently about the game and their role.

Ill leave you now to the match report, written by MOM points winner John Dow, with some missing moments added by me:

BEARS LEFT TO FLOUNDER BY SILKY SALMON

After the Tuesday night 4-1 victory at Wakefield Park the Tawa Bears were salivating at the opportunity to taste another victory over the Salmon in Saturday’s rematch at Onepoto Park in Titahi Bay. In fact they had said as much on their website:
"We now have 2 catch up games against the team second to last on the table so would hope to get 6 points out of that. This gives us a real chance to get back some goal difference". They must have short memories since Salmon have often proved spoilers, bug bears if you will, to Tawa's hopes.

With player defections due to travel and injury a depleted Salmon squad looked decidedly vulnerable to the voraciously hungry Bears in a match played in a howling gale but on a reasonably well preserved pitch deemed to be a home ground for the Newtown Park based team.

A late signing from the Reserves, Scott Dunkerly, who had debuted for the Salmon earlier in the season offered a positive sign that the team would have some good, skillful young legs going forward and Ants from Cambodia and Dali from Assyria provided some extra international flavour to a team that was going to need to battle hard for the full match with minimal rolling subs capability in the demanding physical conditions.

With regular keeper Richard unavailable, Kahu for the second time this season stepped into the Goalkeeping role and proceeded to take control of the penalty box and defensive organisation winning everything in the air and getting great distance with his kicking game that quickly turned defence into attack, putting the Bears under considerable pressure.

With Wazza the Whistler deciding to take charge of proceedings through a different role than his usual midfield position his leadership skills were soon called into action when some good old fashioned biffo broke out very early in the game after a Bear appeared to try and strangle Salmon fullback Ants. After a brief flurry of punches and rolling around on the ground our intrepid Referee had no hesitation in banishing both players to the sideline and their playing afternoon was over. (Except that whiel ants was in fact banished, their player did make a come back-CI).

Although playing with the powerful wind the Bears were struggling to create genuine scoring chances and the Salmon were holding their ground well in the midfield and pushing quickly onto attack whenever the opportunity arose. The Salmon defence were soaking up the pressure and clearing the ball well with Simon providing his usual high quality organisational ability ably supported by his fellow defenders, which included a cameo central defensive appearance from Captain Craig.

The Bears managed to grab a goal when the defence were slow to clear the ball, there playemaking #8 collecting the bal in the middle and dispatching to Kahu's right in one sweeping move. Captain Craig started his mission to move further up the park, first showing up in the midfield for a spell before moving back into his customary role as the main striker.

However, the Salmon battled hard throughout and some quick passing from John D. and Jeremy saw Adam clean through on goal and a similar move had Scott looking likely but neither effort hit the target.

Some further strong Salmon play into the difficult wind saw a series of corners won and a couple of half chances eventuated when the Bears struggled to clear the ball from the ensuing crosses.

With Dali slotting in well at right fullback and showing confidence to weave his way forward in support of Richard H. who was creating pressure down the right flank and with Scott living on the ball, and taking players on, the momentum was with the Salmon despite the wind advantage to the Bears.

With Jeremy winning a lot of ball in midfield and pushing forward at every opportunity and John D. playing an old style “Connectero” role for the first time this season the Bears were struggling to dominate and get their combinations going in the way they had done so successfully on Tuesday night.

Adam and Dave got some good moves happening down the left which was difficult into such a strong wind and when a well constructed left sided move, and a final pass from Jeremy, presented Captain Craig with time on the ball in a good position he produced a devastatingly effective shot from distance that left the keeper stranded and the Salmon had got the goal the whole team deserved.

A 1-1 halftime scoreline proved a winning platform for the Salmon cause as it soon became apparent the wind advantage was considerable and the Bears had failed miserably to make the most of it during the first half.

With Kahu in imperious form in goal and when required kicking the ball nearly the length of the field, the defence covering and smothering everything thrown at them, the midfield holding a strong line across the park and pushing the ball through into dangerous positions on a regular basis and the flank players getting down the line and threatening the Bears defence, it was clear the Tawa team were in trouble and they completely lost their grip on the game.

However, could the Salmon forwards take their chances and win the game for their side ?

