Metro ended one of the longest winless streaks in their history at Kiwitea Street on April 6, as they downed Central United 3-1 in their Northern Premier League local derby to record their first win at senior level since June 1, 2001.
It’s certainly been a long time between drinks for the club relegated from the National League at the end of last season. But Bob Sova’s largely young line-up were fully deserving of the taste of victory in this match - their hunger and desire for victory, and willingness to work hard to achieve it, were too much for a youthful Central side, who are under the guidance of rookie coaches Miso Major and Denis Vitner this season.
The game got off to a cracking start, with both teams hitting the woodwork in the first five minutes. The lively Shane Campbell got the ball rolling, scything through Central’s defence before chipping the oncoming Craig Wilkins, only to put his hands to his head upon seeing his effort ricochet to safety off the crossbar just two minutes into play.
Central responded in kind three minutes later. A fine sprint down the left by James O’Connell saw his cross flash beyond Daniel Koprivcic for David Firisua, whose shot crashed off the inside of the post and bounced to safety across the face of goal.
Back came Metro, Campbell again the scourge of Central’s rearguard. Andreas Riikonen slipped him through in the eighth minute, but with just Wilkins to beat, the pint-sized speedster sliced his shot woefully wide - it really was a horror miss!
The visitors never allowed Central to develop their combinations in the early stages, the link-up play between Koprivcic and Miro Major all too often being undone by the dogged determination of Metro’s terrier-like tacklers. Meanwhile, the pace of Campbell and Willie Osborne was looking ominous, and while they all too often fell afoul of the offside trap, it looked odds on that Central would get caught out at some stage in the match.
Osborne’s first chance came in the nineteenth minute, when he outmuscled Rob Kirkness to send a cross-shot fizzing across the face of goal. Central responded through a smart reverse pass by Major, which sent Javier Aylwin careering to the left-hand byline, from where he drilled in a hard, low cross for Firisua, whose shot was blocked by Jay Thomas.
Smart off-the-ball running in the 23rd minute from Steve Morrell was rewarded by a Major pass into space for him to latch onto. The defender’s driven cross was headed across goal by Firisua to Koprivcic, who took one touch to many in a crowded goalmouth, allowing Peter Hendriks to step in and maintain the scoreless score line.
Four minutes later, a clever feint by Osborne threw O’Connell off the scent, allowing the speedy striker to send a slide-rule pass through to the overlapping - and impressive - Krish Singh. From the byline, his low cross whizzed into the goalmouth, with Wilkins forced to palm it away from goal.  Osborne was hurtling in, but Morrell’s timely intervention spared his goalkeeper’s blushes on this occasion.
Singh was proving an elusive customer on Metro’s right flank, and on the half-hour, his evasiveness was too much for two Central defenders to handle.  Singh slipped Osborne through to the edge of the penalty area, from where, with his route to goal partially blocked, he let fly with a curling effort which only just missed Wilkins’ left-hand upright.
Central were already showing signs of being in need of inspiration, and Major’s attempts to provide it, with the assistance of Michael Quirke and Firisua in the 32nd minute, saw Koprivcic unleash a first-time shot on target. Unfortunately for the striker, Metro’s goalkeeper, Andy Daniels swatted the ball to safety.
If a goal was going to come before half-time, you fancied Metro, more than Central, to score it. And after Kirkness’ recovering tackle had denied Leaveil Titus’ left flank raid, the visitors rounded off the half with the opening goal of the game, four minutes before the break.
It was a very uncomplicated goal. Central failed to clear the corner delivered by early substitute Ben Dundas, and Singh was first to react to the loose ball, stabbing home from four yards to give Metro a sniff of victory.
Within four minutes of the second half’s start, that sniff had become an all-embracing aroma, as Osborne doubled Metro’s advantage. Titus slipped Campbell through Central’s offside trap - the first time it had been breached in the match - and the striker let fly on the run. Wilkins proved equal to it, but could only parry the ball skywards. Osborne was first to react, and headed home into an unguarded net - 2-0.
This prompted Central to rise to the challenge, Firisua finding Daniels equal to his angled shot a minute later. Metro’s goalkeeper was again called into action on the hour mark, bravely saving at the feet of Koprivcic after Quirke had slipped Aylwin through Metro’s offside trap, and the striker had crossed low from the right-hand byline.
Only good positional goalkeeping by Wilkins in the 62nd minute prevented Campbell from scoring what would have been a deserved goal for his efforts in this match. The striker’s penetrating run sent him sprinting right through Central’s defence, only for Wilkins to advance off his line, stand his ground, and force Campbell wide. Antony Nemeth cleaned up the resulting cross to keep Central in the contest.
Their repeated attempts to reduce the deficit were all too often foundering on the hard-working Hendriks, the pick of the defenders on the park. Quirke and Morrell both had chances for Central in the next ten minutes, but on both occasions, and others, the timely intervention of the Metro man was instrumental in maintaining Metro’s advantage.
Eventually, Central’s pressure told, with lively substitute Jafar Alsari providing the penetrating pass which sent Koprivcic into space on the left.  From the edge of the penalty area, he beat Daniels all ends up at his near post with a thunderous strike in the 76th minute.
Straight from the kick-off, however, Central’s hopes of drawing level were dashed by another Osborne goal, which sealed the points for Metro. As the home team appealed for offside, Campbell’s cross from the right found Osborne storming into the goalmouth, from where he stabbed home to secure the points for his team.
Within a minute, Osborne had what would have been his hat-trick goal disallowed for offside, while Central’s last hopes of changing the final 3-1 score line foundered on Daniels, who produced a fine save low to his right to deny Aylwin, after he had played a smart one-two with Alsari on the edge of Metro’s penalty area eleven minutes from time.

Central: Wilkins; Vodanovich (booked, 55) (Schrijver, 56), Kirkness, Morrell; Firisua, Quirke (Hoeft, 82), Major, Nemeth, O’Connell; Aylwin, Koprivcic

Metro: Daniels; Mulrooney, Hendriks, Thomas, Tubuna; Singh (Nasiri, 70), Riikonen (Dundas, 34), List (booked, 34), Titus; Campbell, Osborne

Referee: Hayden Sentch

Our thanks to Jeremy Ruane for his continued support of our club by providing his reports for our enjoyment and entertainment. Jeremy has two great websites to further tantalise your football taste buds.
They are:
www.ultimatenzsoccer.com - The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website
www.nzsoccerscoreboard.com - Your Ultimate New Zealand Soccer one-stop results service

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