Gisborne Thistle Reserves draw again

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Davie Ure won a penalty, then scored from it to earn Gisborne Thistle Reserves a 1-1 draw in Pacific Premiership football at Park Island, Napier, on Saturday.

Napier City Rovers Prems scored in the 25th minute and led 1-0 at halftime.

“We’d got caught short-handed at the back,” Thistle coach Craig Stirton said.

“They slipped the ball through for a guy who came running on to it and slipped it past our keeper.”

ALH Thistle Reserves equalised 10 minutes from time.

Thistle coach Craig Stirton said the Jags played some good football and created numerous chances.

Everyone put in a good effort, he said.

Thistle’s man of the match was Shehab Altour, who started on the left wing but moved into the middle of midfield.

“Tim Hofman wasn’t feeling well and had to come off at halftime,” Stirton said.

“He’d been centrehalf, so we pushed Raydon Semmens from defensive midfield to centrehalf, and Shehab from the wing to central midfield. Lucas Ricard came on for Tim but played on the wing, where Shehab had been.”

At halftime, Andre Riley was shifted from leftback to left wing, and Ricard moved to leftback.

Others to shine for Thistle were Reece Brew and Ure in central midfield, Brad Hill at centreback and Tom Talbot in goal.

“When we were a goal down I pushed Davie up with Sam Patterson,” Stirton said.

“It paid off. Davie drew the foul for the penalty, and then he scored from it.”

Thistle Reserves are now seventh in the eight-team league. They have three games go to in their 14-match programme, and have five points from a win and two draws.

The team below them are Napier City Rovers Prems, who have two games in hand. They have four points from a win and a draw, and have five games to play.