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FOOTBALL
TWO high school sides ended up on the wrong end of 3-2 scorelines in Gisborne Championship Division 1 football on Saturday.
Carpet Court Thistle Massive beat Lytton High School at Childers Road Reserve and Wainui Demons beat Gisborne Boys’ High School at Wainui.
But the school teams both led at one stage and showed enough to suggest they could do better this weekend.
Boys’ High are at Wainui again, this time taking on Wainui Sharks. Lytton play the Demons at the Lytton school ground.
But the match of the round should be that between Heavy Equipment Services United and Thistle Massive. It will be the curtain-raiser for the Pacific Premiership game between Gisborne United and Maycenvale at Harry Barker Reserve.
Thistle’s victory at the weekend was hard-won. Lytton have developed a potent combination of youthful energy and ability with a touch of tempered steel.
When the school side took a 2-0 lead through goals from Ryan Anderson in the fifth minute and Merlin Parsons in the 11th, the game threatened to get away from Thistle.
So when right midfielder Craig Stirton ran on to a through-ball from attacking midfielder Kieran Ryan and planted the ball in the far corner of the goal midway through the first half, it was a relief.
Lytton led 2-1 at halftime, but Thistle had begun to look more dangerous.
Striker Nic Somerton, given a starting place on the bench to ease him back into action after time away on holiday, made an impact when he came on . . . spraying the ball about and looking composed in possession.
But the match-winning performance came from Ryan. In the second half he stepped up a couple of gears and turned the game Thistle’s way.
He equalised for Thistle in the 56th minute, making space for himself to shoot from just outside the penalty area. And when left midfielder Jason Burgess scored in the 75th minute, Ryan had been prominent in the build-up.
“I’ve never seen him play so well,” Thistle Massive coach John Stirton said.
“Kieran was our man of the match. He was just dynamite, the difference between the teams.”
Lytton had caused Thistle problems, particularly with their willingness to test the Jags’ rearguard with pace on attack, Stirton said.
Apart from Ryan, Thistle were well served by defensive midfielder Reece Brew, Burgess, Craig Stirton and Somerton.
Lytton’s standout players were goalkeeper Cameron Cairns, centreback Stan Bodle, left midfielder Mat Hatten and striker Parsons.
A goal by striker Ricky Boyd in the 14th minute gave Wainui Demons the early lead against Boys’ High, but striker Oscar Ruston equalised midway through the first half.
Ruston received the ball on the right and made a diagonal run past defenders and into the penalty area before unleashing a left-footed shot into the far corner of the goal.
Just before halftime, Boys’ High hit the front. Midfielder Matt McNeil hit a 40-metre cross from the right to the far post, where Jimmy Somerton ghosted in from the left and applied the close-range sidefoot finish.
The lead did not last long into the second half, though. Boyd was fouled in the penalty area, and midfielder Aaron Welch scored from the spot kick in the 46th minute.
Wainui’s winner came in the 80th minute when wide midfielder Matt Tong surged into the penalty area to get on the end of Boyd’s cut-back from the byline. Tong’s first-time shot from 10 metres gave Boys’ High keeper Regan Cameron no chance.
For Wainui, Boyd featured on attack, Jake Theron and Tong were full of running, Welch was constructive in midfield, and Mike Ferguson had a sound game at centreback. Regular goalkeeper Byron Allen was away, so Mike Morrissey deputised and proved an able stand-in.
Boys’ High have had to reorganise following the departure of three international students who were first-team players. The upside to that has been the way the players promoted from the second team have responded to the challenge.
Coach Sebastian Itman Bocchi said former second-team players rightback Paul Stewart and left wingback Joey Kwak were outstanding against Wainui.
Also encouraging was the performance of keeper Cameron, returning from a shoulder injury and doing a great job sweeping his defence and averting danger.
Year 10 student Oliver Davies had established himself as a first-team player with positional awareness and an understanding of the need for cover. Fellow Year 10 student Somerton also shone.
After a challenging Super 8 tournament, Boys’ High are looking forward to interschool tournament play at the tail-end of the season.
Their Super 8 cause was hindered by injuries to key players, a restriction on the number of international students allowed — two — in any game, and the reduced number of substitutes they had as a result of these circumstances.
United lead Division 1 of the Championship, having beaten Wainui Sharks 7-1 a week earlier.
In Division 2, Wairoa Athletic lead after their 5-2 win against GBHS (2). ShipWreck Bohemians are second, having beaten Riverina 2-1.
In the Conference, Three Rivers Medical Bohemians won a thriller against Campion College, 5-4. ITM Thistle are still top of the table after beating Lytton (2) 7-2, while Heavy Equipment Services United (3) stay on their heels after a 5-0 victory over GBHS (3).