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TWO outstanding goals by Jason Burgess provided the feature of Thistle Massive’s 7-1 victory over Shipwreck Bohemians in Eastern League Division 1 football on Friday night.
Only the previous week, Burgess had his first game back after a lengthy spell out of action with a foot injury.
On Friday, under the lights at Childers Road Reserve, he came on after 25 minutes and scored Thistle’s fifth and sixth goals in a second-half five-minute spell. Burgess started in the middle of midfield, then moved to the left flank when Phill Gloistein came on in the central role.
About 30 minutes into the second half, Burgess cut in from the left and from 20 metres curled a right-footed shot in at the far post.
Five minutes later, striker Nic Somerton’s left-wing corner was half-cleared back to Somerton. He sent in a cross that seemed to be going behind Burgess, who flung a leg back and caught the ball with the outside of his boot, directing it into the top right-hand corner of the goal . . . like Olivier Giroud’s strike for Arsenal against Crystal Palace.
Central midfielder Matt Hastings had scored Massive’s first goal, after 10 minutes. He played the ball in to left-flank midfielder Daniel Contreras and continued his run into the penalty area to pick up the return. As the goalkeeper advanced, Hastings slotted the ball home.
Massive had the better of play and went further ahead after 30 minutes. Player-coach David Ure’s cross from the right was intercepted at the near post by a defender who was tackled by Somerton, who in turn finished from five metres.
Bohemians struck back soon after through striker Liam Wire, and the game was still in the balance, 2-1, at the break.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Somerton got on the end of rightback Emerson Araya’s cross and, from 15 metres, headed the ball over the advancing keeper to make it 3-1.
Five minutes later, the ball came in from the left to Somerton, whose shot was parried. Ure followed up and headed the bouncing ball into the net from a metre. Then came the two goals from Burgess.
With time almost up, Gloistein hit a cross-cum-shot from the right. Ure stopped the ball just wide of the near post and, with the keeper already committed to his dive, sidefooted the ball into the net to make it 7-1.
Thistle’s best on the day were Burgess, Emerson Araya, centreback Chris Spurr and central midfielder Lief Keown.
Bohemians’ best were attacking midfielder Steve White, central midfielder Matt Sowerby, rightback Chris Cockburn and centreback Hayden Donnelly.
Attacking midfielder Kieran Higham scored a hat-trick as Carpet Court Thistle Reserves beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 6-2 at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday.
Striker PJ Goodlett, left-winger Ian Cutler and defensive midfielder Max Mika also scored for Thistle, who took a while to find their rhythm.
Wanoa equalisesThey went a goal up after 20 minutes but Boys’ High equalised through striker Jirah Wanoa.
Thistle had started with a back line of four, but seemed more comfortable when they reverted to their normal defensive system of three at the back.
“We started to open up and the goals started flowing after that,” coach Garrett Blair said.
Outstanding for Thistle were Higham, Goodlett, Cutler, Mika and centrebacks Daniel Venema and Ander Batarrita.
No senior referee was available, so young linesman Seth Piper controlled the game and did well, Blair said.
Boys’ High coach Darren Larkins said Childers Road Reserve No.1 was “a bit big” for his side.
“Our second half was much better, and Jirah scored a good second goal. He had dropped back into left midfield by then but ran on to a through-ball and dinked it over the keeper.”
Larkins said midfielder Noy Paull, leftback Olly Aldridge and goalkeeper Jack Faulkner were outstanding for Boys’ High.
UNITED striker Josh Adams scored a hat-trick and player-coach Stu Cranswick grabbed two goals as this season’s Eastern League champions beat Wainui Sharks 5-1 at Harry Barker Reserve.
Wainui opened the scoring after 10 minutes when right-flank midfielder Blaise Houston-Amor darted in from the wing and redirected player-coach Michael Smith’s shot into the goal. Left-flank midfielder Ricky Boyd had made the byline and cut the ball back for Smith’s shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Twenty minutes in, Adams equalised for Heavy Equipment Services United.
Adams made it 2-1 two minutes into the second half, and 10 minutes later Cranswick made it 3-1 with a near-post header from an Adams right-wing inswinging corner.
Adams completed his hat-track 10 minutes later to make it 4-1, and Cranswick pounced on a ricocheting shot five minutes after that to finish the scoring, from six metres.
Cranswick said it was a good team effort, with Aaron Graham deserving special mention for his adjustment from midfielder to centreback to cover for Jonathan Purcell’s absence through injury. And goalkeeper Timoti Weir improved with every game.
But injuries were still a problem, and Cranswick was considering giving some players a rest.
For Wainui, striker Zane Destounis, midfielders Michael Smith and Matt Smith, and defenders Jimmy Lawrence and Jeff Allen stood out.
BOYS’ High and Thistle Massive played at Childers Road Reserve last night so the students would be fresh for the Trident Tournament in Hamilton from Monday to Friday.
Thirty teams will be split into six pools, and Boys’ High could play nine or 10 games in the five days.
Massive won last night’s Eastern League game 4-1, but Boys’ High scored first, when central midfielder Rangi Moore finished off a good move with an eight-metre shot in the fourth minute. Skipper Riaki Ruru, Jirah Wanoa and Alex Larkins all helped in the build-up.
Massive equalised in the ninth minute through Hector Araya and scored again, through a Jason Burgess header, in the 21st to take a 2-1 lead.
Thirty minutes into the second half, midfielder Ander Batarrita played a wall-pass with David Ure, then picked his spot to make it 3-1, and Ure scored late with a penalty for handball . . . 4-1.
For Massive, Batarrita, Burgess and rightback Emerson Araya were outstanding.
School coach Darren Larkins said that Matt Proffit had joined the squad following the rugby season and did well at leftback.
Moore was strong in midfield and Campbell Hall caused problems with his pace up front.
It was also good to have rightback Jake Cirolli, centreback Reuben Mottart and midfielder Ruru back in action after time out through injury.
In Division 2, the title is on the line when QRS Wairoa Athletic take on Thistle Vintage in Wairoa in the last game of the competition. Both sides lost on Saturday. Athletic hold a one-point lead over Vintage, who are five points ahead of third-placed Riverina.
Division 2: United (2) 2 Bohemians Social 1, Thistle Vintage 1 Riverina 4, Three Rivers Medical Bohemians Development 1 GBHS (2) 4, Wainui Demons 4 QRS Wairoa Athletic 3.
Division 3: Campion College 0 Ngatapa Silkies 2, Lytton High School 0 United (3) 0, Smash Palace Shockers 5 Liquid Thistle Allsorts 3.
Women: Campion College 4 Tatapouri Marist Thistle 8, Heavy Equipment Services United 4 DJ Mac Panel & Paint Bohemians 2, Ritana Raiders 0 Gisborne Laundry Services Riverina 3.