Thistle win by default

Gisborne Thistle right-winger Sam Royston heads goalwards, pursued by Palmerston North United leftback Yaypay Tha (centre right) and left-winger Tom Bell in Central Federation League football action on August 26. Thistle midfielder Nicky Land (left) follows up in support. United won this game at Childers Road Reserve 5-3, but Thistle beat them 4-2 a week later in Palmerston North, spoiling United’s hopes of winning the league. United defaulted their game scheduled for Gisborne last Saturday. Picture by Liam Clayton

Gisborne Thistle have completed their season in football’s Central Federation League by climbing off the bottom of the points table, without kicking a ball.

Scheduled opponents Palmerston North United (PNU) and Napier City Rovers Reserves defaulted their Gisborne fixtures — to have been played on September 16 and 23 — and the six points gained have lifted the Jags one point above Taradale.

Neither PNU nor City Rovers could have gained or lost ground in the league standings by winning or losing against Thistle in the Jags’ last two games of the season.

And while Thistle coach Garrett Blair is pleased to have the points and fourth place in the five-team league, he is disappointed the players did not have a chance to show their 4-2 victory against PNU on September 2 was no flash in the pan.

PNU had needed to win that game and another in Gisborne scheduled for last Saturday to snatch the title from Palmerston North Marist.

Thistle’s win away from home handed Marist the league — and the chance of promotion to the Central League.

Blair said Napier’s default of the game scheduled for this Saturday was a result of late-season congestion of fixtures.

“Their coach, Stu Wilson, is gutted about the default, as well,” Blair said.

“For them, it was to be their last game, too, but they just couldn’t make it work. A lot of their players are committed to the under-17 national league, and the first team kick off their national league campaign this weekend, so some of their players could be needed for that.”

Napier’s default of this Saturday’s fixture means Gisborne Thistle’s name will be the first to be engraved on the plaque of the Len Cudd Memorial Trophy, as the team holding the trophy at the end of the season.

Thistle became the first holders of the carved trophy — at stake in every Gisborne Thistle-Napier City Rovers match — when they beat City Rovers Reserves 7-6 on April 22, the first time the trophy was contested.

The next meeting of the clubs was drawn 1-1, and Napier wrested the trophy from Thistle’s grasp with a 7-2 victory at Childers Road Reserve on August 12.

Saturday’s game was to be Thistle’s opportunity to regain the trophy on the field of play.

Blair said the trophy would be brought to Gisborne, probably in the next month or two, either by City Rovers families coming to Gisborne for a Federation Talent Centre gathering or Thistle players competing as guests in the Napier City Rovers-run under-19 tournament.