Gisborne Thistle going into game with eyes wide open

Welcome back: Gisborne Thistle midfielder Jarom Brouwer on the ball in a Central Federation League game against Levin at Childers Road Reserve last season. Brouwer was unavailable for Thistle’s Federation Cup game against Hawera in Palmerston North but is expected to be in the side to play Napier City Rovers Feds in Gisborne on Monday. File picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne Thistle go into their Central Federation League game against Napier City Rovers Feds on Monday with their eyes open.

The Jags will need to be on their mettle. Napier have had no competition games since the football season started.

While that means a lack of game time for Napier, it also means an absence of information on their players and tactics that could have helped ALH Thistle prepare.

No matter. This could be a seat-of-the-pants season, where teams do the best they can in the circumstances.

Napier had their first two Federation League games postponed because their squad strength was significantly affected by Covid-19.

The first of those games was to have been against Massey University. That was postponed till today. The match — at Napier’s Bluewater Stadium — was due to start at 1pm.

The second of those postponed games was to have been against Thistle, last Saturday. Monday’s game is the catch-up. It starts at 2.30pm.

Thistle head coach Garrett Blair has a fair idea of what to expect, even though he has yet to see City Rovers Feds play this season.

“We expect pretty much what we have seen over the past few years,” he said.

“Their second and third teams (those playing in the Federation League and Pacific Premiership respectively) tend to focus on youth.

“We expect to be up against fit, skilful players who are well coached and have a game plan. In Leon Birnie they have one of New Zealand’s best coaches.

“We can’t really build on anything they have done so far but we know everything they have around them in terms of coaching and infrastructure. They will be very hard to beat.”

Blair can call on a full-strength squad, with a Covid caveat.

A positive test or a requirement to isolate for anyone in the first-team squad could throw the best-laid plans into fix-it-fast mode.

But Blair says Thistle are well-prepared in this regard.

“We have good depth in the squad,” he said.

“In the Central Federation Cup game against Hawera on Easter Monday we didn’t have Nick Land, Jarom Brouwer or Ander Batarrita, but the boys who played did a really good job.”

And the contributions of substitutes Leo Maisey, Travis White and Andre Riley to the 3-1 victory in Palmerston North showed they could make an impact.

In addition, Oska Smith had returned to training after his beach-sprint exploits in Australian surf lifesaving competition.

“His speed is an asset we can definitely use,” Blair said.

However, Ash Parslow, the 19-year-old striker Thistle were hoping to get from Britain, will not be coming to Gisborne.

“His visa was approved but he had a change of heart,” Blair said.

“He felt it wasn’t the right time to be travelling or to be leaving the UK.”

Since the first-up 5-0 away loss to Whanganui Athletic, Thistle had changed their formation to provide more cover in defence and the ability to quickly add extra defenders to the backline, Blair said.

The changes beefed up the midfield and freed a player to fill a support role in attack.

Blair said Thistle were particularly fortunate to have two top-line goalkeepers in Mitchell Stewart-Hill and Mark Baple.

“A good goalkeeper can be worth nine or 10 points a season to a team, and I believe both of ours are that good,” Blair said.

Baple, who helps with the coaching duties, had surgery to a wrist injury last year and had just a few reserve team appearances last season.

However, his training form this season is such that Blair says he would have no hesitation in pitching him into the fray if necessary.

Stewart-Hill is the incumbent, though, and can look forward to what will probably be a busy afternoon on Monday.

Batarrita looks set to make a return to the core of the defence, alongside skipper Ryan Anderson and Daniel Venema.

Kuba Jerabek, on the left, and Alex Davies did well enough against Hawera to suggest they will be in the fullback berths again, with Riley likely to figure at some stage.

Kieran Venema steadies things in the holding midfield role. Matt McVey, Cullen Spawforth, Land and Brouwer will probably fill the two remaining midfield berths and the striking roles. All of them have played up front to good effect, although Spawforth’s scorcher from wide on the right against Hawera on Monday might convince Blair that a shoot-from-the-hip approach wouldn’t go amiss.

And if things aren’t working, he’s always got the option of adding to the experience of the reserves sitting restlessly on the bench.

Thistle Reserves have no game in the Pacific Premiership this weekend.

A full programme of Eastern League 1 and 2 games was set down for today.

However, the Central Football website lists as postponed the women’s Eastern League games scheduled for tomorrow between Gisborne Girls’ High School and Bohemians, and Tatapouri Marist Thistle and Heavy Equipment Services United.

Still going ahead, as of this morning, was the game between Campion College and Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina, scheduled for Harry Barker Reserve No.1 at 10.30am tomorrow (Sunday, April 24).