Thistle trail Port Hill by three points in second place, Napier City Rovers Reserves are third, two points behind Thistle, and United are a point further back, in fourth place.
Thistle and United have a game in hand on the other contenders, but if United were to lose tomorrow at Marewa Park, Napier, they’d have a mountain to climb to haul in the league leaders.
United coach Corey Adams is under no illusions.
“I think this game pretty much determines our season,” he said last night.
“We get a win and we’re back in the hunt. If we lose we’re in the chasing pack.”
United will be without Dane Thompson, sent off last Saturday for a second yellow-card offence.
Adams has called on Eastern League 1 central midfielder Aaron Graham to take Thompson’s place. While not as aerially dominant, Graham has Thompson’s ability to play a good game in defence as well as in midfield. Another quality they share is power in their long-range shooting . . . Graham may even have the edge in this department.
“I think Aaron will slot in there well,” Adams said.
“He’s played a lot of football, and has played in our team a bit.”
The rest of the side would be largely unchanged. Mal Scammell and Kieran Higham would be the central defenders, with Steven Husband at rightback, James Bristow at leftback and Seth Piper in goal.
Skipper Kieran Venema would anchor the midfield, with Jarom Brouwer and Graham working around him.
Josh Harris and Malcolm Marfell would link the midfield and attack, while Port Hill tried to deal with Josh Adams’s pace.
Port Hill coach Jimmy Calder will have plenty of subs, so Gisborne should be prepared to deal with an infusion of energy about the 60th minute. Calder’s other weapon, if he’s available, will be tearaway striker Matthew Betesta.
A policeman whose work commitments don’t always allow him to play football, Betesta was a one-man forward line against Thistle, and scored two cracking goals.
On the face of it, Thistle are better placed this weekend. They play Western Rangers at St Leonards Park, Hastings, and must fancy their chances.
They beat Rangers 4-1 at Childers Road Reserve in a season-opening game full of brisk, entertaining play. Two weeks ago, Gisborne United also beat Rangers — 5-1 at Harry Barker Reserve.
But Grant Hastings’ side may have an unpleasant surprise for the Gisborne teams in the second half of the competition.
Rangers seem to be a different proposition in Hawke’s Bay. Although they have only three points from a win against bottom side Maycenvale, Rangers’ losses to Napier City Rovers Reserves, Port Hill and Taradale were by just one goal.
Thistle coach Garrett Blair has brought 27-year-old Argentinian footballer Justo Rodriguez into the side at left-wingback to replace Kuba Jerabek, who stood on a nail at work. Brandon Josling will be right wingback.
Blair is looking at giving English import Charlie Morris a holding role in central midfield, allowing last Saturday’s double goalscorer Ashley McMillan and skipper Nick Land to play a more attacking game.
Strikers Tomek Frooms and Davie Ure will again share the fetch-and-deliver duties to get the ball into shooting range.
Blair wants a strong “spine” for his side, so he is opting for a central defensive trio of Ema Martos, Ander Batarrita and Daniel Venema, with the wingbacks offering support on defence.
And at the back of them, who better for a last line of defence than goalkeeper Mark Baple.