File picture
IF David Ure had found a big enough hole at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday, he might have been tempted to crawl into it.
With 25 minutes to go, his Thistle Massive side were 2-1 down and his penalty kick had just been saved.
But the No.1 pitch at the Reserve is in pretty good nick these days, so player-coach Ure stayed above ground and — two minutes from time — scored the winning goal.
Massive’s 3-2 victory over Carpet Court Thistle Reserves in Eastern League Division 1 football kept them in second place, four points behind competition leaders Heavy Equipment United, who beat Gisborne Boys’ High School 8-2 at Harry Barker Reserve. Josh Adams scored four and player-coach Stu Cranswick, three.
In the other game, Wainui Sharks took the field with eight players against Shipwreck Bohemians at Harry Barker Reserve. But — thanks to Jeff Allen going straight to the ground on getting back from Wellington, Zach Destounis playing despite being injured, and Wainui Demons players turning out for their second game of the day — Sharks had 11 on the field within 15 minutes.
And with a back four close to a combined age of 200, they held Bohemians at bay and won 2-0.
Thistle Massive and Thistle Reserves looked to be headed for a draw as Massive advanced down their right flank late in the game.
Emerson Araya sent in a high ball to the edge of the penalty area. Ure contested the cross with Thistle Reserves goalkeeper Mark Baple, whose punched clearance fell to left midfielder Daniel Contreras, who shot from 25 metres.
It was not a clean strike, and the ball came to Ure, who took one touch and volleyed the ball into the net.
Massive had gone 1-0 up 10 minutes into the game when Contreras ran on to a through ball from central midfielder Shannon Dowsing and toe-poked the ball past Baple at his near post.
The Reserves equalised when central midfielder Reece Brew lifted the ball over the Massive defensive line to put right-winger Sam Patterson through on goal. Patterson drilled it into the bottom left corner from the edge of the penalty area.
With their attackers darting back to help in midfield, Thistle Reserves enjoyed a lot of possession.
Early in the second half, Ian Cutler showed good pace and skill to get past the Massive defence, then dink the ball over keeper Raymond Rickard to central midfielder Matt McVey, who sidefooted it into the open goal . . . 2-1.
It was like a slap to the face for Massive, who roused themselves back into the game.
Centreback Michael Rogers, up for a set piece, lingered long enough to get a flick-on for Ure to chase. His shot came to nothing but Nic Somerton’s challenge for the scraps led to a penalty for Massive.
Baple did exceptionally well to save Ure’s spot kick, but 10 minutes later a foul on Ure resulted in another penalty. This time Somerton took it . . . 2-2.
For the last 15 minutes, Massive threw everything at the Reserves, who remained dangerous on the counter-attack.
Ure’s late goal gave the Reserves little chance to strike back.
Dowsing was Massive’s man of the match for his energy and distribution, while Somerton was effective up front and Chris Spurr showed the benefit of his experience at the back. Leif Keown, recently returned from overseas, and Contreras both did well on the left flank.
Fourteen-year-old Cutler was Thistle Reserves’ man of the match. Coach Garrett Blair said Cutler had a strong running game with ball at feet, and competed to the end.
Keeper Baple and midfielder Brew also stood out in a performance Blair thought was worth a win. The Reserves aimed to play short, sharp football that got the ball wide early, and most of their chances came by way of this route.
Thistle Reserves are comfortably third on the table and will be favourites against fifth-placed Bohemians at Nelson Park this Saturday.
The real battle will be at Harry Barker Reserve, where Massive play United.
Josh Adams is in ominous form for United. His combination with Cranswick gets better with every game, and they blend pace, skill, aggression and finishing power to lethal effect.
But on Saturday, Boys’ High were in the contest till the game’s closing stages. After Adams’s opener 15 minutes in, Riaki Ruru’s five-metre strike finished off a lovely passing move to bring Boys’ High level after 25 minutes.
Cranswick put United 2-1 up and the students fell further behind to a near-post scramble from an Adams inswinging corner from the right.
United went further ahead after halftime but Boys’ High got back to 4-2 when Jirah Wanoa scored with 20 minutes to go.
Lapses in concentration meant the youngsters conceded four late goals but it was not all gloom. Jack Faulkner was again outstanding in goal, Lucian Nickerson was brave in defence, and Noy Paull shone in midfield. Younger squad members Wanoa, Jack Fenn and Jake Cirolli also impressed.
United had Craig Christophers back after five weeks out with a quadriceps injury. He fitted in well with Aaron Graham and Jack Feyen in central midfield, and should be available for the game against Massive.
In goal, Kim Perano filled in for the suspended Timoti Weir and played well, especially considering he had already scored a hat-trick from midfield for United seconds in a 4-1 win against Three Rivers Medical Bohemians Development.
In front of him, Chris Adams — father of Josh — skipped third-team duty to play 90 minutes at leftback for the firsts.
Cranswick expects United to be near full strength for Saturday, but with a small squad he could still need reinforcements from the teams below.
Wainui Sharks have had a season blighted by injury. They have routinely relied on clubmates from Division 2 side Demons changing shirts, sometimes after travelling from another ground, and playing a second game.
On Saturday against Bohemians, Sharks took the field at Harry Barker Reserve with eight players, and dug in to wait for the cavalry.
After five minutes they had 10 on the field and after 15, they had 11. Before the end, they even had substitutes.
“Jeff Allen drove seven hours home from Wellington, and then drove straight to the ground,” player-coach Michael Smith said.
“Zach Destounis was injured but we got him to come along and play until we could replace him.”
Zach’s brother Zane scored a “wonder goal” to put Wainui two up after 25 minutes, Smith said.
A half-clearance from general play came to him on the edge of the penalty area, and he hit a left-foot volley that gave the keeper no chance.
Striker Ricky Boyd had celebrated the arrival of Wainui’s 11th man with the first goal, after 15 minutes. Midfielder Matt Smith had played the ball in behind the Bohemians defence for Blaise Houston-Amor, who cut the ball back for Boyd to apply a goalscorer’s finish.
Wainui’s defence had experience to burn. With coach Smith the baby of the outfit at 34, it was left to Diego Pedrioli, Mike Vita and Allen to provide the “wise old heads”, and keeper Andy Daubé (late forties) to keep things safe at the back. Even the Bohs’ second-half attempts to spray the ball wide and get the defence turning failed to unlock the Sharks rearguard.
Smith is expecting a strengthened squad in the next few weeks. Centreback George Mita will be available for two weeks from Saturday, speedy defender Tristan Bannink will be home from holiday and Shane Hooks could be back from injury soon. In the meantime, Smith is grateful to the likes of Demons players Jimmy Walker and Yannis Kokkosis for answering the SOS calls.