CONTESTED POSSESSION: Gisborne United's Josh Harris (left) contests possession with Port Hill's Brian Doherty in a game at Harry Barker Reserve in June. United won this match 3-2. It's a derby against Thistle for Harris tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard
THE cream of local football talent will be on show when Gisborne teams United and Thistle clash at Harry Barker Reserve tomorrow.
Gisborne Vehicle Testing Thistle lie second in the Pacific Premiership, three points behind Napier side Port Hill. Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United are third, nine points off the pace.
Beating Thistle wouldn't thrust United into the title race. Beating them home and away might, though . . . and these teams have still to meet in the postponed fixture at Thistle's home ground, Childers Road Reserve.
But, competition points aside, they just want to beat each other. That's what derbies are all about.
Both squads are at close to full strength.
And both coaches feel the midfield contest will be crucial to the outcome of tomorrow's match.
United coach Corey Adams adds a rider to that assessment.
“It'll be a big battle in midfield, but most of the games in this league are,” he said.
“In front of goal is where you have to take your chances. I think the winners will be the team who take their chances on the day.”
Asked about key players for his side, Adams named central defenders Kieran Higham and Mal Scammell, midfielders Kieran Venema, Josh Harris, Dane Thompson, Malcolm Marfell and Jarom Brouwer, and striker Josh Adams.
Two of those midfielders will likely be pushed forward to help Josh Adams, but which two could depend on whether Harris's niggling groin injury is affecting him.
Corey Adams would like to play Harris in midfield, where his playmaking abilities can be combined with his goalscoring potential. But Adams also wants to keep him on the field as long as he can without jeopardising his fitness for the rest of the season.
It's a judgement call that depends on the player letting the coach know when the injury is causing problems, and that's not always straightforward, given players' natural desire to play in big games.
Adams said United would probably look to press and pressure Thistle.
“It's a small pitch . . . you kind of have to press. It'll come down to keeping the ball in their half and keeping the pressure on.”
United will be defending their hold on the Challenge Cup, which goes on the line at every home match of the holders. United have held it for well over a year.
Thistle coach Garrett Blair thinks tomorrow's game will likely be won and lost in midfield.
“Their midfield three are very good and a lot of ball will come through there,” he said.
“Their front three are very quick and they have a lot going forward.
“From there, it is about whether we can attack them on the counter.”
Blair rates United skipper Kieran Venema as a key player.
“If we give KV time and space on the ball, he will control the game,” Blair said.
“If he is ‘on', the rest of them are ‘on'. If we can frustrate that, we'll go a long way towards getting a result.”
On his own team, Blair said they would look to their experienced players: goalkeeper Mark Baple, skipper and midfielder Nick Land and striker David Ure.
“They have been there time and time again and know what is required to get a result. Those boys, with the youth they have around them, are critical.”
He said Thistle would give United the respect they deserved as last season's champions, but they did not fear them.
Yes, they were local rivals, but in the overall scheme of things this was just another game Thistle needed to get through to reach their goal.
At times, games between the teams could get heated, and that was OK as long as what happened on the field stayed on the field.
A feature of the Thistle team this year has been the influence of overseas players.
Centreback Ander Batarrita, from Spain, married a Gisborne woman and is a resident of long standing, and rightback Emerson Araya, from Chile, has also been here (with his brother Hector) for several years.
Leftback Kuba Jerabek, from the Czech Republic, joined Thistle last year after coming to Gisborne to pick fruit. He returned to the Czech Republic for a month in summer and the company he worked for in Gisborne sponsored a three-year visa for him. In January he came back to take up a supervisory role. As he has a marketing background, he is also working in that field.
More recent arrivals are the Argentinian trio Ema Martos, Justo Rodriguez and Agustin Ventera, who have come into first-team contention.
Blair says the proximity of Flying Nun Backpackers in Roebuck Road has something to do with it. Backpackers soon find out about the football activity nearby and want to join in.
For them, the benefits are being able to take part in training, the club culture and the team environment.
For Thistle, the benefits are in more diversity for the club, and the skill the players bring to the game.
Young English imports Brandon Josling, who was also here last year, Tomek Frooms and Charlie Morris have continued a decades-long Gisborne tradition of strengthening the local game though the introduction of skilful players from the United Kingdom.
Thistle's links with the Pulse Academy in England have resulted in reciprocal opportunities for Gisborne players wanting a taste of the professional scene in Britain.
Eastern Union, who became Gisborne City, were known as the “United Nations” team of New Zealand football in the 1950s and '60s.
It's good to see Gisborne football still has a cosmopolitan outlook.
The Pacific Premiership game tomorrow starts at 2.30pm. The curtain-raiser, an Eastern League 1 match between long-time rivals Heavy Equipment Services United and Carpet Court Thistle Massive, starts at 12.30pm.