Heavy Equipment Services United player-coach Stu Cranswick said McFatter was still talking about the goal at training this week.
“He meant it,” Cranswick said.
“He’d noticed the keeper off his line and mentioned it to me.
“We haven’t heard the end of it. He scored a similar goal against Wainui Sharks last year.”
McFatter also had a hand in United’s opening goal, heaving a throw-in from almost level with the edge of the penalty area into the heart of the Boys’ High goalmouth, where Damon Husband headed it home in the 54th minute.
Boys’ High had held their own until then, but Husband’s goal triggered a flood.
In the 55th minute, striker Aubrey Yates met a right-wing cross and headed in from 10 metres. Less than a minute later, Yates scored again, this time with a volley that propelled the ball from just outside the penalty area into the top left corner of the goal.
McFatter’s goal came seven minutes later, and in the 84th Cranswick scored the last, running on to a through ball and placing it past the keeper.
Cranswick said his side were well served by goalkeeper Grant Jones, who stepped in for Kim Perano, who was away but had been filling in for Al Knight, who is expected back this weekend.
Jones, originally a tearaway forward, was a first-team keeper for years but latterly had played outfield in a lower-grade side. He was supposed to be retired this year but was persuaded to return for this game and was lent a pair of boots by Craig Christophers.
Other to shine were Yates up front, Husband on the left, fullbacks McFatter and Jimmy Holden, and centrebacks Aaron Graham and Jonathan Purcell.
Boys’ High coach Sebastian Itman Bocchi blamed himself for the flurry of goals.
“This is a men’s league and I was trying to protect my players for the Super 8 tournament,” he said.
The football tournament — featuring eight central North Island boys’ schools — will be held in New Plymouth from July 1 to 3.
“We had a really bad five-minute spell,” Itman Bocchi said.
“It was my fault. I told them not to go for the first high ball. They followed my instructions.
“I was trying to avoid injuries. We don’t have a full bench, and I’m trying to get 16 healthy players for Super 8. After Super 8, we will go with everything.”
He named Austrian international student Simon Havranek, in midfield, and Year 11 attacker Eliarn Destounis as Boys’ High’s best on the day.
Itman Bocchi, 37, hails from Uruguay but got his university education through a college football scholarship in the United States.
After four years of study, in which he obtained a communications degree from Ithaca College, New York state, he embarked on a career in football . . . not as a player but on the training ground and in the gymnasium.
He was a strength and conditioning coach with professional clubs in Uruguay, and latterly opened a football academy in Costa Rica. Football coaching and physical education teaching are also in his résumé.
He arrived in Gisborne two months ago with his fiancee, Terri Hokianga, who had taken up a teaching job at Wainui Beach School, where Reidun Hastings, wife of former Gisborne Thistle coach Matt Hastings, is also a teacher.
Matt had started coaching Boys’ High this year when work commitments intervened, so he shoulder-tapped Itman Bocchi.
“It was perfect timing for both of us,” said Itman Bocchi, who says he is only allowed to do volunteer work until he has a work permit.
United’s Bailey Cup opponents this weekend, Carpet Court Thistle Massive, had a 3-0 win against Sunshine Brewery Wainui Sharks at Wainui.
Thistle coach John Stirton said it was one of the best performances he had seen from his team.
Nic Somerton scored a hat-trick, the third goal of which was “awesome”. Kane Stirton’s cutback from the byline bulleted across the goal at waist-height and was volleyed home by Somerton at the far post from three metres out.
Thistle were only 1-0 up at halftime and were held in check by a Wainui side without several key players — Ricky Boyd, Korbi Schallinger, Greg Judd (out with a broken leg and champing at the bit to be back in action) and Diego Pedrioli.
Thistle’s best were Somerton, sweeper Shannon Dowsing, defensive midfielder Reece Brew, rightback Emerson Araya, leftback Daniel Contreras and midfielders Kane and Craig Stirton and Chris Spurr. Kieran Ryan and Matt Smith also looked good coming back from injury.
For Wainui, Byron Allen, having his second game in goal of the day, rightbacks Noel Amor and Tom McFarlane, leftback Jamie Gallacher, centrebacks Jeff Allen and Mike Adams, and midfielders Jimmy Lawrence and Richard Kitto were outstanding.
