Late strikes earn GBHS seventh at Super 8 tourney

Gisborne Boys’ High’s Cory Thomson (right) and Rotorua’s Daniel Duyvesteyn in an aerial battle during the Super 8 first 11 football tournament in Gisborne this week. The home side defeated Hastings 3-1 yesterday to finish seventh overall. Picture by Liam Clayton

Two goals in the last five minutes secured a victory for Gisborne Boys’ High School yesterday in their last game of the Super 8 football tournament.

They beat Hastings Boys’ High School 3-1 to finish seventh in the eight-team competition.

Tauranga Boys’ College won the tournament with a 1-0 double extra-time victory over Hamilton Boys’ High School.

A 20-metre shot from Joby Reid dipped just under the bar for the winning goal in the second half of extra time.

New Plymouth BHS beat Palmerston North BHS 2-1 in the third/fourth playoff, while Napier BHS beat Rotorua BHS 1-0 in the fifth/sixth game.

Gisborne took the lead five minutes into the seventh/eighth playoff.

Striker Jacob Adams applied a cool finishing touch after good work from Oska Smith on the left flank.

Gisborne were playing the 4-4-2 formation that had worked so well for them in their close 2-1 loss to Napier on Tuesday afternoon.

Hastings equalised after about 20 minutes. They were awarded a penalty and goalkeeper Hugo Lodewyk did well to save it, but a Hastings player scored from the rebound.

This spurred Hastings on to renewed efforts and Gisborne did well to withstand significant pressure before halftime.

A solid team effort served Gisborne well, with Lukas Maillet-Ricard, Adams, Kaden Manderson, Smith, Kyran Lasenby and Sam Briant leading by example.

With five minutes to go, Adams laid on a good pass for Briant, the team’s biggest player, and he was not about to be knocked off his stride.

His finish was clinical, providing a satisfying close to the Year 13 student’s last Super 8 tournament.

A minute later, Smith went on a left-wing run from  outside the penalty area and beat two players before cutting back on to his right foot and curling the ball into the top far corner of the goal.

Coach Sebastian Itman said he was proud of the team.

They were the only side who were not playing together in a league competition.

“Every other school came to the tournament with at least 12 games behind them, and in one case, 25,” he said.

“We need to have these boys playing together.”

Super 8 playoffs

7th/8th: Gisborne 3 Hastings 1. HT: 1-all.

5th/6th: Napier 1 Rotorua 0. HT: 1-0.

3rd/4th: New Plymouth 2 Palmerston North 1. HT: 2-0.

1st/2nd: Tauranga 0 Hamilton 0. Tauranga won 1-0 after two periods of extra time.