Soccer United V Havelock North -
A hat-trick to Josh Adams was a highlight of Gisborne United’s 5-2 victory over Havelock North Wanderers Seconds at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.
Adams was a constant menace to the Havelock defence and could have had two hat-tricks.
But another highlight was the evidence of the difference that three weeks can make in a team.
On April 28 at Childers Road Reserve, Havelock lost 13-1 to Gisborne Thistle.
Seven days later they drew 2-2 at home with Taradale and 14 days further on, they showed plenty of heart in their loss to Heavy Equipment Services United.
Make no mistake: United deserved to win and created enough chances to score in double figures. But Havelock refused to be ruled out of the contest until a last-minute goal put the issue beyond doubt.
United stay in third place in the 10-team league, while Thistle’s 1-1 draw with Taradale in Hawke’s Bay moves them closer to a mid-table position.
United got straight into their work on Saturday. In the seventh minute, Izzy Whitley hit a free-kick from the right flank just inside Havelock’s half to the other wing, where player-coach Corey Adams took the ball in his stride and struck a sidefoot shot just beyond the far post. Whitley hit two of the best long balls in the game — that free-kick and his cross from the left to Stu Cranswick at the far post in the last minute for United’s fifth goal.
Josh Adams opened the scoring in the 10th minute from the penalty spot after he was pushed from the back as he advanced on goal.
United had further chances in the 12th, 14th and 18th minutes, but they came to nothing.
Havelock striker Will Fridd worked his way clear in the United penalty area in the 23rd but his shot was astray.
Three minutes later, United central midfielder Dane Thompson slipped a pass to Josh Adams who advanced down the left and rifled in a 20-metre shot that went in at the near post . . . 2-0.
Havelock got one back two minutes later when centreback and dead-ball specialist Jackson Ralph belted a free-kick past the wall from just outside the box. United keeper Jack Faulkner got his hands on the ball but couldn’t hold it, and Havelock were back in the game.
The half ended with Ralph trying his luck with a free-kick from 45 metres — it took a deflection and hit the bar — and within 30 seconds Kimber saving at the other end in a goalmouth scramble.
Danger signs were thereDanger signs were there for Havelock. Josh Adams was operating between the centrebacks and finding room. Attempts to catch him offside were risky at best, and Havelock were often caught with too little cover at the back.
The midfield contest was interesting. In the holding role, United had the power of Kieran Venema, strong on the ball and in the tackle, and composed in his distribution. In front of him, Josh Harris and Thompson looked to link with wide players Whitley and Corey Adams, but the best option was often simply to put the ball in front of Josh Adams.
Havelock’s five-man midfield comprised mainly lean, leggy youngsters with good touch and an eye for the telling pass. Physically outgunned, they nevertheless crowded their opposites to gain a fair share of possession and create the odd opening.
Kenny Willox, Daniel Fridd, Oskar Rimmer, Connor Gray and Jack Sanko all put in useful shifts. Willox made some good runs through the middle and earned the penalty that Ralph put away in the 57th minute to make it 4-2. Gray also looked handy when he helped out in defence.
In goal for Havelock, Kimber could do little to stop the goals, and made some good saves, while leftback Jona Jirkowsky made arguably the best tackle of the game — a sliding clearance from the side just as Josh Adams was about to shoot in the 59th minute.
United had almost scored in the 47th minute, when Harris’s outside-of-the-foot shot hit the inside of the post and bounced across the goal to safety. Kimber saved well from Josh Adams a minute later and, in the 49th, Corey Adams got to the left byline, chopped back on to his right foot and curled in a shot that went in at the far post. . . 3-1.
Three minutes later, Josh Adams cut between two defenders and placed his shot beyond the keeper . . . 4-1.
Ralph, with his penalty, and Cranswick — on late for Corey Adams — completed the scoring, but the next chance always seemed just around the corner. Harris’s overhead kick came close, Whitley’s header was well saved, another header hit the bar, and Aaron Graham (on for Josh Adams) latched on to a half-cleared corner and hit the post from 20 metres.
At the back for United, Kieran Higham and Lucien Nickerson (a rightback playing on the left) had strong games, and the rest were solid enough in a match where most of the action was at the other end.
Coach Adams was pleased with the performance, the goals and the points, and the fact that United retained the Challenge Cup they won off Eskview.
Havelock coach Christian Jirkowsky was proud of his players.
Their van broke down between Wairoa and Gisborne so they arrived only 25 minutes before kick-off (they were to travel back in the cars of players’ parents).
They had four players out injured, and two more were required by the club’s Central League team to cover for their injuries. On top of that, seven of Saturday’s squad — six of them in the starting 11 — had played high school football in the morning.
“Nevertheless, I thought they played good football,” Jirkowsky said.
“And Gisborne played good football, as well.”
Referee Jim Adcock showed yellow cards to Havelock’s Daniel Fridd for simulation and Jared Bawden for a reckless foul, and United’s Whitley for a reckless foul.
Gisborne Thistle were left to rue missed opportunities in their 1-1 draw with Taradale in Hawke’s Bay.
Thistle opened the scoring in the first half with a 10-metre sidefoot finish from midfielder Nicky Land after good work from striker Sam Patterson and central midfielder Hector Araya.
The Jags continued to press for the next 30 minutes and could have scored two or three more goals on the chances that came their way.
Taradale had the better of the second half but were generally restricted to shots from 25 to 30 metres out.
Leftback Jake Robertson, one of Thistle’s standout performers in the first half, had to go off with a migraine, so Ander Batarrita dropped from central midfield to leftback and Matias Aguayo came on as a defensive midfielder alongside Land.
Araya came close twice before Taradale equalised in the last 10 minutes with a long shot that took an awkard bounce to beat keeper Mark Baple.
Araya’s close-control dribbling was a constant threat to Taradale, and he was Thistle’s man of the match.
George Andrew and Chris Spurr continued their effective partnership at the centre of defence, while Davy Ure was outstanding as an attacking midfielder supporting strikers Jake Theron and Patterson.
Batarrita was a powerful presence both in midfield and at the back, and Land showed the meaning of box-to-box midfield play.