The embankment between the grounds could be the vantage point of choice for those wanting to keep an eye on both Thistle teams, although Murphy’s law suggests that any goals will be scored just after you turn away to see what’s happening on the other ground.
First team head coach Garrett Blair has some of those unavailable last week back in the frame, but he will still be without Cullen Spawforth and Jarom Brouwer, both of whom can play well in midfield or up front. Spawforth is injured and Brouwer is on work-related training.
Back in the game-day squad are defender Ander Batarrita, holding midfielders Ash McMillan and Kieran Venema, and attacking midfielder Matt McVey. Newly absent will be midfielder Nick Land, who has Covid-19. Defender/midfielder Alex Davies is a doubtful starter as he has been ill this week.
Blair said the team would probably stay with the 4-3-3 system they used against Massey University last week.
“We’re finding we are quite comfortable playing out from the back into our middle third,” he said.
“The final bit is where we are lacking. The idea is to put more bodies forward in search of that goal.
“With the players we have, we can create quite a threat up there.
“All going well, Oska Smith will have his first start for the first team this year. His pace offers something we don’t typically have.
“Sam Patterson will keep his spot as part of the front three, and we’ll look to play either Leo Maisey or PJ Goodlett through the middle.”
McVey, Kieran Venema and McMillan would be in midfield, with McVey playing a more attacking game, Blair said.
Mitchell Stewart-Hill would be in goal behind a back four of Batarrita at leftback, Kuba Jerabek and Ryan Anderson in the middle, and Daniel Venema or Davies at rightback.
Blair expects Palmerston North Marist to be a skilful, well-drilled side, but he doesn’t know how well they’ll travel.
In Thistle’s home game against this team last year, three goals in stoppage time gave the Jags an upset 5-2 win.
A similar scoreline tomorrow might be too much to hope for but Blair would settle for a one-goal winning margin.
Thistle Reserves coach Craig Stirton was last night waiting for one or two players to confirm their availability for the game against perennial title contenders Maycenvale United.
Regular goalkeeper Tom Talbot was ill last week and Mark Baple was an able replacement. If Talbot was still unwell, Baple would be a good option, but might be required to stand by for the first team.
Tim Hofman and Lucian Nickerson would be centrebacks, Stirton said.
Calen Broadway would likely be rightback and Levi Julies, leftback.
Reece Brew and Cory Thomson would probably fill the central midfield spots, with Alex Shanks wide on the right and Shehab Altour on the left.
Davie Ure would be up front but, as at last night, the identity of his strike partner was up in the air.
Last July, Maycenvale took the Challenge Cup off Gisborne United with a 3-1 win at Harry Barker Reserve. The cup goes on the line at every home league game of the holders, and United had held it since May 5, 2018.
Maycenvale last year were a big, awkward-looking side, surprisingly fast in most positions and competitive everywhere. This year they have the premiership’s leading goalscorer — Harry Borschmann, with nine so far.
• The Gisborne Thistle-Gisborne United Federation Cup quarterfinal that was to have been played last Monday has yet to be rescheduled.
Central Football’s Tairawhiti Gisborne operations manager, Fletcher Stewart-Hill, said Recreational Services inspected the ground at 3pm on Sunday and decided it should not be played on. Water covered parts of the pitch in the corner closest to the spectator entrance.
The semifinal draw is scheduled for today.
The Central Football website gives the date of the semifinals as August 27 and the final, September 3.
Thistle head coach Garrett Blair said Central Football would look for the best available date that did not adversely affect any team.
