Central Go Nap In Action-Packed Thriller by Jeremy Ruane What a match! Central and Manurewa turned on an action-packed thriller at Kiwitea Street on March 27, and while Central won the Winfield Superclub encounter 5-2, a 7-7 or 8-8 draw wouldn't have been an unfair reflection of proceedings. Oh, for more games of such rich entertainment and joie de vivre - no doubt a number of coaches would disagree!! After weathering Central's early forays, Manurewa took the game to their hosts, with Mark Weddle (twice) and Paul Considine shooting straight at Central's goalkeeper, Ross Nicholson. The goalkeeper also survived an extra test, provided by team-mate Michael Irving, who diverted a low Les Hough cross towards his own goal. Central's Anton Musin fired a fine effort against the upright, to which Manurewa responded by opening the scoring from the resulting counter-attack. Sean Armstrong hared off down the right wing and delivered a cross for Weddle. His header found the bottom corner, despite Nicholson's best efforts, in the 28th minute. The scores were level ten minutes later. Jeff Keskic executed a text-book twenty-yard free-kick to net his first of the game, the ball floating over the wall and beyond Shane Hummels' despairing dive. Suddenly, Central were in rampant mood. Matthew Vuksich fired a scorching drive narrowly wide, while a measured free-kick from the same player, in the 49th minute, found Central's player-coach, Paul Posa, contesting possession in an aerial duel with numerous 'Rewa defenders. The ball dropped kindly for Keskic - 2-1. Back came 'Rewa, and how! Considine's pass allowed Hough to cut in from the left, and the former Eden man unleashed an unstoppable left-foot volley into Nicholson's top left-hand corner for the 56th minute equaliser. For the remainder of the match, end-to-end action ensued. Nicholson denied both Armstrong and Weddle within ten seconds of each other, and later denied Weddle yet again, after 'Rewa's player-assistant coach had linked well with Armstrong, who, moments earlier, had seen his header flash past the post, following Gary Hampson's fine cross. Dale Webster saw Nicholson tip his top effort onto the post, while Hough appeared to be used as an elevator by a Central defender, as he loomed to head home an Armstrong cross. Referee Linda Black - when was the last time a referee was given a generous round of applause at an after-match function in recognition of her performance? - recorded her only blemish of the match, as she awarded Central a free-kick, instead of granting 'Rewa a penalty. Amidst all this goalmouth excitement came three goals, all to Central. Percy Watson potted a peach in the 76th minute, racing in from nowhere to nonchalantly flick Vuksich's probing through ball over the advancing Hummels' head and into the unguarded goal. Seven minutes later, and one of those "collector's item" goals came to pass - a Neville John header, no less, courtesy Mathew Urlovic's cross. With two minutes remaining, Musin was sent tumbling in the penalty box. The entire Central team looked towards Keskic to take the spot-kick, and complete his first-ever senior hat-trick. He did not disappoint. Nor, for that matter, did the match as a spectacle. Entertainment plus, and a pleasure to write about. Central:   Nicholson; Barton, Irving, Dobrec; Watson, Vuksich, Posa (Urlovic, 55), Keskic, Grove; John, Musin 'Rewa:     Hummels; Caddy, Campbell, Lewis (de Vries, 74), Webster; Hampson (McHenery, 84), Fletcher, Considine, Hough; Weddle, Armstrong Referee:  Linda Black