Not this time: Gisborne Thistle defender Daniel Venema shoots during a Central Federation League game against North End at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday. North End goalkeeper Dave Luke blocked this effort. Picture by Paul Rickard
One last throw of the dice by Ander Batarrita paid off as Gisborne Thistle beat North End 4-3 at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday.
Centreback Batarrita was just over 10 metres inside the North End half when he received a throw-in from leftback Daniel Venema in the second minute of stoppage time.
He made as if to knock the ball into the penalty area, but instead turned inside a challenging player, ran a few metres and played the ball wide to Venema, who had made ground on the left.
Batarrita continued his run and met Venema's dinked cross to the left of the near post about level with the penalty spot. As the ball rolled towards the byline, goalkeeper Dave Luke came out and spread himself in a bid to block the shot or cut-back pass. Batarrita spotted a gap and placed the ball between the keeper and the near post.
North End claims that Batarrita had used his arm in controlling the cross from Venema failed to move referee Chris Niven and Thistle had the three points.
It was a crushing blow for North End, who for much of the game had looked to be worth at least a draw.
But for Waikanae Beach TOP10 Gisborne Thistle, the result keeps alive the possibility of a second-place finish in football's Central Federation League.
Such is the competition in the nine-team league, though, that Thistle — with one game to play — could finish anywhere from second to fifth.
Thistle got off to a shaky start on Saturday. In the second minute, North End right-winger Ryan McDermott moved infield to control a cross from Lucian Armstrong. He took the ball across the top of the penalty area and hit a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner of the goal.
In the ninth minute, North End centreback and captain Patrick Smither hit a ball from the centre circle into the space beyond Thistle leftback Kuba Jerabek. McDermott was on to it in a flash and placed his shot just inside the near post as keeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill moved to narrow the angle.
If North End had gone 3-0 up, the game might well have been beyond Thistle's reach. In the 23rd minute McDermott nearly brought up his hat-trick but the shot narrowly cleared the far post.
Thistle's defence steadied and — yellow cards to Jerabek and Venema notwithstanding — the Jags worked themselves into the game.
In the 29th minute, they had a slice of luck. A ball played in to the edge of the North End penalty area was half-cleared and Thistle striker Alan Zarate hit a sizzling shot that was made unstoppable by a deflection off a defender.
Either side of the goal, long shots from midfielders Jarom Brouwer and Cullen Spawforth, from 20 and 35 metres respectively, were just wide. At the other end, Stewart-Hill was out smartly to foil North End midfielder Mason Charlton, who worked his way through in the 32nd minute.
North End striker and co-coach Nathan Cooksley, in concert with wide players McDermott and Armstrong, had caused Thistle plenty of problems in the first half. For the second spell, Cooksley moved back to a defensive midfield position, which allowed fellow coach Michael Sheridan more scope to go forward. The aim was also to get more ball in behind the Thistle backline.
But it was Thistle who struck first after halftime. Zarate was judged to have been brought down in the penalty area, and Batarrita scored from the spot in the 48th minute.
Zarate and strike partner Jimmy Somerton played complementary roles. Zarate did a lot of legwork out to the wings and put in low, hard crosses that just needed a touch. Somerton was dangerous whenever he ran across the defence on to his left foot.
North End hit the lead again in the 63rd minute. Smither hit a sweetly struck free-kick from 12 metres inside the Thistle half on the North End right flank. It found Sheridan beyond the far post inside the goal area and he was untroubled to head the ball home.
In the 71st minute, Thistle coach Garrett Blair took off a fullback, Jerabek, to add a wide attacking midfielder, Leo Maisey. Venema moved from the centre of the defence to fill the gap at leftback, leaving Batarrita and Gonzalo Brunelli to mind the middle. Both Maisey and Venema featured in the next two goals.
In the 80th minute, Brouwer played a ball in to Somerton, whose left-foot shot keeper Luke could only parry. Maisey, following up, firmly struck the rebound into the net.
North End were far from spent. In the 84th, Sheridan got clear for a shot, only to find rightback Brandon Josling had got across to block, at the expense of a corner.
Near the end, Zarate chased down a ball on the right and drove the ball low and hard across the goal, where attacking midfielder and skipper Nick Land missed connecting by a whisker.
A minute later, Batarrita scored the winner, and North End were denied the draw their performance warranted.
Sheridan said his side had travelled seven hours on the morning of the game and, with only two substitutes, were always going to be up against it.
They had worked on a few things based on what they had seen in their first game against Thistle — a 3-1 loss at home.
He was proud of the way his team had shown “a bit of ticker” on Saturday.
Thistle coach Blair said North End deserved their early lead.
“It was one of those games where we knew it was going to be an absolute battle,” he said.
“We are quite lucky to come away with three points. I think a draw would have been a fair result. Full credit to the boys. They battled, in a game where we knew we were going to have to dig deep.
“It helps us as we go into the Havelock North game aiming to get three more points and, we hope, finish second.”
League leaders Havelock North Wanderers, on 37 points, cannot be caught. They have the option of taking part in a two-game playoff against the winners of the Capital Football Premier League for promotion to the Central League.
The next four teams on the Federation League table are Palmerston North Marist, on 31 points, Gisborne Thistle (30), Whanganui Athletic (29) and Massey University (26). All but Massey, who have two games to go, have played 15 of their 16 fixtures.
On Saturday, Thistle are away to Havelock North, Palmerston North Marist are away to New Plymouth Rangers, and Whanganui are at home to Massey University. The following week, Massey are at home to Levin.
If Thistle were to beat Havelock North, they would finish second or third. Palmerston North Marist would have to draw with or lose to New Plymouth for Thistle to pass them (New Plymouth had a home win against Whanganui two weeks ago).
If Thistle drew with Havelock North, the Jags would finish no lower than fourth. Second place would be mathematically possible but New Plymouth would have to beat Palmerston North Marist by 21 goals.
If Thistle lost, they could be overtaken by both Whanganui and Massey University, depending on goal difference.