A stunning through ball from Richie H. had the Bears defence split wide open ,allowing Scott D to skipn through for a 1v1 opportunity. He shot low and hard but the competent Ursine custodian got a paw to it and pushed it wide. However Captain Craig was following up like a gamekeeper turned poacher, and tapped the ball into the empty net with his left peg. Salmon 2-1.

The Bears were now growling at each other and finding life unbearably difficult as they were running out of ideas and options to score any goals despite plenty of effort and desire.

Another excellent ball through from Jeremy this time and Captain Craig dashed into the area, rounded the keeper and put the ball away to complete his hattrick. Salmon 3-1 and the Bears were left to flounder.

With 10 minutes remaining Wazza the Whistler couldn’t resist the temptation to make another big call and brought himself on for Steve J. who had played an excellent match in both midfield and defence, and Wazza set about closing the game out with some good solid tackling and hard work which was everything the Bears didn’t want to have to deal with at that stage of the game.

As the Salmon maintained their composure and structure in a frantic last few minutes the Bears couldn’t deliver anything of consequence or effect and the Salmon walked off with a very deserved and well constructed victory, with some wise and experienced campaigners claiming this was the best match and result of season 2011 to date.

Can the Salmon build on this newly discovered structure and winning form and now put together a great Cup run ?

Will the Salmon scoring chances continue to be carved out on a consistent basis and the conversion rate be maintained ?

Is there still some quality life and mileage in some of the older legs that a full 90 minutes of play would have helped reignite ?

Will Captain Craig’s goalscoring prowess continue on and lead the Salmon to the promised land of victory in the forthcoming Cup competition ?

Fight left in the fish

Wellington United Salmon 2- Seatoun Gulls 4
(Halftime 1-3)
MacAllister Park

Scorers:
Craig Ireson
Matthew Fulton

MOM Points
Richard Martin - 3 pts
Michael Ashby - 2pts
Simon Healy/Kahu Kirikiri - 1 pt each

Match report from John Dow:


GULLS PICK OFF SALMON IN THRILLER

Wellington United’s top team scored an emphatic 5-2 Chatham Cup win on Saturday afternoon that has propelled the club into the round for the last 16 nationwide as the only Wellington side still in this prestigious competition. Led by skillful Argentinian striker Emiliano Tade, it was his compatriot Alva Pumpido who crashed home a 30 metre freekick that set the team on the road to victory. On Sunday Netherlands professional import Mariska Kogelman scored a late equaliser for the Diamonds Women’s Central League team and twice came close to scoring a winner.

However, it was another of the WU club’s international players, all the way from Newcastle in England, via Bristol, Geordie goalkeeper Richard Martin who turned on an outstanding display of courage and acrobatics to keep the Salmon alive and still thrashing around till late in the match against championship chasers Seatoun Gulls.

Like most Newcastle goalkeepers, Martin saw plenty of action throughout the game as the Gulls pushed forward relentlessly in the first half and with a bit of luck going their way, including a first minute penalty for hand ball which they converted, they moved out to a 3-0 lead and things looked a bit ominous for the Salmon.

However, inspired by Martin’s goalkeeping heroics the Salmon came back into the game, Simon tightened up the backline and started winning the ball ahead of the marauding Gulls, and his fellow defenders started closing down the attackers and setting a more solid foundation to attack from.

Playing Squirt up front alongside Craig worked well as his running off the ball put pressure on their defence and when in possession he was able to hold the ball up in difficult conditions.

Ashby in the midfield, who was using the match as a warm up for running a marathon the next day, showed some real pace and purpose pushing forward and twice got the ball into excellent positions out wide on the left as well as getting Fulton into attacking positions wide on the right.

After playing one great pass out left, Squirt made a fantastic run dragging 3 defenders out of the middle and John D. played a long diagonal ball that cut through the defenders and Ashby who had made an incisive 40 metre sprint nearly found himself clean through on goal.

Another pass was knocked in behind the defence but Craig wasn’t able to check back inside and get clear from his marker with only the keeper to beat.

However, the Salmon were battling hard with Jeremy dominating some of the midfield clashes and winning lots of ball, and the ball broke for Craig to go face to face with the keeper, from what appeared to be an offside position, however after 2 valiant attempts the ball was scrambled for a corner.

