Three days, two games

MIDFIELD TUSSLE: Thistle’s Jarom Brouwer (left) and United’s Corey Adams clash during the Geoff Logan Memorial Tournament. Brouwer is unavailable for the Jags tomorrow but should be back for the Chatham Cup game on Monday. Adams could be a key player in United’s match against Port Hill tomorrow.Picture by Paul Rickard

FOOTBALL by John Gillies

Gisborne Thistle coach Garrett Blair has a plan for the weekend, and it entails careful use of resources.

In other words, he wants his team to win two football games in three days and not suffer for it.

Tomorrow at Childers Road Reserve at 2.30pm, Waikanae Beach TOP10 Gisborne Thistle play bottom-of-the-table Napier Marist in a Central Federation League match that Blair says they will not take for granted.

“We will give them respect and look to play our own game, which — 90 percent of the time — has worked for us,” he said.

Then at the same ground on Monday at 2pm, they play a Chatham Cup game against Havelock North Wanderers.

Gisborne United beat the Wanderers second team 6-0 last weekend but the first team will be a different proposition. They play in the same league as Thistle, are one place below them on the table and are coming off an away draw with Whanganui.

The last time Thistle played a Chatham Cup match, it ended in a 3-2 loss to Wanderers after extra time at Childers Road Reserve on Anzac Day, 2019. The cup was not contested last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Blair described Thistle’s playing strength for the two games as “pretty healthy”.

He expected most of those starting the game against Marist tomorrow to also start against Havelock North on Monday.

But the coaching team would manage the workload of a few players who, because of their roles or style of play, might benefit from a little less time on the field to ensure they could perform well in both games.

Rightback Brandon Josling has had an injury niggle that might put him in doubt for tomorrow’s game, in which case Emerson Araya could fill that spot.

Jarom Brouwer is unavailable tomorrow because of work commitments and a wedding. Agustin Ventre is the likely candidate to fill Brouwer’s deep-lying striker’s role.

Blair said winger Oska Smith could make his Federation League debut from the bench, and Daniel Venema was likely to be there, too, providing backline cover.

Ema Martos, a capable defender or midfielder, would probably get time on the field tomorrow, Blair said.

“The games where you expect an easy 90 minutes can be the hardest,” he said.

“We’ve had a good healthy rivalry with Napier Marist over the years. They’ve had a tough start but we won’t be taking them lightly.”

The game against Havelock North on Monday should be a stern test for the Jags.

Chris Greatholder is a shrewd operator as both a player and coach. It will be interesting to see whether he starts on the field or the sideline for Wanderers.

Thistle will be without experienced centreback Ander Batarrita for the cup game, so Venema and Martos are likely to figure in the Jags’ defensive plans.