Thistle opt to do it tough

INTERCEPT: Wainui Sharks defender Mal Furlan (left) looks to intercept the ball before it reaches Thistle striker Jimmy Somerton during the Geoff Logan Memorial Tournament. Pictures by Paul Rickard

Eight-game away run secures league place

Gisborne Thistle embark on perhaps the toughest campaign of their 99-year history when they play Taradale in Hawke’s Bay tomorrow.

It is the first of eight away games in a row — a punishing schedule devised by the Jags themselves to keep them in the highest available competition.

Central Football’s Federation League could have been beyond Thistle’s reach after they finished last in the 2022 competition.

But coach Garrett Blair was confident that Central Football would support ALH Thistle’s continued presence in the league.

The regional governing body of football has been keen to strengthen the Federation League by increasing the number of teams in it. A simple way of doing that is to do away with relegation from the league for a season or two.

“In January they had nine teams. Then we got word that Levin and New Plymouth Rangers were pulling out.

“And after Cyclone Gabrielle, we lost Havelock North Wanderers (relegated from last year’s Central League to the Federation League) and Napier Marist.

“That left us, Hawke’s Bay teams Taradale and Napier City Rovers Reserves, and Palmerston North sides United and Marist. United are an amalgamation of Massey University and North End.”

A five-team league would need four rounds to give each team 16 games in the competition.

Outside teams don’t like coming to Gisborne at the best of times. Thistle decision-makers figured the other teams would be put off by the fracture in the road link between Wairoa and Napier.

“The only way we would be able to play at Federation League level this season was to offer to travel for the entirety of the first two rounds,” Blair said.

“Our boys wanted to play at the highest level possible.

“We put to Central Football a proposal that we travel for our first eight games. We expect that by the time the second half of the season comes round, transport in and out of Gisborne will be a lot easier.”

But ALH Thistle still had to organise travel across regions with dislocated links.

Their first two games are away to Hawke’s Bay opponents, and a Kiwi Air nine-seater aircraft will get them there and back in two flights each way.

For the two games after those, they will fly between Gisborne and Wellington, and travel by road between Wellington and Palmerston North.

With the nine-seater plane unavailable for the second pair of Hawke’s Bay matches, Thistle may have to make the six-and-a-half-hour journey through the Waioeka Gorge to Whakatane, down to Taupo and across to Napier for their second clash with Taradale, scheduled for May 27.

They are hoping a direct Gisborne-Napier road link will be open by the time they travel to play Napier City Rovers Reserves a second time, on June 3.

Their last away game of the league campaign is set down for June 17, against Palmerston North United. Then they can look forward to eight home league games in a row.

Blair is excited by Thistle’s playing strength this season.

Signings include strikers Jimmy Somerton, Campbell Hall and Sam Royston, midfielder David Salmon and defenders Finn McAuley and Cai Maclean.

After a season with Napier City Rovers, Somerton has returned to Gisborne for more game time and the possibility of an apprenticeship. His pace and shooting power will be handy.

Hall, a right- or left-sided attacker, tore his left anterior cruciate ligament playing rugby last year and has been helped in his recovery by goalkeeping coach Mark Baple.

Royston returns after a season off, but last played for Gisborne United, mainly as a right-sided attacker.

Salmon played top-level local football before heading off to police college and then returning with his football skills intact.

McAuley, 18, was in the well-performed New Plymouth Boys’ High School first 11 for three years and has impressed as a guest player for Thistle at the Napier City Rovers national under-19 tournament. He will probably partner Maclean at the centre of the defence.

Maclean, son of Bohemians stalwart Graham, played for Waterside Karori in the Central League and is available for the first two months of the season before he heads off on his OE.

Matt Smith, latterly a midfielder or defender for Wainui and Thistle teams, has a pedigree that includes higher-level football in bigger centres. He has his eye on a possible spot in the team alongside son Oska, when the latter has a break from his beachsprint commitments.

Thistle have lost players, too. Holding midfielder Kieran Venema has returned to Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United, while last year’s skipper and centreback Ryan Anderson is concentrating on kickboxing, and leftback Kuba Jerabek is still recovering from a troublesome ankle injury.

Most of last year’s squad are still in harness. Goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill will captain the team this year behind a defence that could include Ander Batarrita, Daniel Venema, McAuley, Maclean and Nick Land.

Cory Thomson has impressed in pre-season games, and will vie for midfield positions with Cullen Spawforth, Salmon, Ash McMillan and Andre Baple, who seems likely to be used further forward than last season.

Up front, Somerton, Oska Smith, Travis White, Sam Patterson and PJ Goodlett will hunt the goals that proved so elusive last season.

Taradale, 2-1 winners against Palmerston North Marist last weekend, take on Thistle at the Taradale ground at 3pm tomorrow. Thistle had the bye for the first round last week.

IN Eastern League Division 1 tomorrow, Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks play Thistle Youth at Wainui at 12.30pm, Coates Associates Wainui Demons play QRS Wairoa Athletic on Childers Road Reserve No.2 at 2.30pm, 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs play Thistle Vintage at Wainui at 2.30pm and Property Brokers Thistle Firsts play Heavy Equipment Services United Firsts on Childers Road Reserve No.1 at 2.30pm.

In Eastern League Division 2, all games are at 12.30pm. HES United Thirds play Gizzy Bobcat Services Thistle on Harry Barker Reserve No.2, Tumu Thistle play Tatapouri Bohemians on Childers Road Reserve No.2, Smash Palace Shockers play new team High School Old Boys on Nelson Park No. 2, and HES United Seconds play Ngatapa Brandt Silkies on HBR 1. Neighborhood Pizzeria Wainui have the bye.

In the women’s Eastern League on Sunday at 10.30am, Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina play Gisborne Girls’ High School at Wainui, and Tatapouri Marist Thistle play Campion College at Childers Road Reserve No.1. Bohemians have the bye.

FOUR teams contested the Geoff Logan Memorial Tournament, Thistle emerging victors. They beat Wainui 5-2, a Thistle/High School Old Boys composite side 9-0 and Thistle Seconds 6-1. They then played Wainui again, in the final, and won that game 3-1.

Jimmy Somerton scored 11 goals for Thistle in the tournament. Others to shine were Thistle goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill, centreback Finn McAuley and midfielders Cullen Spawforth, Cory Thomson and Ash McMillan.

WAINUI Riverina beat Campion College 4-1 to win the Hall Family Shield at Harry Barker Reserve last Sunday.

The shield was made by John Hall, father of Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina coach Lizzie Hall.

Last year Campion won the women’s Eastern League, beating Riverina in the final game with a goal in the last 30 seconds.

On Sunday, Campion captain Dara Mulrooney scored two minutes before the break to put Campion 1-0 up at halftime.

Wainui Riverina vice-captain Manaia Mill equalised, and striker Larisa Allan added a hat-trick of goals.