A brace each to Somerton, Medina

FOOTBALL

NIC Somerton and Raul Medina scored two goals each as Thistle Massive got their Eastern League 1 campaign off to a winning start at Childers Road Reserve.

But Massive had to endure a tense finish as Heavy Equipment United came from 4-1 down early in the second half to be pushing hard for an equaliser in the last 10 minutes.

Carpet Court Thistle Massive held on to win 4-3, and United were left to rue near misses and lost opportunities.

In the other first division game, also at the Reserve, Gisborne Vehicle Testing Thistle Reserves drew 2-2 with Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks. Thistle led 2-0 at halftime but holding midfielder Ema Martos and leftback Daniel Venema were needed to stand by for the first team, and the Reserves missed their composure.

United scored first against Massive — a header from just outside the goal area by centreback Jonathan Purcell from an inswinging right-wing corner by Damon Husband 20 minutes in.

“We were all over them,” United coach Chris Adams said.

Striker Stu Cranswick hit the crossbar and the post, and broke away from the defence several times but United could not convert the pressure into goals, he said.

Thistle deep-lying striker Medina grabbed the first goal for his team 30 minutes in. Somerton got the second five minutes later.

In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Thistle scored two more goals, the first through Medina and the second through Somerton.

That fourth goal was well taken, Massive player-coach Craig Stirton said.

The ball had been switched to the right flank, where Kane Stirton made ground and played a through ball in for Somerton, who met it on the edge of the penalty area, about level with the near post. His first-time right-foot shot into the far corner gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Thistle goalkeeper Raymond Rickard was injured in a first-half collision with Cranswick but played on, Stirton said.

“An X-ray showed two cracked ribs, so he could be out for about eight weeks.”

United kept plugging away in the second half but it was not until 15 minutes from the end that they scored. Central midfielder Ben Hansen belted the ball home from six metres in a goalmouth scramble.

Five minutes later, left midfielder Husband turned up at the far post to nod in a cross from the right, and the last 10 minutes were “attack-attack-attack”, Adams said.

“We had a few chances but we couldn’t put them away. It was just one of those days.”

Long-time midfield playmaker Craig Christophers was not playing this year, and more recent recruits to the Eastern League 1 team, Lucian Nickerson and Noy Paull, were also unavailable at the weekend, Adams said.

But 6ft 6in goalkeeper Matt Worthington showed he would be an asset, and former Bohemians players Caleb Craig on the right wing and Chris Cockburn at rightback had good games.

Aaron Graham and Hansen got through the work in central midfield, and it was a good team performance for the first league game of the year.

For Thistle Massive, central midfielder Matias Pincini was player of the day, Stirton said.

Medina and Somerton, Kane Stirton in midfield and rightback Santiago Roanelli stood out, but “everyone had a good game”, he said.

The teamwork would improve with more games.

In the Thistle Reserves-Wainui Sharks game, Jags striker Joel Beattie scored after 30 minutes and central midfielder Leo Maisey added a second from the penalty spot after Travis White was judged to have been brought down unfairly.

With the halftime withdrawal of Martos and Venema, Reserves player-coach Davie Ure had to rearrange his troops. Oli Gillies came in at centreback and Shannon Dowsing went to leftback, Andre Riley shifted from rightback into midfield and Gaurav Chetan Kashyap went to rightback.

Five minutes into the second half, Wainui player-coach Michael Smith scored with a shot from just outside the penalty area.

Five minutes later, the ball popped up and hit Ashley McMillan on the arm, a penalty was awarded and midfielder Shane Hooks made it 2-2.

“I was a bit nervous then,” Ure said.

“But the guys dug in and in the last 15 minutes fitness told, the game opened up and we could have pinched it. A draw was a fair result, though.”

He said Maisey competed well and worked hard, Beattie was an excellent target man, Oska Smith was lively on the right wing and Alex Davies was at the heart of much of the midfield play.

Sharks player-coach Smith said Hooks worked tirelessly in central midfield and was well supported by Ian Torrie, who showed his versatility by putting in a good first-half shift at leftback before moving into midfield and having a great game there.

Jaiden Ibbetson was dangerous on the ball, “a real threat going forward”, Smith said.

In the second half, Thiago Carlos de Melo made an impact wide on the left, and John Hill got the side ticking with his calm passing game.

Smith said it was good having Blake Mulrooney on the sideline as new first-team manager, making changes and calling the shots.

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