Stringfellow back as keen as ever

By rights, after a lifetime of football, including a stint as a full professional back in the UK, Ian Stringfellow should have his feet up enjoying sporting retirement.
Except relaxation is furthest from his mind. A year after bowing out of Tauranga City United's top team, Stringfellow is back and as keen as ever to get the club out of the Northern League's lower reaches and back up the ladder.
CNS Clinic-sponsored Tauranga stayed unbeaten in division two on Saturday after a 1-1 home draw with Auckland side Fencibles at Links Ave reserve.
Stringfellow looked right at home in Tauranga's frontline, and although the former English first division striker is yet to open his scoring account, he did have a hand in City's lone goal, earning a penalty after being dragged down by Fencibles defender Jamie Higson on the edge of the area early in the second half.
Tom Crawford coolly slotted the goal, cancelling out Michael Polopoulos' scrambled strike in the 30th minute from a corner Tauranga failed to clear.
Stringfellow, a few weeks off turning 43, is as hungry as ever, slotting effortlessly back into the striking role he vacated a season ago because he wanted to play in Tauranga's Bay 2 side with his son.
"My son's stepped up to the [Waikato-Bay of Plenty] Federation side so I threw my name out there as available to play and someone wanted me," said Stringfellow, who was subbed in the dying stages on Saturday.
Clean chances against Fencibles were few but Stringfellow holds the ball up expertly and demands attention in front of goal, with skipper Jordan Culpepper and Crawford also troubling through the middle of the park.
After several seasons as player-coach of the Northern League side, Stringfellow trotted out for a handful of games last season under one-season coach Peter Smith. He is enjoying the fresh approach of the side's new mentors, John Whitley and Grant Turner.
"They're both well respected by the boys and it's great to see they're carrying on from where Peter left off last season and giving youth a shot - myself excluded. I looked around the changing shed before kick-off today and realised I've got kids the same age as most of the team and coached many of them at junior level too.
"I did wonder if I was a bit long in the tooth for this level but physically I feel great, or as good as I can feel for my age, although I had to be a bit sensible in preseason because there's a couple of joints there now that flare up if I overdo it."
Saturday's deadlock was a fair result - Tauranga was under the pump for the opening 15 minutes before working their way into the game and having the better of the second half exchanges.
Twin concerns would be a collective reluctance to pull the trigger in and around the penalty area, with several half-chances spurned and ultimately wasted, and a lack of impact from their bench players, especially as Fencibles tired in the last 15 minutes. Stringfellow agreed the side still "wasn't quite there" with its combinations.
"Four points from two games isn't a bad start though and has given us a bit of stability to kick on. We're fit and there's no shortage of desire there."
In other second division games, Mt Albert-Ponsonby got home 2-1 over Papakura City, with all three goals coming in the second half, while Mangere United, who missed promotion last season, were 2-0 away winners over North Shore United. Ngaruawahia went down 2-1 at home to Hibiscus Coast, Waiuku bounced back from their first round defeat to Tauranga with a 3-1 win over Western Springs, and Warkworth put three past Cambridge FC, who seem destined for the wooden spoon.