Depleted Eskview give United first-half scare

SOLID: United’s Matt Adams (right) and Thistle’s Davie Ure contest possession in the April derby. On Saturday, Adams received United’s match award for the Eskview game. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne United twice came from behind in their Pacific Premiership football match against Eskview, then scored two second-half goals to win 4-2 at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.

Eskview had nearly pulled the pin on the match on Friday. Eight regulars were unable to travel and replacements were hard to come by.

Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United had a promising start to the game. They created three clear-cut scoring opportunities within the first seven minutes.

Jarom Brouwer, Josh Harris and Josh Adams were the players to go close.

Eskview went ahead, against the run of play, thanks to a slice of luck.

Dan Baxter hit a shot that United keeper Jack Faulkner appeared to have covered, until an unfortunate deflection off rightback Matt Adams put Eskview 1-0 up.

Their lead lasted seven minutes. Harris dribbled past two, maybe three, players and laid on a pass for in-form striker Josh Adams, who buried the ball in the net.

Four minutes later, Eskview were back in front. Wide player Morgan McLellan beat the offside trap and crossed into the penalty area for an unmarked Baxter, who fired the ball into the top left corner of United’s goal.

On 32 minutes, Josh Adams was brought down in the box and referee Mike Ju, who had an outstanding match, awarded a penalty. Josh Adams gave Eskview stand-in keeper Hamish McLellan no chance with his spot-kick.

The halftime score of 2-2 seemed fair as both sides had looked the goods at times.

In the second half, United got their one-touch game going, and Eskview couldn’t get near them.

The Gisborne side went ahead when man of the match Matt Adams supplied a beautiful delivery into the penalty area and central midfielder Dane Thompson, just back from injury, smashed a bullet of a header into the net.

Eight minutes later, a corner from Josh Adams found Jarom Brouwer, who made no mistake with his header to make it 4-2.

Player-coach Corey Adams decided to empty the bench and gave game time to young Lucian Nickerson, Jake Robertson and PJ Goodlett.

Those to come off were Josh Harris, injured, and Malcolm Marfell and Corey Adams, who had run themselves into the ground for the cause.

Nickerson went close to scoring his first senior goal when he rose above the Eskview defence to head the ball against the bar.

Right at the end, Gisborne United skipper Kieran Venema was shown a yellow card and given a 10-minute sinbinning for dissent.

Corey Adams was pleased with the heart his team showed in coming back twice from being a goal down to end up with a comfortable victory.

“All the boys played well as a unit and we scored some great goals,” he said.

“But I still don’t like conceding at home.”

On Saturday, both Gisborne teams are in Hawke’s Bay, United playing Maycenvale and Thistle playing Port Hill.