John D. clipped the corner to the edge of the 6 yard box and Simon won the ball only to push his header wide of the post.

The Salmon kept pressing, and another WU player with international pedigree, Richie Hallam played a delightful ball through to Craig who put the chance away and the Salmon were back in the game at 3-1 down going in at halftime.

The second half started at a tremendous pace as the Salmon sensed they could get something out of the match and a series of moves forward put the Gulls under serious pressure.

A couple of balls in behind the Gulls defence nearly resulted in clear cut chances but some desperate defence kept them out.

However, when a Gulls player was caught in possession Jeremy’s excellent aggressive challenge won him the ball close to the penalty area and a chance to go for goal beckoned which he keenly took, then unselfishly he played Fulton into an excellent goalscoring position which he calmly converted and the game was 3-2 and anything was now possible.

Some good and thoughtful player rotation kept the Salmon legs reasonably fresh and the team fought hard for the elusive equiliser whilst defending hard as the Gulls pushed forward to try and seal the win.

Kahu who had defended and battled well all afternoon twisted an ankle and was helped from the field.

Steve J. ran and tackled well in the midfield, while Dave A. defended strongly and still managed a few rampaging runs forward in trying conditions.

The team was down to 11 fit players and the pressure was building when the Gulls captain and midfield general steered the ball into the top corner of the net giving the Salmon’s Man of the Match keeper, Richard Martin no chance to save the ball and the Gulls had won 4-2.

A buoyant and mud covered Salmon left the pitch for a hot shower and expertly chilled Corona beer and with thoughts of a match that could have produced a well earned draw against a side chasing the League title.

With the Saints hammering the Legends the Salmon can still salvage their season and push on out of the relegation zone but these close matches will need to start delivering points with only 3 regular season matches left to play.

Who will WU draw in the Chatham Cup as the next round goes fully national ??

Can Mariska score a bundle of goals and keep the Diamonds in the Women’s Central League ??

Will Richard Martin be recalled to St James Park when Alan Pardew watches the Salmon versus Gull’s match on You Tube ??

Will Wycombe Wanderers finally admit they should never have let Richie Hallams go on a free transfer ??

Salmon vs Gulls

Craig
Dave
Rich H
Jeremy
Kahu
Simon
Ashby
Fulton
Richard Martin
Squirt
John Dow
Steve Jessup

Oh dear- a walloping

WU Salmon 1 UH Saints 12
(Half time 0-9)
Melrose

Scorer: Jeremy
MOMPts
Jeremy 3
Terry 2
James Stewart 1

Incredibly hard to put this into words, so thank f*#k i don't have to- John Dow has opted for humour. As much as we were poor, and we were, we also did not have an ounce of luck go our way. The test of character wasn't last weekend it will be next weekend when we have to dust ourselves off and let who ever is unlucky enough to play us next know that we are pissed off.

i think a training is in order _thursday or Wednesday at the Chinese cultural centre- passing and defending will be the main focus.
Lastly, it was a rubbish time to be the club team and have to do bar duty so thanks to those who helped out- especially James and Matthew who stayed til the end- it shows character to hang around after a thumping and sink some beers at the clubby!

Was it our worst ever loss? probably but like i said it will be worse if we let us get to us-

Over to Mr Dow:


BABOONS SILENCED BY SALMON CAPITULATION

Wellington Zookeeper Rupert Ramshaw reported that for the first time in living memory his beloved Baboons were in stunned silence after witnessing the first half capitulation of the once Mighty Salmon against Upper Hutt Saints on Saturday May 30. The 9-0 half time score had left his playful and usually supportive animals in a state of complete shock leading to threats to cancel the popular and usually well attended “ Afternoon Tea Party” for which they are famous.

When word of such a reaction filtered through to Newtown Park, Wellington United historians were searching their books for comparisons of other dark days in the club’s long history.

Established in 1893, WU has nearly 120 years of events, matches, campaigns, victories and humiliations from which to consider this first half annihilation against.

Could this rout be seen alongside the desperately sad occasion when 3 of the club’s finest ever players went down with the Titanic at the end of a long season in 1912 ??

