Gisborne Thistle v Havelock North
GISBORNE Thistle proved a point at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday.
Playing with 10 men for the last 16 minutes, they beat previously unbeaten Havelock North Wanderers 3-1 in Central Federation League football and jumped two places to third, on nine points.
Havelock — league leaders before the game — dropped to second, on 12 points, behind Team Taranaki, on 15.
Thistle coach Fred Robertson was thrilled with his team’s response to their 6-1 away loss to Red Sox in Palmerston North the previous weekend.
“I’d thought a draw would be a good result against Havelock,” he said.
“Everyone battled well. They realise now that if they want to stay in this league they have to play good football every weekend.”
Robertson named midfielder Josh Harris as his man of the match but was also especially pleased with right-back Cullen Spawforth and the two Kierans — Higham and Venema — at the heart of the defence.
“Three times Havelock changed the player on Cullen’s wing, but they couldn’t get the better of him,” Robertson said.
“Kieran Higham has been playing well. He is fast, reads the game well and is solid in the tackle.
“Kieran Venema has settled in nicely in the centre of the defence. I thought Saturday’s game was his best so far this season. His physical presence at the back is a big bonus”
Things not so rosySixteen minutes from the end of the game, things didn’t look so rosy.
Thistle were 2-0 up when Havelock player-coach Bruce Barclay (son of the late Dick Barclay, a stalwart Gisborne City committee member) was brought down by Thistle goalkeeper Mark Baple.
Havelock were awarded a penalty and referee Greg Fisher had no option but to send off Baple for “denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity”.
Wide midfielder Nicky Land, who had already done what most would consider a full game’s work, came off to make way for reserve goalkeeper PJ Goodlett.
He reacted fast to stop Havelock skipper Bjorn Christensen’s penalty, but Christensen netted the rebound.
Just a goal down with 15 minutes to play and with a one-man advantage, Havelock looked set for a comeback.
But Thistle used Josh Adams — who had come on at halftime for left-flank player Malcolm Marfell — as a lone striker threatening the space behind the Havelock defence.
Five minutes from the end, Adams was brought down just outside the penalty area. Elder brother Corey curled the free-kick into the top far corner of the goal from Thistle’s left-hand side.
That clinched the win, but for next week’s away game against Wanganui Athletic, Thistle will be without Baple, who will have an automatic one-week suspension.
Wanganui are bottom of the table, and on paper Thistle should win. But it’s seldom that simple.
Wanganui improvingAfter three heavy defeats, Wanganui have lost their past two games by only two goals and look to be improving.
The weekend after next, Thistle play Havelock again, this time in Hawke’s Bay in the Chatham Cup.
“We might have to change the way we play,” Robertson said.
But the way Thistle played on Saturday was just fine.
They laid a solid foundation at the back, with Higham, Venema and Ander Batarrita forming a central blockade that Havelock strikers Jared Bloor and Brad Calder found hard to get past.
Spawforth, left-back Jake Robertson and Baple dealt with anything that came down the wings.
Havelock midfielders Daniel Lynch, Harrison Gregory, Laurent Larcelet and Ethan Dent were industrious and tried to play a good passing game.
But Thistle central midfielders Jarom Brouwer and Harris are particularly sharp over short distances and adept at “nicking” the ball. And Harris’s running at defenders is always likely to pay off.
Out wide, Land, Marfell and Josh Adams did the hard yards in the wide roles that — properly done — are the most physically demanding in any team.
Robertson opted for one striker, Corey Adams, and it worked.
Havelock had two central defenders, Ben Foxall and Campbell Whitworth, but Adams was able to isolate one or other of them and set up chances.
The best example was Thistle’s second goal. Two minutes before the break, Adams collected the ball just inside the Havelock half. Although marked, he was able to slip a pass behind the last Havelock defender for Brouwer to steam on to and slip past the keeper.
Thistle had gone ahead in the 28th minute when Land met a right-wing corner at the near post and his glancing header was stopped on the line, only for Venema to bundle the ball into the goal.
Thistle had the better of the first half and had other chances.
Harris was brought down on one dangerous run that ended in a booking for a Havelock player, but the free-kick came to nothing. And Spawforth’s excellent 43rd minute near-post header hit the underside of the bar and bounced clear.
As it happened, it was anyone’s game until that late clincher.
Referee Fisher controlled the match well and let the action flow.