Adams hat-trick sets up win

A Josh Adams hat-trick powered Gisborne United Firsts to a 5-2 victory over Wainui Sharks in Eastern League 1 football on Saturday.

Adams scored the second, third and fourth goals for Heavy Equipment Services United in a game that was closer than the score suggests.

United went ahead in the 11th minute when striker Stu Cranswick’s shot was deflected with such spin that it wrongfooted the defence. Adams ran on to the ball and squared it to Cranswick to tap into the goal.

Adams scored the second goal, in the 19th minute. From the left corner of the penalty area, 15 metres out from the byline, Cranswick laid the ball back to Adams. His low, curling, left-footed shot took the ball beyond the goalkeeper’s reach into the right-hand corner of the goal.

A minute later, Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks centreback Dan Willock pulled one back. He went forward for a corner and when the ball fell to him five metres out he reacted fastest to score a rare goal.

In the 27th minute, Cranswick’s shot from wide on the left was blocked and the ball rolled out to Adams, who drove the ball from about the penalty spot into the bottom right corner.

United were worth their 3-1 halftime lead, but Wainui were still in with a chance. Thiago Carlos de Melo, having his best game in ages, was rewarded for his efforts with a 60th-minute goal that made it 3-2, and the game hung in the balance.

Wainui’s two-goal cushion was restored in the 65th minute when referee Chris Niven ruled that foul play had brought down Adams in the penalty area. Adams brought up his hat-trick with the kick.

In the 88th minute, holding midfielder Kieran Venema took a free-kick from 25 metres out. It bounced on the wet surface just in front of the Wainui ’keeper and skidded past him into the net for a final score of 5-2.

Wainui coach Blake Mulrooney said he thought 3-2 would have been a fair result.

“I don’t think we deserved to win, but I don’t think we deserved to lose by that many,” he said.

“We had a penalty shout turned down, they got one that took it to 4-2, and we ran out of petrol.”

They missed midfielder Max Logan, who was on duty for Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Mulrooney said.

Striker Jaiden Ibbetson and holding midfielder Andrew McBride shone in a generally good team effort.

United player-coach Josh Adams was impressed with the performance of his team’s three youngsters — leftback Kaden Manderson, central midfielder Matt Hills and right-winger Jacob Adams — as well as the more experienced Corey Adams and Aaron Graham in midfield and Andy McIntosh in goal.

United also had players missing. Left midfielder Damon Husband injured a calf muscle in training last Thursday and is expected to be out for two or three weeks yet, and rightback Ben Hansen had a groin strain niggle at training that worsened during the warm-up on Saturday. He was unable to play, but his condition would be assessed before this Saturday’s game.

Coates Associates Wainui Demons are enjoying a good start to the league. They beat QRS Wairoa Athletic 10-2 on the opening day and on Saturday beat Property Brokers Thistle Firsts 4-3.

Kaleb Jacobs scored two goals and Mark Harris and Hoani Morrell scored one each in the latest win.

Harris opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he ran on to a through ball from Yannis Kokkosis and slipped it past the ’keeper.

Demons led 2-1 at halftime, Luca Ricard scoring Thistle’s goal from a 30-metre free-kick midway through the first half.

Also for Thistle, Lucian Nickerson scored with a header from a corner in the 55th minute and Te Kani Wirepa-Hei cut in from the right wing late in the game to score with a hard shot that went in at the near post.

Leftback Alex Larkins, rightback Shai Avni and midfielders Noy Paull and Max Kume also did good work for Thistle.

Demons captain/coach Kokkosis said Harris was his team’s “enforcer”.

“What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in presence.”

Former Federation League midfielder Jarom Brouwer, centreback Clay Parker and goalkeeper John Hill — playing his second game of the day — were outstanding, Kokkosis said.

He was looking forward to the game against clubmates Wainui Sharks at Wainui at 2.30pm on Saturday.

Other Eastern League results —

Division 1: Thistle Youth 0 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs 3; QRS Wairoa Athletic 2 Thistle Vintage 0.

Division 2: Tatapouri Bohemians 2 HES United Thirds 1; Ngatapa Brandt Silkies 0 Tumu Thistle 4; High School Old Boys 6 HES United Seconds 0; Neighborhood Pizzeria Wainui Sandbar 2 Gizzy Bobcat Services Thistle 2.

Women: Campion 0 Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina 2; Bohemians 3 Tatapouri Marist Thistle 2.