Football: Fury to the fore in scintillating first half

Lee Garnham, who scored two goals, centres the ball for AFC Fury v Tauranga City United. Photo/Andrew Warner

Shots were fired at the far end of Te Puna's Maramatanga Park on Saturday, where the upstart AFC Fury's opening half of attacking football put the rest of the city, and City, on notice.

The bullets flew in the direction of Tauranga City United's Federation One line-up, with four landing fatally during a near flawless opening 45 minutes from Fury.

City's second team forced a number of early corners and created some half chances, but simply could not handle the speed of the Fury's forwards on the break.

The Fury looked most dangerous on turnovers, and with strikers Lee Garnham and Federico Gomez consistently beating the offside trap and then winning a succession of foot races going forward, goals were bound to come.

The first, to an efficient Garnham, came from a long ball from the back and finished with a one-on-one against a stranded goal keeper.

The Fury's speed advantage was underlined by Guy Privett's effort to make it 2-0, but it was Erik Aceituno's volley from outside the box that illustrated the difference in class.

The left-footer controlled a cross before burying the bouncing ball off his laces, making it 3-0 early much to the joy of Fury manager Dave Cook.

Worse was to come for the visitors, who went 4-0 down into the break due to Garnham springing himself free on halfway before drilling home a finish off his left.

The match failed to reach the same heights in the second half, leaving former Tauranga City player Connor Irvine to supply a rare highlight by forgetting momentarily which team to encourage.

Matt Collins pulled back a goal with a header that Fury disputed crossed the line, but that was cancelled out by a goal to impressive, if individualistic, striker Federico Gomez.

The result, along with Tauranga City United's win in the Chatham Cup, raises the question as to what would happen if the two sides ever got the chance to meet.

Cook was enthusiastic about his team's chances of promotion after the match, but knows with the crosstown rivals' top team also looking headed for promotion, he may have to mount another campaign to get his match.

AFC Fury 5 (Lee Garnham 2, Guy Privett, Erik Aceituno, Federico Gomez) Tauranga City United 1 (Matt Collins)