What an advertisement for insipid football, last nights clash at WIN Stadium was! While I can commend the Kingz defence for holding up against a Wolves side that usually scores at will against my team, both sides contributed to a match that would have turned first time viewers off the game completely. If you have a video of the match I don't recommend watching it. Do the dishes or vacuum the carpets.
And unfortunately Kiwi Cockerill and Nick Theodorakopolis didn't make matters better with one of the most inept commentaries I've ever heard. Cockerill was pretty much passable but the Alphabet man made Murray Mexted (former All Black and now match comments for SKY on rugby for Aussie readers) look absolutely positively in the John Motson class. Theodorakopolis needs some tuition in the art of calling a game or else they should look for another person to do the job. Coming up with comments that would be so obvious to the most retarded of viewers is a plain waste of breath.
The seagulls also disturbed my concentration. It was bad enough last season when I stood behind the goal at WIN taking photos. Can someone move the beach please!
Back to the match. Both sides couldn't hit a barnyard door. The Wolves strikers were woeful whilst Paul "Brains" Urlovic could have stolen the three points in the 89th minute but contrived to miss from three yards out.
Anything other than a draw would have a travesty as no side deserved to take the win. The Kingz played marginally the better football but they still lack a striker who can score goals regularly. Wolves usually looked the more dangerous on the counter attack but it was something of an incongruity to see them blast wide of the target so regularly.
The TV stats at one point had shots on target as 16 Wolves, 8 Kingz and yet not one goal in the entire game.
The result does bode well for the Kingz though. 4 games in and only two goals conceded, whereas last year it was double figures at the same time. Ken Dugdale has shored the defence up and has got Miyazawa ("The Rock") playing much better than last season, while Jonathan Taylor has stepped up from Napier City Rovers into the NSL with ease.
For the Kingz, they will need to get more out of Vlahos (plain lazy isn't good enough), Atkinson (gives away too much ball), Almendra should be perhaps put into midfield for a bit to get things happening and Brains needs to use it a bit more.
Wolves didn't really show why they remain an unbeaten side. Young wasn't a patch on what we've seen previously, Cervinski has slowed (perhaps a haircut might help get a couple more HP outta that old frame:-) and the crowd was noticably poor and lacking vocal support for their team.
A game to forget for both sides. We cannot afford to have more matches like this on tele. Bloody boring and unattractive stuff.
Hopefully the All Whites v Estonia at midnight tonight will be a more entertaining affair.