“This is a great match to get first up, to see how well the players have gelled pre-season.”
Gisborne United coach Corey Adams had six new faces in his squad and handed three of them a starting debut.
Young goalkeeper Seth Piper, Campbell Hall and Niko Sannevigo all got a taste of Pacific Premiership action and they all impressed.
Adams was looking forward to the new season, taking on the role of coach — not player-coach — while recovering from a nasty knee injury suffered last season.
Referee Mike Ju from Hastings was joined by Gisborne assistants Mel Knight and Rubi Perano on the line. All three had good matches.
United began the match with a new formation: 3-5-2, using two wing-backs operating up and down the flanks and providing cover for the three central defenders.
Although the first half had plenty of action, no goals were scored.
Strikers Josh Adams and Brouwer both went close, with the latter hitting the crossbar, and Adams thought he'd scored a screamer only to be denied by an offside flag.
Both teams came out after the break with fire in their bellies. Five goals in 15 minutes provided the crowd with some fantastic end-to-end action.
Just 51 seconds after the restart, Brouwer scored. Gisborne United vice-captain Josh Harris put the Port Hill defence under pressure, enabling Brouwer to intercept a pass. His shot gave Port Hill goalkeeper Khan Jellyman no chance.
Gisborne United's lead was short-lived. Two minutes later, Port Hill made a drive down the right and a superb pass from midfielder Morgan McLellan found an unmarked Jay Mason, who thumped the ball into the bottom left corner of Piper's goal.
Straight from the kick-off, a team effort with some superb one-touch passing culminated in Josh Harris receiving a peach of a pass from Brouwer. Harris drilled the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, restoring Gisborne's lead: 2-1.
Five minutes later, Morgan McLellan waltzed through Gisborne United's midfield and launched a rocket from 25 metres out, leaving Piper standing as the ball whistled into the bottom left corner of his goal.
The score was 2-2 and both teams were looking to outsmart their opponents.
In the 61st minute, Josh Adams got himself into the Port Hill penalty area and danced around a few players, only to be fouled before he could get a shot off.
Referee Ju pointed to the penalty spot. Up stepped Captain Cool (Venema), who powered the ball into the roof of the net, giving Jellyman no chance.
James Bristow came on for his United debut and Steven Husband returned to first-team duties after a season-long injury as Corey Adams made a few changes.
Bristow supplied Josh Adams with a beautiful pass that put him one on one with an advancing Jellyman. Adams's shot was just a little overpowered and went over the crossbar.
One minute later, Venema put Adams through on goal, but the latter was flagged for offside. Adams kicked the ball away and became the only player in the game to be shown the yellow card.
Port Hill peppered the United goal with four corners and one free-kick in the last 10 minutes of the match, with Piper coming to the rescue with save after save, and central defender Dane Thompson winning many defensive headers.
When the final whistle blew, Gisborne United players and supporters heaved a sigh of relief, as United pulled off a gritty 3-2 win.
Corey Adams was happy with the 75 percent possession his team had during the match. Everything went according to the game plan.
“Once we get fit and take our chances better, things will start to click,” he said.
He praised the performance of the defensive line and described his team as “big-hearted”.
Adams paid tribute to central defender Thompson but gave the man-of-the-match award to Harris, who worked tirelessly throughout.
Port Hill coach Calder was pleased that his side stuck to their game plan of sitting back and catching United on the counter-attack.
“We have a lot of growing to do and when it all comes together our results will come,” he said.
“We certainly put them under the pump for the last 10 minutes.”
Calder paid tribute to his captain, Irishman Ciaran Whitty, but made Shanon Laxon his man of the match.
Next Saturday, United travel to Napier to play Napier Marist.
