Jags endure tough campaign start

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne Thistle had a tough start to their Central Federation League campaign when they lost 5-0 to Whanganui Athletic at Wembley Park, Whanganui, on Saturday.

Goals in the 12th, 23rd and 68th minutes set up what looked like being a mirror image of Thistle’s 3-0 season-opening home victory over Whanganui at Childers Road Reserve last year.

However, stoppage-time goals in the 91st and 96th minutes blew out the scoreline.

Striker Taku Hove scored the first goal direct from a right-wing corner, striker Perry Stewart clinically put away the second, and defender Jake Simcox headed in Josh Smith’s right-wing corner for the third. Midfielders scored the last two goals — Jordan Joblin-Hall hit a 20-metre drive and Ryan Holden put away a penalty, awarded by referee (and former Thistle coach) Matt Hastings for a foul on Smith.

Whanganui player-coach Matthew Calvert, his side’s goalkeeper, said the opening stages of the game seemed rushed and “manic”. Gisborne started enthusiastically and hit the bar early.

“Once we got the first goal, it settled everyone down,” he said.

“We respect Gisborne. We’ve had some really good battles with them, and we were looking to get on the front foot.

“We’ve worked on our squad depth so we can make changes and not lose momentum. Our right-flank midfielder, Charlie Meredith, made his first-team debut today at 17. He’s still at Whanganui High.”

Gisborne’s line-up also had a mixture of ages, from youthful skipper and centreback Ryan Anderson to hard-nosed defensive link Kieran Venema and workaholic midfielder Nick Land.

The Jags’ next game is at home to Napier City Rovers Reserves on Saturday.

The curtain-raiser for that match will be Thistle Reserves’ Pacific Premiership match against Napier City Rovers’ third team, a youth-based football side known as the Prems.

Thistle Reserves lost 4-2 to Maycenvale United in Hastings on Saturday, but they won the second half.

Maycenvale led 4-0 at halftime, so Thistle coach Craig Stirton gave his team a pep talk and a new formation for the second spell. He got Davie Ure to drop into a deeper attacking role and PJ Goodlett to play as a lone striker.

Twenty minutes into the second half Ure supplied the through ball to Goodlett that led to Thistle’s first goal. A right-wing corner from Ure 10 minutes later curled in at the back post with incidental, if any, touches.

With five minutes to go, Ure had the ball in the net again but was judged offside.

Midfielder Cory Thomson was Thistle’s man of the match. Keeper Tom Talbot, fullbacks Te Wai Coulston and Alex Shanks, central midfielder Levi Julies, left-winger Lukas Rickard, Ure and Goodlett featured in a much-improved second half.