It was a case of all hands on deck for Delta Tapware Metro in their North Island Soccer League encounter with Fox Tapes Mt. Wellington at Albie Turner Field on April 4, as, with ten men for the entire second half, they repelled the visitors' repeated onslaughts to record a 2-1 win, and move into fourth spot in the competition.
There were times when twenty players were ensconced in Metro's half, the only absentees being Mount's goalkeeper, the pint-sized Heath McNeil, and Metro's captain, former Mount skipper Kara Waetford, who was sent from the field in the 33rd minute for injudicious use of the elbow on his great friend, Mount captain Paul Bunbury.
"Buns" soon followed his comrade-cum-opponent from the field, albeit with some assistance. His destination was the nearest hospital, as the 'egg' which came up on the side of his face almost immediately after the incident was not of the 'special delivery' kind meted out by the Easter Bunny that same morning! And while it boasted all the colours one associates with foil wrappings, chocolate was most definitely not contained within!!
It was an incident which changed the entire course and complexion of the game, for up to that point, Mt. Wellington were copping a battering. McNeil looked far from being the rock-solid foundation any team needs between the sticks, and Metro were not slow to latch onto this fact, firing the ball goalwards from all angles during this period, and creating several clear-cut chances.
In the fourth minute, Waetford sent Stu Roberts and Heath McCormack through The Mount's offside trap. The former's shot was tipped over the top by McNeil, who was then relieved to see McCormack head Hoani Edwards' resulting corner narrowly wide.
Edwards, who was the pick of the Metro pack while they enjoyed their full compliment of players, whipped in another corner in the ninth minute which Nigel Curties only just failed to turn home. Within seconds, McCormack had brought the best out of McNeil low at his right-hand post with a twenty-five yard grasscutter.
The goalkeeper then somehow kept out a stinging Edwards drive, with Brad Scott clearing the rebound to safety after the bounce of the ball left McCormack bemused.
Come the fourteenth minute, Metro notched a thoroughly deserved opening goal. Again Edwards was the architect of the attack, McNeil failing to hold his thirty-yard free-kick. McCormack and Curties were amongst those queueing up to score, but the honour went to Roberts, who prodded the ball home against his former club.
After McCormack appeared to be impeded by McNeil as he looked to take advantage of the goalkeeper's dropping of Stuart Mair's 'Gary Owen', another fine Metro attack in the nineteenth minute saw the scoreline extended to 2-0.
Stu Davidson started the ball rolling, switching the sphere from left to right to pick out Curties. He headed the ball down and across into the path of the unmarked Roberts, who picked his spot beyond McNeil, and fired the ball under the diving goalkeeper into the bottom far corner.
In the 26th minute, McNeil's failings were further compounded by his failure to abide by the six-second rule - goalkeepers must release the ball in that time, upon gaining complete control of it. The defensive wall did its job on the goal-line, McCormack's drive ricocheting out to Waetford, some twenty yards from goal. He unleashed a real zinger, which crashed against the upright and rebounded towards Edwards, who was unable to turn it home.
Then came Waetford's indisgression, which was the cue for The Mount to make a game of it. And make a game of it they certainly did, Minoah Masi, who had forced an early save from Grant Schofield inside the first seventy seconds, haring down the left in the 39th minute and pulling the ball back for Jeff Campbell. But before the striker had a chance to swoop, Schofield did so, reading the danger to perfection to spare Metro's blushes on this occasion.
Campbell gained sweet revenge right on half-time, firing home after the combination play of Bunbury's replacement, Hamish McKenzie, and the effervescent Leigh Kenyon, who was always available as an outlet for The Mount throughout this encounter - a very industrious performance.
The second half was virtually one-way traffic, with The Mount enjoying possession aplenty, and probing and pressing at will. But penetration was another matter entirely.
That they couldn't make any impact on the ten men of Metro owed a great deal to a sterling defensive performance. Prime candidates in repelling their opponents' frequent charges were Mair - he had a towering game at the heart of the home team's rearguard - and Jonathan Perry, who had to change position from left flank to right back upon the early departure of Waetford.
Meanwhile, outstanding teenage prospect Sakdy Phommahaxay was coolness personified, if a little too much so on occasions! Even so, how The Mount didn't score I'll never know. After just three minutes of the second spell, Nick Hyde lifted the ball over the top from four yards, after a superbly worked set-piece involving James Patterson and Masi, following an inswinging Campbell corner.
Schofield was grateful to see a twenty-yard grasscutter from Masi sneak past his left-hand upright in the 73rd miunte, while twelve minutes later, the goalkeeper was even more relieved, as, after misjudging a McCormack missile from twenty-five yards, he grabbed it at the second attempt just a yard from the line.
The goalkeeper proved equal to Campbell's overhead kick in stoppage time, then parried a Hyde effort following a Kenyon corner. Despite the penalty area being jam-packed with players, the ball spun to Campbell, who, with the last kick of the game, scooped the ball over the top to ensure Metro took all three points on offer.

Metro: Schofield; Phommahaxay, Mair (booked, 30), Waetford (sent-off, 33), Davidson; Edwards (Hird, 88), Collett, Curties, Perry; Roberts (W. Thompson, 78), McCormack.

Mount: McNeil; Patterson, Scott, O'Neill (Scoullar, 46); Hyde, Hicks, Bunbury (McKenzie, 34), Buhagiar, Masi (Sahib, 77); Kenyon, Campbell.

Referee: Tony Cawte

Scorers: 
Metro: Roberts (14, 19);

Mount: Campbell (45).

Arcus Trophy:
Stuart Mair (Metro) 3, Jonathan Perry (Metro) 2, Leigh Kenyon (Mt. Wellington) 1.

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