Brockie scores in Bay win

STACY SQUIRES/The Press

FIGHTING MOOD: Canterbury's Jeremy Wild, left, takes the ball upfield as Hawkes Bay's Jeremy Brockie closes in for the challenge at English Park in Christchurch yesterday.

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Former All White Jeremy Brockie returned home to English Park to net a critical comeback goal as he helped Hawkes Bay United to a 3-1 national football league win over Canterbury United.

The 20-year-old former Nelson Suburbs and Canterbury United attacker also declared his interest in securing a contract with the Wellington Phoenix and winning back his international place.

Brockie has joined Hawkes Bay, alongside "four or five" of his New Zealand under-20 World Cup team-mates after being cut by Sydney FC last season.

"I wanted to have a fresh start. Obviously, things haven't gone well over the last year or so, so Hawkes Bay was the place for me. Obviously, I still set high goals. I'm sure there will be places in the Phoenix next year. If I work hard, maybe I'll be in with a sniff."

Brockie made an ideal start yesterday, firing home Hawkes Bay's first goal in the 70th minute.

The young, new-look Canterbury United Dragons led 1-0 at half time after a cleverly contrived goal by English striker Dave Walker on his New Zealand Football Championship debut.

But Canterbury centreback Bill Robertson made a rare error, misjudging a ball to leave Brockie with a gilt-edged chance. The Bay man, who has shed his dreadlocks since leaving Christchurch two years ago, kept his cool to tuck his shot past stranded Canterbury keeper Adam Highfield.

Robertson's central defensive partner, Michael Bothwell, then allowed big Bay targetman Sam Messam too much room.

Messam, who until then had been Miss 'Em, clipped a deflected shot into the far corner of the net.

Leon Birnie lashed home Hawkes Bay's third goal in the 86th minute with a rasping half-volley after the tiring Canterbury defenders failed to close him down.

Hawkes Bay deserved its win but made hard work of it, squandering several gift-wrapped opportunities before Walker created Canterbury's only real chance of the first spell, two minutes before the interval. The former Stoke City junior skilfully slipped his marker and drilled a crisp shot beyond Bay goalkeeper Mitch O'Brien.

Second-half substitute Ryan Faichnie slammed confident, first-time, long-range drive against the crossbar.

Dragons coach Danny Halligan had "no qualms with the result" but felt all three goals came from defensive mistakes.

"That's a lesson we're going to have to learn quickly. You can fight, fight, fight all day, but if you make errors you're going to be punished. It was cruel that two of the mistakes were made by Bill and Michael, who had had tremendous games."

However, Halligan insisted he was "really happy with the young lads and how they responded" in the absence of suspended leaders Stuart Kelly and Andy Pitman. Nine of the 13 players used were making their NZFC debuts – and around half were aged 20 or under.

Canterbury faces a South Island derby next week in Dunedin against Otago United, which lost 0-2 to Waikato FC on Saturday. Team Wellington caused the upset of the round with a 2-1 win over Oceania champion Waitakere United. Auckland City made a successful start to its title defence with a 3-1 win at Manawatu.

- © Fairfax NZ News