A strong first half showing from Feltonmix Metro was the foundation of their 3-1 win over Broadway Tavern Papatoetoe at Albie Turner Field on June 7, as the Bluebird Premier League reached the halfway point for the season.
It could have been a different story, however, had Kosa Epeli not spurned a golden chance to open the scoring in the ninth minute. Having slipped clear of the off-side trap, the visitors cavalier frontrunner rounded Wayne Roach, but, from a tight angle, found the side netting, rather than the target, as Sakdy Phommahaxay raced back to cover the goal.
Had ‘Toe scored then, there’s no telling how the game would have eventuated. As it was, Metro were the more dominant team in the first twenty minutes, with Chris Walley and Steve Goddard going closest to opening the scoring for the home team in this time. That honour fell to Stu Roberts in the 22nd minute. Vaughan Couillault misjudged a Sean Hird free-kick delivered deep into the heart of Papatoetoe’s penalty area. Victor Konusi’s tame attempt to clear fell to Robert’s feet, and he slammed the ball into the far corner of the net.
Not satisfied with one goal, the lanky striker almost had a second within ninety seconds. Gathering  a pass from Goddard, producing his best display for a wee while, Roberts  turned and curled a beauty goalwards, only for Couillault to tip the shot onto the post.
Four minutes later, Hird broke down a ‘Toe attack and sent Roberts galloping away down the left in pursuit of a well-weighted pass. A first time cross followed, and it was deserving of better fate. Steve Nickson was just too late to connect with his head as the ball zoomed across his line of vision, while Danny Mc Henery’s attempt at a hip-turn volley would have made for a brilliant spectacle, had the ball not curled away from his flailing leg at the vital moment.
In contrast to that breathtaking raid, Metro’s second goal, in the 34th minute, was a relatively unspectacular affair. Indeed, it was a harmless-looking cross from Roberts which was met by Nickson’s head twelve yards out from goal.
The actions of Couillault, however, appeared to be under control of someone operating the slow-motion button on a VCR remote control unit!! The goalkeeper moved in pedestrian-like fashion across his goal, clearly anticipating a goal kick. Imagine his embarrassment as the ball crept in beside the post and nestled in the corner of the net, not that Nickson was in any mood to notice, as his seventhgoal of the season registered on the scoreboard.
Couillault was further embarrassed early in the second half, as Whalley lobbed him in the 49th minute for Metro’s third goal. This followed a Roberts-led raid after a Papatoetoe attack had been cleared - eventually. At the time Whalley struck, Hird was stressing to part-time defender Benny Hall, in no uncertain terms, the reaon why you get rid of the ball quickly when under pressure, as opposed to trying to outsmart your opponent in your own penalty area!
You can imagine what Hall was thinking when Hird and Roach had a disastrous mix-up five minutes later, allowing Epeli the chance to make amends for his earlier finishing misdemeanour. He duly did so, withplenty of cheek to boot!!
Papatoetoe duly dominated proceedings for the next ten minutes, the orchestrator supreme, Billy McClure, conducting the visitors’ repetoire of manoeuvres with plenty of assistance from fellow former All White, Chris Riley.
In the 65th minute, McHenery and Couillault endured a clash of legs as the ‘keeper saved at the striker’s feet. The facial expression of the ‘Toe player as he fell , and his subsequent actions while lying prone, then in trying to walk off the knock, clearly indicated that all was not well, and he was replaced between the sticks by Jordan Pierce.
The stand-in did well, foiling Roberts on three occaisions. The woodwork helped - both Whalley and Nickson hit the cross-bar - as Papatoetoe rallied round their inexperienced custodian, the scent of victory very much in Metro’s nostrils.
There was no further scoring, however, despite the home team’s pressure, and the late efforts of Phyllip Wye and Riley for ‘Toe, both of which failed to unduly trouble Roach.
 

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