Gisborne United one step away from Cup final

THE CHASE: Gisborne United defender Adam Simpson (left) has a head start on Thistle striker Sam Patterson, as Mal Scammell (centre) and Aaron Graham look on during a Federation Cup game that United won 2-1 in July. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne United are one step away from the Central Federation Cup final, but several players are down on their usual squad strength.

Heavy Equipment Services United play New Plymouth team Peringa in one semifinal at Park Island, Napier, at 2pm tomorrow.

The other semifinal, between Federation League teams Napier City Rovers Feds and North End, of Palmerston North, will be played at the same time at Bluewater Stadium, a few hundred metres away.

Gisborne United will be without centreback Mal Scammell and left-sided utility player Malcolm Marfell when they line up against Peringa.

United player-coach Josh Adams said Scammell had picked up a knee injury in the Eastern League game against 1st Class Decorators Wainui Sharks last Saturday, while Marfell was out because of Covid.

Also unavailable are Kaden Manderson, one of United's best performers in the 3-2 loss to the Sharks, and impact players Josh Blair and Corey Boocock.

Adams has added centreback Jonathan Purcell to the starting line-up. Purcell and fellow starters Aaron Graham and Stu Cranswick normally play for the other United team in the Eastern League first division.

“We'll change our formation a bit,” Adams said.

“We've heard that Peringa like to overload the midfield. We'll try to counter that by also overloading our midfield.

“We'll look to play 3-5-2. Kieran Higham will sweep centrebacks Jonny Curle and Jonny Purcell.

“Aaron Graham will sit in front of them, with Corey (Adams) and Dane (Thompson) in front of him.”

He said Adam Simpson would play right wingback, but he had yet to decide who would roam the left flank.

He (Josh Adams) and Cranswick would be up front.

Peringa finished fourth of nine teams in the Taranaki Premiership. Ahead of them were league winners FC Western, New Plymouth Rangers and Moturoa.

Taranaki football follower Brian Goldby said that Peringa coach Dom Squatriti had his side playing well.

They had knocked Moturoa out of two cups this season and, in the mist and rain at Merrilands Domain, a “weathered but staunch” Peringa side had beaten New Plymouth Rangers 3-0 in the Duff Rose Bowl semifinal.

“Peringa” is the old Maori pronunciation for Bellringer, Goldby says.

“In the 1920s and '30s, Mrs Bellringer — who owned the Bellringer Estate in Fitzroy — let now-dissolved football clubs NP Pirates and the original NP Rangers use part of the good flat piece of land for a pitch in eastern New Plymouth,” Goldby said.

“In time, this became Peringa Park. The Fitzroy AFC established itself there in the 1970s before amalgamating with the Bell Block Soccer Club in 1996 to become Peringa United.”

United have played Peringa in a Federation Cup semifinal before. In 2013 the teams met on neutral territory, Dannevirke Showground, and Gisborne United won 3-2. They were on the wrong side of the same scoreline when they lost to Havelock North Wanderers in the final at Childers Road Reserve.

In 2014, Gisborne United went one better and beat Napier City Rovers Reserves 6-1 in the Federation Cup final at Bluewater Stadium.

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