Athletic and Shockers advance in Gisborne football’s Bailey Cup knockout

Gisborne Boys' High School head of football Sebastian Itman gives a primer on Uruguayan football history in his post-match pep talk to both teams after Gisborne United's 3-1 Eastern Premiership win on Saturday. Itman spoke of the respect between the teams and drew parallels between United and the Uruguayan club he supported, Penarol. Its colours, black and yellow, are also those of United. Penarol had its beginnings as a sports club for railway workers. The rivalry between Penarol and Nacional is football's oldest outside the British Isles. Photo / John Gillies

Cup fever laid low half the teams affected by it in Gisborne football at the weekend.

Of the Tairawhiti Men’s Championship teams in action, Versatile Thistle and Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks bowed out of the Bailey Cup.

Thistle Athletic Bobcats beat their Versatile clubmates 7-1 at Childers Road Reserve and Smash Palace Shockers Gold beat the Sharks 3-1 at Harry Barker Reserve.

For Athletic, Anton Merkushev scored in the eighth and 35th minutes, Leo Starck in the 36th and 48th, Josh Charles in the 50th, George Ure in the 66th and Teweia Butibara in the 70th.

Ravneet Prasad scored for Versatile.

Wainui Sharks opened the scoring in their game against Shockers, through Jet Koll in the 18th minute.

A Matias Pincini own goal in the 25th levelled the scores, and a 55th-minute penalty from Brad Clark and a 75th-minute strike by Max Harris won it for Shockers.

In Chris Moore Cup action for Tairawhiti Division 2 teams, Thistle Vintage-Masters beat C & G Plumbing High School Old Boys Eels 5-4 at Harry Barker Reserve.

The teams were level 3-3 at halftime but two quick goals after the break put Thistle in the box seat. A Hayden Beale own goal from an attempted clearance gave HSOB a whiff of a comeback but Thistle held on to progress to the next round.

Neil Hansen grabbed a hat-trick for Thistle, and Aaron Barnby and Dane Sables scored the other goals.

For HSOB, Jonah King scored the first two goals and Damon Husband cut in from the right wing to steer the ball into the far corner with his trusty left foot.

Husband and Jimmy Holden joined HSOB this season from United. At 43, Husband can look back on 13 good years with United, and Holden can reflect on even more.

Husband rejoins Steve White, a teammate from early Bohemians days, while Holden makes the Eels midfield a family affair, alongside sons Jack Holden and Tama Wirepa.

The Eels have also picked up a handy goalkeeper, Matt Wotherspoon, from Wainui this year.

Thistle Vintage-Masters live up to their name, with several well-performed players who could now be called veterans ... Roger Faber, Toby Pickering, Matt Feisst, Neil Hansen, Hayden Donnelly and Hayden Beale spring to mind, while Stefan Faber is in there to bring down the average age and raise the average speed.

Coates Associates Wainui Demons beat HSOB Campion 4-1 at Wainui.

Striker Mark Harris, left-winger Richard Harris and defender Simon Lawler each scored with headers that owed much to the delivery from Mitchell Moore-Brouwer and Jamie Aitken. Demons’ player of the day, striker Ben Inder, scored with a “screamer” late in the game to cap an energetic individual performance.

The Demons’ passing was a feature of their play.

Right-winger Jaia Harris made a solid Demons debut, while defender Moore-Brouwer made some telling blocks and Renata Walker put in a good shift at centre back and in midfield. Goalkeeper Jacob Moorcroft – a handy outfield player – was a sound last line of defence.

Campion showed plenty of spirit, and Erick Azevedo scored a 35th-minute goal that kept them in the game and gave them some reward for their efforts.

In women’s football, Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina kept their 100% win record intact, with a Bree Allan own goal adding to skipper Lily Auckram’s penalty to give Riverina a 2-1 victory over Smash Palace Shockers Black at Wainui.

Riverina have 12 points from four wins, while Shockers Black and Allan Kellett Panel and Paint Thistle both have seven points from two wins, a draw and a loss.

JT Contractors United and HSOB High School Old Girls are on four and three points respectively after United won their clash at Harry Barker Reserve 4-2.

Jessica Taylor scored a first-half hat-trick in the space of 18 minutes, with goals after eight, 17 and 26 minutes. Skipper Sarah Graham scored United’s third goal, after 18 minutes.

For HSOG, Kirstie Lovell scored after 10 minutes and skipper Courtney Farrell scored after 37.

The second half was scoreless.