I think I should become a politician.
After putting the game I’d attend this weekend up for the vote, and promising to go to the one that received the most, I totally ignored the will of the people and went somewhere else. I made a politically expedient call. Takapuna v Ngaruawahia was closer, it was chucking it down and this was an important match. I decided I knew better than the voters. Much like most politicians. I’d fit in well at the beehive. Or, more likely, the White House.
As it turns out, I made a good decision as the match I should have been at (Bay Olympic v Three Kings) was called off due to the weather, along with six other matches in Auckland. But I didn’t know that until I got home. In the end I got lucky.
The game, played at Takapuna’s Taharoto Park, was a proper arm wrestle. It was really, really, really wet and the day got gloomier and gloomier as the minutes went by. In those type of conditions you either get a mad goal-fest or a drab midfield tussle. The reserve team encounter between these two clubs finished 5-4 to Narra. Unfortunately, in the main game we got the tighter version of the two wet weather options.
The match was competitive and physical without too many moments of individual brilliance. The solitary goal, to Takapuna, came moments before the break and was a rare work of quality. A good move down the right hand side created the opening and was finished sharply from close range. This was after Ngaruawahia had by far the best of the opening half an hour before Takapuna closed in on the break as the more threatening side.
Narra had their captain sent off midway through the second half. I can only guess it was for going in late as I was fiddling around with my camera trying to get it to a setting that would take some decent photos in the gloom. So I didn’t see it. That didn’t help Narra’s cause, although they hadn’t really looked like getting an equaliser in a dour second half.
I left before the end as I was well soaked from having wandered around the ground looking for a decent angle. I had my photos and I had a decent One Minute At… so I made another good call to get in the car and race back up the motorway to a warm house and a cold beer.
Just on beer, I was impressed by the stock behind Takapuna’s bar. I popped up for a half time refresher and was able to sup on a Peroni after having a good few moments wasted deciding which quality beer I wanted. That was a nice surprise on a grim afternoon.
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