Ten minutes later, Taradale were punished for giving Josh Harris too much room on United’s left flank. Goalkeeper Graham Healey parried Harris’s shot but the ball fell to Corey Adams, who cracked it first-time into the net.
Despite the two-goal deficit, Taradale were well in the contest at this stage and played some nice one-touch football.
In the 27th minute, United keeper Jack Faulkner had to look smart to foil an attack on the edge of the penalty area, then a minute later Taradale striker Shane Medland hit the post with a header.
In the 35th minute, a one-touch passing movement through the centre ended with Taradale midfielder Marc Foote, 38, feeding striker Sam Gilbert, 16, in the penalty area. Gilbert, in his debut run-on start for the Taradale first team, calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
This gave the visitors hope but two minutes later they were rocked by the goal of the game.
Corey Adams received the ball 40 metres from goal and took off on a run left to right, gliding past players, dummying as if to shoot and finally angling the ball back into the bottom left corner.
Down 3-1 at halftime, Taradale faced an uphill battle to stay in touch, and goals in the 53rd and 64th minutes to Josh Adams, a penalty (for a foul on Josh Harris) by Corey Adams in the 72nd, and first-time strikes by Josh Adams in the 75th and 89th minutes blew out the scoreline.
Corey Adams was pleased with his side’s performance, and especially with the positional change that had Kieran Venema going to centreback and Mal Scammell taking on defensive midfield duties. Those two, sweeper Kieran Higham, leftback Lucian Nickerson, midfielders Malcolm Marfell and Harris, and Josh Adams up front all shone in a good team effort.
Taradale lost one of their senior players, midfielder Greg Jackson, to a calf injury with half the game still to go.
Injuries take toll; United in a rampant moodPlayer-coach Ricky Foote, 43-year-old brother of Marc, went on in the second half as injuries took their toll. He tried to shore up the midfield but United were in rampant mood by then.
Taradale’s best under difficult circumstances were Marc Foote, Gilbert, Medland and hard-working midfielders Rob Guild, 18, and Aiden Clinch, 17.
Taradale have had some good results — a win against Napier Marist and a draw against Gisborne Thistle among them — but coach Foote said this was by far their worst performance this season.
“Normally our games are pretty close,” he said.
“We’re an inexperienced side. Six of the starting line-up are 18 or younger.
“The team came together last year, then we lost five or six of that side and had to bring in five or six.
“It’s a two- or three-year project. We’ve got a good reserve team . . . 15- and 16-year-olds.”
The match was well controlled by referee Matt Hastings.
Gisborne Thistle coach Garrett Blair was pleased with his team’s performance in their 3-0 victory over Maycenvale.
Although Thistle struggled to find their rhythm early, they put plenty of pressure on Maycenvale, striker Hector Araya going close with a shot that was just over.
In the 20th minute, Matias Aguayo was fouled in the Maycenvale penalty area, but Ander Batarrita’s spot kick was saved.
Thistle controlled the midfield, Nicky Land, Max Logan and Aguayo linking play well and Batarritas giving them security from his holding, defensive role.
Thistle scored in the 30th minute, when leftback Daniel Venema played the ball in to Araya, who then crossed to striker Davie Ure, who beat a defender and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal.
Ure scored a second, right on halftime. Logan played a ball over the top of the defence and the Maycenvale keeper collided with Aguayo, who had to be carried off. Ure scored from the penalty, and Sam Patterson came on for Aguayo.
Thistle continued to dominate in the second half but the Maycenvale keeper was in defiant mood.
The third goal, in the last minute of the game, was worth the wait. Land crossed, and the ball was deflected to Araya, who took it on his chest and hit it on the half-volley into the top right corner from 20 metres.
Ure was named Thistle’s man of the match for his industry and creativity. He was even more effective when he dropped from striker to an attacking midfield role.
