11 AUG 1998 , Edition 2, Page 10.
Former All White uneasy over selection
By: ANDERSON Ian
Former All White Brian Hayes may be an unwilling participant in Sunday’s Chatham Cup soccer semifinal.
Hayes is wanted by Ngaruawahia United coach Jeff Coulshed for the trip south to face Dunedin Technical but the national league veteran is agonising over his availability.
Hayes can usually only play home matches for Ngaruawahia in the Northern League division one competition on Saturdays as the Waikato University student works at the campus on Saturday mornings and doesn’t train regularly with the side.
With the semifinal being played on Sunday, Hayes is able to play but feels his presence in the side may upset his team-mates.
“I don’t want to put the team in a bad position on such an important day for them,” Hayes said.
“I feel it’s not really fair to other players if I play on what should be their day in the sun.”
“I wouldn’t want the same situation to happen to me if I was a player missing out.”
Coulshed said with many of his players struggling with injuries, he would like to have the experienced Hayes in his squad, even if he was to start the match on the bench.
The Melville United captain in last summer’s national soccer league, Hayes could play at centre-back but is more likely to be used in the centre of midfield with Coulshed unwilling to split up his key defensive pairing of Aaron Kingi and Marcus Traill.
Hayes, who has both Chatham Cup winners’ and losers’ medals from his tenure with Waikato United, hinted he would leave the final decision up to Coulshed.
“He’s the coach, he has to go with the side he feels and he has to wear the flak.”
Coulshed will name a 15-man squad on Thursday.