Or the embarrassment the club endured when on that same fateful night, Cyril Vile the second team Coach survived, wearing a dress and wig, by leaping onto a lifeboat using the dubious name of Cybil. For many years after the “Cyril Vile Trophy” was handed out to the season’s individual who had brought the most shame and ridicule to the club each season.

How bad was this first half ?, the only sign of Salmon defensive resistance came when a stray dog parked himself in the 6 yard box for 2 minutes and the Saints momentarily lost confidence and started shooting high and wide.

Perhaps the sound of the half time whistle which was clear, confident and resolute can be noted as not only the best contribution from a Salmon player to this tale of first half woe but also a much awaited relief from the pain and suffering the whole team was experiencing.

First to articulate a remedy and change of approach was Adam who captured the mood and urgency of the situation and exalted the team to tackle the second half as a completely new and fresh challenge.

A move back to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation saw the defence start to become tighter, more committed and in pursuit of a second half clean sheet ably encouraged by the talking of Richard and Dave. Saints suddenly found scoring much more difficult and the team’s started to even up.

Terry started to get on the ball and pushed passes around and keeping possession was suddenly back in vogue despite a few lapses and Salmon gift giving.

However, the real revelation was the hard running and committed play from Jeremy and Wozza who repeatedly won the ball in the middle of the park and kept pushing the team forward at every opportunity.

Jeremy’s all action play saw him match the best the Saints could offer, his defensive work held them at bay, while he also proved a real handful for their defence as he constantly burst forward and proved impossible to contain. His stunning last minute strike a totally deserved outcome for a very impressive half of football, coming from a great set up from Craig.

Wozza also imposed himself on the Saints, winning lots of ball, getting passes forward and in one glorious movement battled through 4 consecutive 50/50 situations before emerging with the ball at his feet near the edge of the area, then impressed with his awareness to see the great run of Fulton who he then played into a clear goalscoring situation and a very real opportunity to score was narrowly missed. Another excellent performance.

A battling second half, although lost 3-1, showed once again that the sometimes Mighty Salmon can actually compete with any team in this division.

However, Upper Hutt demonstrated the importance of combinations, off the ball running, and a positive attacking attitude with lots of talk amongst their players.

While the first half of this match will forever be known in WU history and Zoo folklore as the day the “ Baboons were Silenced” the second half clearly showed what this side is capable of.

How will the Salmon selectors respond to such a comprehensive capitulation ?? They have shown great skill and understanding in turning around other poor performances already this season.
Will the WU club consider reintroducing the “Cyril Vile Trophy” should such a half of football ever be served up again this season.

Will aspects of this first half be included in one of Dave Armstrong’s next plays, appropriately titled “The Descent of Man” ??

Should every individual take a big long hard look at themselves in the mirror the morning of the next match and make a personal commitment to never allowing a repeat of such a footballing travesty ever to happen again ??

Belated match report vs Legends

WU Salmon 0- WU Legends 4
(Half time 0-1)
Melrose Park

MOM Pts
Wazza -3pts
Matthew F-2pts
John Dow/Jeremy- 1pt each

What happens when you have ten the night before a game and have to scramble for players? You end up with 16 and three more on the waitlist!

Three reserves were called in, two of whom ironically played against us for the Legends on opening day, plus we got Danny back although he ended up only reffing and we saw the debut of a Somali chap called Hamsa who is keen to play a bit more for nus.

It ended up being the classic game of two halves thanks to the strong norwester wind- we took the win first half but unfortunatley could not convert- Wazza came closest with a header to the cross bar from a corner- in fact our corners looked good- Legends scored a fine breakaway after we gave away possesion at the back. The young reserves looked good out on the wing- but alas luck and time was not on our side- even the ref was far too neutral, blowing for half time after we won yet another corner! grrr!

Second half and we failed to threaten their goal, rarely ventruing into their defensive third. Legends were too slick and passed their way through us, lobbing Sami twice in goal. Sami actually had a cracker -showing good strength in the air. But, despite all our efforts the challenge petered out once the score got to 3. In fact i think we did well to avoid a 2010 style score blow out to be honest. Wazza gets the MOM for runnign hard and being aggressive in the middle, followed closely by Matthew Fulton. John Dow played well out wide, to be fair to him he spent more time on the bench than his form on the day deserved- and Jeremy put in another good shift at centre back.

