“The team’s purpose is to develop young players and encourage them to try things without worrying if they make a mistake sometimes.”
The performance of 15-year-old Alex Shanks was a case in point, Ure said.
In the first half, Shanks had made some errors in his passing game.
What pleased Ure was that in the second half, instead of getting his head down, Shanks kept trying to influence the game in a good way.
“That epitomises what the team is supposed to be about,” Ure said.
“We want guys to want to improve and not worry about mistakes.”
Shanks had started the game in the back three but PJ Goodlett left the field injured in the 60th minute and Shanks filled his spot wide on the right.
Gee Gaurav came into the back three, alongside Kuba Jerabek and Reece Brew.
Thistle played with a five-man midfield and two strikers.
Their man of the match was central midfielder Leo Maisey, who kept himself energetically involved in the play.
Shehab Altour was outstanding in an attacking midfield role. He delivered the ball early, often setting up play for others.
Behind him, Levi Julies and Maisey were the central midfielders, with Sam Patterson and Goodlett (then Shanks) on the left and right flanks respectively.
Tim Hofman and Ure were up front.
Cory Thomson usually plays in central midfield for Thistle Reserves, but he picked up an ankle injury playing for Gisborne Boys’ High School in an interschool game in Rotorua on Friday.
The Boys’ High players turning out for their second game in two days were Julies, Shanks and keeper Tom Talbot, who did well in goal on Saturday.
Ure felt Thistle played the better football, but Western Rangers opened the scoring, in the 25th minute. Goodlett tried to volley clear from a corner, but the ball skewed off his foot into the goal.
Ten minutes later, Rangers attacked and Thistle’s Brew stepped out to meet the threat. The striker laid off the ball to an unmarked teammate who advanced into the penalty area and finished well.
In the second half, Thistle continued putting good moves together. In the 70th minute, Patterson received the ball on the left, played a one-two (wall pass) with Ure on the edge of the penalty area and scored with a nice sidefooted finish into the corner from the edge of the box.
Thistle were on top, pressing for an equaliser and, about 10 minutes from time, a Rangers midfielder was sin-binned for dissent.
The Jags almost scored when Ure cut the ball back from the right and Patterson tried to flick it in from behind his standing foot . . . it went just past the far post. Thistle continued to press but Rangers held on to their one-goal lead.
