Last game at home

ON THE BALL: Gisborne Thistle midfielder Jarom Brouwer (left) is chased by Levin midfielder Sam Larmer in last week’s game at Childers Road Reserve. Thistle take on North End, of Palmerston North, tomorrow. Picture by Paul Rickard

Gisborne Thistle play their last home game of the Central Federation League season at Childers Road Reserve tomorrow.

Their opponents are North End, a Palmerston North team they beat 3-1 in Manawatu on May 29. Since then both sides have had their ups and downs.

Thistle's next game was a 7-2 loss away to Whanganui Athletic, then they had a win by default against New Plymouth Rangers, a 4-1 away win against Napier Marist, a 5-2 home win against high-flyers Palmerston North Marist, a 2-0 loss away to Massey University, and a 4-0 home victory over Levin.

North End have shipped one heavy defeat since May — an 8-0 home loss to league leaders Havelock North Wanderers. But they have also had narrow losses to teams above them and convincing wins against teams below them on the table.

A 2-1 loss away to Palmerston North Marist has been counterbalanced by one-goal wins against Napier Marist and top-half team Massey University, a two-goal win against Levin and a 5-1 clubbing of New Plymouth Rangers.

The loss to Palmerston North Marist was a tense match. It was 1-1 at halftime and North End played the second half with nine men after two of their players were sent off for second-yellow-card offences. Marist scored the winner when the match had only a few minutes to go.

Thistle coach Garrett Blair said that in the May game against Thistle, North End were a “very handy side”.

“They knocked the ball around nicely and kept their shape quite well,” he said.

“They didn't know much about us and we didn't know much about them.

“I would say that going into this weekend they will have a bit more of a game plan. But since that first game between us, we've changed our formation and made a few key changes.”