So what is it lads? If i could summarise what we need to take the team forward from this slump;

Better tactics suited to our strengths- Richie and I need to think out a better way to play with what we have
Better individual application and discipline regarding the team tactics- once we figure out what we are doing we need you to stick to the plan
Better individual responsibility for the game-take control of your own experience on the day- be ready to play and ready to win, be ready to chase the ball back if you lose it etc.

a belated match report v. Seatoun Gulls

Seatoun Gulls 3- WU Salmon 1
(HT 1-0)

Scorer: Craig

MOM Pts
M. Ashby-3
Terry- 2pts
Simon, James Stewart, Richard Martin- 1 pt each

This was a tough game to go into on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of the Chuggers- as an aside Dave and I went and saw the Chuggers draw with the Terrace and Dave recognised only a handful of the team that beat us- confirming the theory that Chuggers stacked their team for Easter- don't worry lads we'll get 'em in the return.

We were up against a Seatoun side that had won 5 from 5 and had dispatched all other teams with aplomb. The call was to play with the same aggression, focus and determination which earnt us a draw against Varsity.

The first half was even and once the new centre back pairing of Adam and Simon got the communication sorted we looked pretty good- Seatoun snuck a messy one, but the Salmon held their resolve. Richard Martin was clearly on form in goal, pullign off a number of blinding saves. Within due course the Salmon managed to start creating chances with Craig, Squirt, Dave and Fulton all managing to fire off shots, and Ashby causing no small amount of havoc on the left wing. Wazza was dominating in the air and paring well wth Fulton and Terry in the middle

It was a strong finish to the half but ominously we failed to convert with the wind at our backs.

We came out in the second half with the same purpose with which we finished the half and got the break through we had worked for- a quick, intelligent though ball from Terry saw a botched clearance from their left back, Craig snuck in and sombrero-flicked the ball over his head, drew the keeper and rounded him and slotted into the empty net- 1-1 after 55 minutes.

we hada few more chances, not least froma good corner delivered by Squirt- but the same delivery crocked his hamstring and so the attrition rate stepped up- James Stewart was already carrying an injury but battled on, and soon Simon joined the bench after coming to grief in a goal mouth scramble. Salmon were running out of puff and with the sea breeze at their backs the Gulls were coming home strong. However their strikers gave an incredible master class in inept finishing- there were at least 4 clear cut chances that they managed to botch. Couple this with some fantastic rear guard defence from Hallam et al, and more yogic brilliance from Rich Martin and it really seemed like the Salmon were going to hold on for an heroic draw. But then the inevitable happened, with 5 minutes to play Seatoun's wizened midfield general danced throught he defence and slotted home a superb solo goal- Salmon threw caution to the wind and pushed for the equalisier again.
This pulled us out of shape and Seatoun were able to finish another one.

On a positive note we battled hard and were in the game until the 7oth minute when our inuries started to take their toll- yes, we had a lot of luck, or rather Seatoun had very little in front of goal, but in football you have to ride your luck and take your chances. It wasn't our day but if we play like this against the lesser teams then we'll clean up- Apart from Seatoun the division is very close with only 8 pts seperating 2nd place from last. We have the team to finish in the top 3.

On an even more positive note Adam's beer selection was top notch, having dispatched his live-in sommelier to Regional wines and spirits to hand pick some local craft brews- this more than made up for the fact that his cleaner folded the socks without realising they were still wet.

WU Salmon 0 - Petone 5-Match Report

Wellington United Salmon 0 - 5 Petone Chuggers

Man of the match points:
(first mention and a 'virtual 3' goes to Ants, who had played both Saturday and Sunday and was hoping to spend some time on the bench, but ended up playing the full 90 and giving 110% for every minute of it)
3 - Jeremy Norman
2 - Richie Hallam
1 - Richard Martin

Hard to sum this match up, the scoreline certainly doesn't reflect the work and effort put in by the team, but on the other hand we can't feel too hard done by either.

An unexpected no show from the star international ring-in unfortunately put the Salmon on the back foot from the start, with a team very heavily weighted towards defence and only one sub. However we started well, the first forty minutes unfolded with some really solid play from the Salmon, and although Petone had the run of the attacking play, tight marking and constant pressure meant that their shots were miles off the mark.

