What descriptions of the goals only hint at was the way Taranaki approached this game. To a man, they were committed to the cause.
From safe-as-houses keeper Nick Hayward to striker Varela, Taranaki did the basics right.
When they had the ball, they tried to play a fast, accurate game that aimed to get beyond Thistle’s backline or, if that wasn’t on, feed the willing Uruguayan.
A Londoner and Glaswegian who know their oatsVarela came to New Zealand on holiday and one of the Taranaki players brought him to the attention of coach Ian McGrath and manager Joe Munro — a Londoner and a Glaswegian who know their oats.
Turns out Varela played at a good level in Uruguay and he proved an admirable target for his side on Saturday.
Gisborne have players capable of turning a game in an instant. Corey and Josh Adams, and Josh Harris — given room and a whiff of a chance — can punish defences. They had few opportunities on Saturday and, by their standards, had quiet games.
Even busy midfielders Jarom Brouwer and Nicky Land struggled to make an impact against a defence and midfield who quickly closed down the man on the ball, tracked players going on runs and chased back when beaten.
I can’t recall seeing any Taranaki player postpone his recovery run until he had finished appealing to the referee.
And any Taranaki defender finding himself farther up the field than an attacking Gisborne player busted a gut to get back goalside of the play.
For all that, Thistle were still in the game until the third goal. And if Harris’s 70th-minute free-kick from just outside the penalty area had drifted two centimetres to the right and gone in off the post it would have been 2-1 and perhaps a different result. As it was, the ball bounced off the post on to the keeper and out for a corner.
Taranaki more disciplined, drilled, polishedRightback Liam Ryan and sweeper Kieran Higham were generally steady, and keeper Goodlett made some good saves. But overall, Taranaki seemed more disciplined, better drilled, more polished.
That’s not surprising. Thistle are young, raw and fresh to this level of football. Coach Fred Robertson took them on only this year.
This is Taranaki coach McGrath’s eighth year with the team. He had them for two years in the Central League. They were relegated to the Federation League, and in five rebuilding seasons since have finished fifth, fourth, third, second and, last season, first (they lost the promotion playoff).
“This year we want to win the league again and gain promotion,” McGrath said.
Thrilled with resultsHe was thrilled with the way the game played out.
“We did exactly what we needed to do to get this result,” he said.
“The plan was to go on the front foot. We didn’t want to fuel Gisborne’s enthusiasm.
“We started well. The first goal was a beauty and the second gave us a cushion. From there on, it was a case of being solid, professional and waiting for opportunities to kill off the match.
“This was potentially a tricky game. Others in the league were looking for us to slip up. I think we have sent a clear message.”
Taranaki were a team without stars, with the possible exception of Varela, but they were a terrific ensemble cast.
Rightback Jeremy Hawkes was abrasively competent and leftback Jack Roberts covered well.
Stephen Kibby, just returned from overseas, sat in front of the back four, breaking up attacks in their infancy and setting up his own. Bland was a hard-working foil alongside him.
Out wide, Brad Hickling on the right and Karel Krtek on the left did the tracking back that often goes unnoticed by everyone but teammates.
Up front, former Mt Albert Grammar Kevin Fallon protégé Smith will never win gold over a hundred metres, but he is nippy, snappy and the owner of a delicately weighted chip.
The game had some rash challenges, and Hawke’s Bay referee Gareth Sheehan, who had a tidy game, showed a yellow card twice to Taranaki players and four times to Thistle players. Two of Thistle’s yellow-card infractions came from Harris. His second, a charge on the goalkeeper, brought a red card 10 minutes from time.
