Reaching Round 7 of the Men’s NRFL Division One, Ellerslie were still on the hunt for their first win of the season. Following last week’s draw against Mt Albert Ponsonby, Fred de Jong stepped down as head coach to focus on his role as Ellerslie’s Director of Football, with Munith Naidu taking over the reigns. Naidu’s first match in charge saw the Ellerslie lads take on Manurewa AFC at The Ave, but a dream start for the new boss wasn’t to be as the score stayed locked at 0-0 right up to the final whistle.
It was a different sight in the dugout at the weekend, as we saw Munith Naidu lead the lads for the first time this season. We all warmly thank Fred de Jong for his 56-game long service as head coach, and can’t wait for what new stars he unearths in his role as Director of Football within the club. Change is always scary and exciting, but I’m sure everyone is keen to see what Naidu brings to Ellerslie and the Men’s squad as they fight to get out of the bottom two.
In his first game in charge, there were a few changes to the team that took on Manurewa. Denny Twigg came in for his first start as left fullback, pushing Jordan Bresler to the bench, while Rei Ogawa-Bracey remained on the right. Andre Munro-Wilson was unavailable, which gave Conrad Benefield a chance to come in as CDM, while Anton Moore retained his spot at the back with skipper Seb Poelman. Josh Lai switched out from the left to settle into an attacking midfield role alongside Dylan Horgan, with Alex Clark also taking a seat on the bench. Adam Paulsen and Rowan Corbett held their starting spots, and after scoring a goal last week, Rory Kelly came back into the starting XI. Ryan Morrow was on the bench with Aalok Paudel, and newcomer Hamish Grey, who was called up for the first time in 2020.
So Naidu made a couple of tweaks to the team in order to play the boys in a way better suited to his system, and that was evident as the men in red came out organised and clearly hungry for a win. Despite only having a week with the new coach, the Ponies all looked to be on the same page, evident through some well-executed passing patterns.
A few goal-scoring opportunities were created, but the biggest one came in the 28th minute when Manurewa tried to play out from their own half. Lai was able to get a toe in for Horgan to collect before linking with Kelly, who took a touch and then offloaded back to Lai. Manurewa’s fullback had come in to pick up Kelly when he had the ball, which left a large gap on the right for Corbett to recognise and run into. Lai, with the ball at his feet, played a pinpoint pass through the backline for Corbett to gather. Corbett let it roll to his right foot before hitting it low towards near post but Manurewa keeper Felix Sorge-Stratton was able to get a hand to it and push it wide.
Other than a few half-chances, the first half saw no goals as both teams headed into the sheds. Ellerslie looked well organised for the most part, though there were moments where it was obvious there are still some kinks to iron out, which I’m sure will come as the boys get more familiar with Naidu and his playing style. Manurewa were equally as organised, utilising neat passing triangles to make their way up the field to get themselves into goal-scoring positions. Thanks to some solid defending at the back and a couple of key saves by Kyryl Bolharyn, the away team’s opportunities were snuffed out.
With no changes at halftime, the second spell started much like the first. There was a missed opportunity in the first 15 minutes of the half from Ellerslie, and a few close calls from Manurewa. Still, both teams failed to find the back of the net.
For most of the second 45, Ellerslie looked to have the upper hand as they utilised their high and wide players to drive towards goal. Benefield looked confident in his role, while Horgan and Lai linked up well to manoeuvre their way through the blue and yellow defence. Horgan showed his class with his tidy ball work, constantly creating headaches for the away team. Corbett was unlucky not to put away a few of his chances, as his shots looked much cleaner compared to previous weeks. One of his best finishes unfortunately came seconds after an offside whistle was blown, robbing him of the opener. On another day, Ellerslie could have been up by a few goals but for the efforts of Manurewa’s Sorge-Stratton between the sticks, who kept his lads in the game.
With the game still goalless at the 73rd minute, Naidu finally looked to his bench. Kelly was given a rest after a big shift, as Nadiu brought on Clark to sit in the middle, with Lai pushing out wide. This brought a different dynamic to the game, but it still wasn’t enough to break the tie.
With ten minutes to go, the momentum started to switch as Manurewa used up the remainder of their substitutes to inject some much-needed energy. Naidu refrained from making any more changes and outside of Clark, kept the same men on the field. This allowed the team to keep their cohesion as they absorbed wave after wave of pressure from Manurewa, who were on the hunt for a goal to finally break the stalemate.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be as both teams had to settle with sharing the points when the man in the middle blew his whistle to mark full time. It was disappointing that Ellerslie couldn’t find a goal to earn them three points, but there are positives to take away from the game. Twigg looked at home at left back and the shift he put in was impressive. Benefield proved dynamic as he showcased his ability to play as a CDM, and in turn earned himself Player of the Day, while Lai looked well utilised in the middle, playing nicely off Horgan. Corbett is getting closer to scoring and I’m sure we’ll see a goal from him in the next fixture. Poelman and Moore can only go from strength to strength as they build on their partnership with every game, while Bolharyn had a solid game between the sticks as he kept a clean sheet, which is all you can ask from your keeper.
I’m not sure if it’s The Ave or the colours blue and yellow, but Saturday marked Ellerslie’s third draw at home and third draw against a team wearing a variation of those colours. Lets hope it’s a coincidence and not a curse, as the lads look to prepare for their next fixture at home against the bottom-placed, blue and yellow Takapuna AFC. Come on down at 3pm to support the Ponies as they try to find that elusive first win of the season.
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Ellerslie Association Football Club 
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