All was looking good for a clean score sheet heading into half time, but then a glancing header - perfectly weighted to drop into the top right corner - left Richard M with no chance. This was the turning point in the game, and triggered the Petone onslaught. The Salmon didn't seem to lose their hunger, but did start leaving their opponents just a fraction more space to play the ball, and before the whistle had blown the Chuggers had taken another chance well, and again slotted the ball into the top right corner (this time with a cracking left foot drive).

Not long after half time came a third (this time slotted across the goal into the left), then a fourth from a goal-mouth scramble. With all credit to the Salmon, we dug in and managed to shut them out for the next half an hour, but they were running hard down the flanks, getting all their first touches spot on, and piling the pressure on in our side of the pitch. We just couldn't seem to get any of the play up in their half, and couldn't keep it there for more than a few seconds when we did, so almost inevitably they scored the final goal with just minutes on the clock.

In summary, our passing was dreadful, theirs was pinpoint, and that was the main difference between the teams. We just couldn't string anything together or hold any kind of possession in their side of the park (on the rare occasions we got there), which is what eventually killed us. But it wasn't a cricket score, was played in good spirits, and could have been a very different game if we'd had a few more attacking minded players available.

Salmon 1- Beavers 1

The wet track specialists bounce back with a 1-1 draw against the Uni Beavers-Choice!

Team for today

WU Salmon Vs. Upper Hutt Saints
GK- Richard Martin
LB-Rich Hallam
CB-Kahu Kirikiri
CB- Nathan Rattray
LB- John Dow
RW- Jeremy Norman
CM-Warrick Jackson
Cm-Matthew Fulton
LW-Michael Ashby
CF-Rowan Hall
CF- Rowan Hall

Subs:
Steve Jessup
Simon Healy
Richar Morrison
Kieren Love (on debut)

6 point weekend

The Salmon picked up 4 from a possible 6 pts on offer in the opening weekend to be nestled in a comfortable third on the table:

CAPITAL 9:

Tuesday 5 April:
Seatoun Gulls 3 Wgtn Utd Legends 2
Petone Chuggers 1 Tawa Bears 0

Monday 4 April:
Uni Beavers 3 Upper Hutt Saints 1
Wgtn Utd Salmon 4 Wgtn Utd Terrace 1

P W D L GF GA Pts
Uni Beavers 2 2 0 0 12 1 6
Seatoun Gulls 2 2 0 0 5 3 6
Wgtn Utd Salmon 2 1 1 0 7 4 4
Upper Hutt Saints 2 1 0 1 5 3 3
Petone Chuggers 2 1 0 1 1 4 3
Wgtn Utd Legends 2 0 1 1 5 6 1
Tawa Bears 2 0 0 2 1 3 0
Wgtn Utd Terrace 2 0 0 2 1 13 0

WU Salmon 4- WU Terrace1

WU Salmon 4- WU Terrace1
Half time 2-1

3 goals from Craig and a fourth from newbie Squirt sealed the deal in squalid conditions. Well done to Jerms and Simon who battled hard in the middle and a big thank you to Kahu who took the gloves after a no-show from Sami. Now if only Richie Hallam would start putting away a few of his chances from those corners....

Kia kaha boys, a few more gritty wins like this and we'll be sitting pretty

MOM Standings from the weekend

Kahu- 3pts
Craig- 3 pts
Rowan - 2 pts
Jeremy- 2 pts
Matthew Fulton- 1 pt
Simon- 1pt


Golden boot standings
Craig -3
Rowan-2
Fulton-1
Squirt-1

Legends V Salmon- quick update

Salmon drew 3-3 with the Legends in a fast paced entertaining match

Great to get a result first up, well done lads

Salmon Vs Legends- Squad

The season begins anew!

Salmon team for Saturday 2 April

Craig Ireson
Dave Armstrong
Richard Hallam
Jeremy Norman
Kahu Kirikiri
Adam Holloway
Michael Ashby
Matthew Fulton
Nathan Rattray
Sami Yusif
Rowan Hall
John Dow

As it has been said: " Age and Guile beat youth, innocence and a bad haircut"