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THISTLE Massive mimicked Dracula on Saturday . . . they didn’t like crosses, or corners, to be precise.
United beat Massive 3-2 in a Bailey Cup football semifinal at Childers Road Reserve, and all three of United’s goals came from corners.
In the final at the Reserve on Saturday, Heavy Equipment Services United will play Carpet Court Thistle Reserves, who beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 5-2 in the other semifinal.
Massive player-coach David Ure twice put his side ahead, and United centreback Jonathan Purcell twice equalised with far-post headers from Josh Adams’s right-wing corners.
Ten minutes from time, Adams scored direct with a left-footed inswinger from a right-wing corner to win the game.
Ure was particularly disappointed because he thought his side had done well to contain the threat from general play of United strikers Adams and player-coach Stu Cranswick.
He had Shannon Dowsing on Cranswick and Chris Spurr on Adams, with Michael Rogers sweeping. Out wide, wingbacks Emerson Araya on the right and Daniel Contreras on the left had strong games.
The midfield was solid. Ander Batarrita and Lief Keown covered the defensive duties, while Hector Araya was given free rein. He used this freedom to such good effect he was named Thistle’s man of the match.
Up front, Nic Somerton and Ure continued their goalscoring partnership. After 15 minutes, Somerton crossed from the left and Ure collected it beyond the far post, cut inside and scored from five metres.
In the 31st minute, Purcell equalised.
Fifteen minutes into the second half, Somerton went down the left again and his cross was met at the far post by Emerson Araya, who had surged forward from defence.
As United tried to clear the danger, Ure got in a block tackle and was first to the loose ball to score from close range.
United had to wait 20 minutes before Purcell equalised, and then Adams dropped a corner right at the far post. Thistle keeper Raymond Rickard backpedalled but could not get enough of a touch on the ball to keep it out.
Cranswick gave United’s man-of-the-match award jointly to centrebacks Aaron Graham and Purcell. He recalled two instances where Graham, shifted back from midfield, cleared the ball off the line.
Kim Perano, Dan Torrie and Jimmy Holden shared the fullback duties.
Craig Christophers did what he could in midfield to lighten the load for Jack Feyen, who was struggling for breath after a throat infection, Cranswick said.
Damon Husband had another solid game on the left, and keeper Timoti Weir “had a stormer”, particularly in the first half.
The game was played at a fast pace with the ball moving swiftly from end to end, and the hard ground making for high bounces.
Cranswick said it had been a long season but, with the Eastern League Division 1 title already under their belt, they would lift for one last effort. Most injuries had eased, and those that lingered were “nothing that strapping tape couldn’t help”.
In the other game, Boys’ High were 2-0 down at halftime but came back with an outstanding goal to central midfielder and man of the match Noy Paull 15 minutes into the second half.
Coach Darren Larkins said Paull gained possession 30 metres out and beat “five or six” players before slipping the ball into the net from eight metres.
“We were playing some good football, but they are very quick on the break and we struggled with that,” Larkins said.
Strikers Ian Cutler and PJ Goodlett proved particularly troublesome.
Goodlett (2) and central midfielders Max Mika (2) and Matt McVey scored for Thistle in a polished all-round team effort.
Thistle scored on the break for 3-1 and got to 4-1 before Boys’ High central midfielder Riaki Ruru got on the end of a Paull shot that was going wide and directed it into goal. Attacking midfielder Campbell Hall also shone for Boys’ High.
Even when Thistle scored again late in the game, the school side kept up their efforts, Larkins said.
For five players, Saturday’s football game was their last for Boys’ High. Head prefect and team captain Ruru, Paull, Lucian Nickerson, Reuben Mottart and Rangi Moore all leave school this year.
Larkins said they would be hard to replace but all school teams had to deal with the turnover of students.
Thistle Reserves coach Garrett Blair said the underdogs tag suited his side going into the final. He expected to have a full squad, with Kieran Higham back from suspension.
In the Chris Moore Cup, Riverina beat Bohemians Social 3-2 and GBHS (2) beat Wainui Demons 4-3. Riverina won the final last night (see story this page).
Smash Palace Shockers beat Division 3 champions Ngatapa Silkies 4-2 and will take on United (3) — 5-1 victors over Campion College — in the Poverty Bay Cup final.
Lytton High School beat Liquid Thistle Allsorts 8-1 to earn an Emerre & Hathaway Cup final against GBHS (3).