Tui Dugan – impressive work rate. PHOTO/JADE CVETKOV
Whitehead, Boone star with hat-trick each against Stop Out
FOOTBALL
GARY CAFFELL
Wairarapa United are through to the second round of Capital Football’s Kelly Cup women’s football knockout competition – and they did it in style.
Strikers Molly Whitehead and Meisha Boone scored a hat-trick each against Stop Out at Hutt Park on Sunday in the 13-0 win.
Wairarapa United piled on the goals, scoring 10 without reply in a stunning first half performance and adding another three in the second.
For Wairarapa United coach Paul Ifill, it was not so much the size of the winning margin which pleased him most, but the way in which his players stuck to the game plan despite having put the result beyond doubt very early in proceedings.
“It’s easy for teams to fall into bad habits when they open up a big lead but that didn’t happen and that’s a good sign for the tougher games to come,” Ifill said.
With Wairarapa United having the bulk of possession and dominating territory as a result, their front runners were given ample opportunity to showcase their attacking skills.
Also taking the eye were two of Wairarapa United’s younger players, right back Dylen Kingi and midfielder Tui Dugan, both of whom had a high work rate.
Impressive as the victory was, however, Ifill was reading little into it when it came to rating Wairarapa United’s chances of upsetting champions Wellington United Diamonds in their W-League match in Wellington this weekend.
“They (Diamonds) have been the benchmark of women’s football in the region for a good while now and that’s going to be a whole different ball game for us,” Ifill said.
