It’s crunch time for Loaded WaiBOP United. We begin the post-Christmas period of the 2015/16 ASB Premiership with three matches against teams currently sitting below us in the standings. Two of those are at home, but we begin with a trip to Wellington to play the Phoenix. Head coach, Peter Smith, has been active during the transfer window with Tyler Lissette, who played twelve games for us during the 2013/14 season, set to be involved in today’s squad and several other faces likely to be confirmed prior to the end of the transfer window.
Loaded WaiBOP United against Wellington Phoenix: P: 2, W: 1, D: 0, L: 1, GF: 4, GA: 3.
There’s not too much history between the two sides as there have only been two fixtures, both last season. We won the ‘away’ match 2-0 in a game that was played at Auckland’s Eden Park (as a curtain-raiser to a Wellington Phoenix A-League match) before losing the return match 3-2 at Cambridge’s John Kerkhof Park. This is our first game of the season not to be televised live on Sky Sport. But don’t worry, our media department is at the game to bring you full behind-the-scenes and play-by-play coverage.
Line-ups
Wellington Phoenix: Italiano (Sail 46m), McGarry, Rogerson (Chaill-Fleury 78), Blake, Tongue, Singh, Gillespie, Philip, Bell, Evans, Mata (Khouchaba 64m). Subs (not used): Whyte, Wilson.
Loaded WaiBOP United: Caunter; Hilliar, A. Mitchell, Lissette, Cochran; Ilich, Varela; Jones, Tinsley, Molony (Marquez 67m); S. Hoyle (Stansfield 81m). Subs (not used): Speedy (rgk), J. Hoyle, C. Mitchell.
Wellington Phoenix 3-4 Loaded WaiBOP United (ht: 0-0)
WP: Logan Rogerson 46m, Andrew Blake 47m, Louis Evans.
WB: Ryan Tinsley 52m, 90+6m, Stephen Hoyle 64m, Mario Ilich 69m.
