Western Suburbs have grabbed the Central League ascendancy with an impressive 5-1 win over Wairarapa United. The season-defining clash at Endeavour Park on Sunday saw the top two sides in the league start the match separated by one point on the ladder, but it’s now Wests who have a four-point buffer with six games to go. They did it with some sublime second half football after two moments of individual brilliance from Wests’ Elijah Just and Wairarapa’s Paul Ifill had seen the sides go into halftime locked at 1-1.
Wairarapa started the second half the better, but the turning point came when Wairarapa defender Daniel Allen brought down Just in the box 68th minute, with Owen Parker-Price slotting the spot kick.
From there it was the Callum McCowatt show. The classy winger scored a 17-minute hat-trick with three finishes of the highest order. It started in the 73rd minute when he curled a sumptuous shot to the top-right corner from the left edge of the box, before nabbing his second and third in the final three minutes. Between those last two goals, Wairarapa’s Taylor Hall-Jones and Cameron Lindsay earned themselves few admirers with rash challenges that were lucky to be punished with only yellow cards.
Wests coach Declan Edge said the work at the defensive end was just as good as the attack, with his side now having conceded just 12 goals in as many league games. “We’ve only conceded one goal in the game. Everything has been built around this appetite to not let the other team score.”
Edge was disappointed to see the two flying challenges late in the game. “I think they lost the plot a bit at the end, which was a shame because it was a fair game up until then.”It is tough. Don’t forget that was a bunch of New Zealand players [Wests] playing against a highly-paid amateur team [Wairarapa]. They’re not going to like what we did to them.”
Wairarapa coach Phil Keinzley said his side lost their shape in the second half, but credited Wests for playing well and taking their opportunities. However, he said the league was far from over. “I’ve been in worse positions than this before and we’ve come back and won. It’s just learning from today really.”
Article credit to Liam Hyslop at The Dominion Post. For the full article, click here.
