Miramar tear out heart of Vale
BEAMING from ear to studded ear, Valerio Raccugila came out of the changing room looking like he had won a scratchy.
But something still bothered the Miramar Rangers coach after his troops thumped Cru Bar Maycenvale United 4-0 in their Central League soccer match in Hastings yesterday.
‘‘All we need now is for Italy to win,’’ said the Italian before the European Championship final this morning between Spain and Italy.
One of his poker-faced sidekicks at the foyer of the changing rooms at the Hawke’s Bay Sports Regional Park replied: ‘‘Maybe, maybe.’’
The influence of the Azzuri style of play was obvious among the Wellingtonians who slowly, but surely, tore the heart out of the Dion Adams-coached Vale.
The visitors, blessed with speed and skills on the wings in the form of Michael Fifi and Allen Chote, used their licence to thrill.
When Chote hobbled off early in the second half and Fifi followed, icing his hamstring on the bench not long after, fans could have been excused for thinking it might have been time to watch the wisp of smoke rising on the horizon in the backdrop of the Havelock North hills.
Dead wrong. Substitute Brook Tozer, like a foal given the spread of the paddock for the first time in isolation from its mare, gave a glimpse of what Raccugila has in his winter stocks.
The Rafael De Gregoriocaptained Vale rode the luck of poor finishing from the Rangers but all that changed in the 32nd minute when Chote drilled in what can best be described as a soft goal as four Vale defenders were reduced to pedestrians inside the 18m box.
Vale goalkeeper Matt Gould could do nothing a minute later when striker Sam Mason-Smith tapped in a well-timed cross from point-blank range to increase Miramar’s lead to 2-0.
Whatever coach Adams said at the breather, the hosts showed a bit more zest at the start of the second spell.
Midfielder Joshua Margetts smashed a volley from a freekick in the 57th minute for Vale’s first decent shot on target but Miramar keeper Joe Morris was equal to the occasion, parrying the ball over the cross bar. The deflection from the ensuing cornerkick found centre-mid Leon Birnie but the veteran’s shot, which sailed over the crossbar, was nothing but wishful thinking from 30m out.
Mason-Smith put the Rangers up 3-0 in the 77th minute after receiving a lollipop cross from Tozer.
Three minutes later Miramar right winger Dominic Rowe, whose England-based father hails from Hawke’s Bay, made it 4-0.
Tozer, again, did all the hard work inside the 18m box before unselfishly pushing a pass to a teammate who keeper Gould denied before Rowe latched on to the deflection to put Vale out of their misery.
Raccugila made no secret of his plan.
‘‘From the start we wanted to keep the ball as long as we can and we are good with that.
‘‘We wanted to work the ball and let the other team run.’’
The beauty of the Rangers this winter, he said, was the ability of players to slot in to numerous positions on the foundation of a passing philosophy.
‘‘If one gets injured or he has to come off for some other reason then the quality of the team remains the same,’’ he said, happy to keep winning to stay in touch with the table toppers as well as keeping their hopes alive in the Chatham Cup (knockout) tournament.
Miramar play Stop Out this Saturday in the fourth round while Bluewater Napier City Rovers take on Lower Hutt City at Fraser Park, Wellington, in the fourth round.
De Gregorio said Vale created two opportunities in the first half but were limited to shots from outside the 18m box.
He accepted goals came from defensive errors.
‘‘I think we’re playing reasonable football for periods, better than the start of the season, but, again, for five-minute spells we’re not making the right decisions, including myself,’’ the captain from Wellington said.
‘‘That is what happens in this league— you get punished for making mistakes.’’
Sitting last on the Central League table, Maycenvale are floundering in their second season of the top winter competition amid speculation only one Bay team will be allowed to remain next season.
‘‘Obviously the priority is to stay in this league and I think they have the foundation to do good things in this area but, again, we have to produce things as players on the park.’’
De Gregorio said the coach could only influence players in training but once they ran on to the park it was the players’ challenge to make a difference.
‘‘To this point and time we’ve not made that difference. Where we are on the league is probably where we deserve to be.’’
This weekend’s match against Western Suburbs, three points immediately above Vale on the table, will determine who’ll finish last.
The crowd support, De Gregorio said, lifted the spirit of his troops who were showing progress, albeit slowly.
Having Vale in the league was vital for youngsters who did not make the cut for the Rovers.