Two clubs share local honours

FOOTBALL

WAINUI and United are the big winners in Eastern League football this season.

Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks clinched the first division on July 10 and successfully navigated the first round of the Bailey Cup on Saturday, but the other two men’s divisions and the women’s competition were closer.

In Division 2, the title went to 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs, whose 7-1 victory over Coates Associates Wainui Demons at Wainui kept the Salty Dogs three points ahead of Thistle Vintage. Had Demons beaten their clubmates, Vintage would have won the title on goal difference.

But Salty Dogs were in unstoppable form. Goals from strikers Ricky Boyd (after two minutes) and Benjamin Gonzalez (12min, 15min), midfielder Jonathan Andrew (22min) and striker Marcel Campbell (43min) gave them a 5-0 halftime lead.

Striker Mike Morrissey scored for the Demons early in the second half, before left midfielder Kelly Spring (71min) and central midfielder Connor Findlay (87min) wrapped it up for Salty Dogs.

Mike Vita, Matt Pierard Snr and Noel Amor form a team spiritual hub with 180 years of life experience. Drawing on that, Vita said that centreback Andre Campbell (cousin of Marcel), Gonzalez, central midfielder Jimmy Lawrence and fullback Greg Judd were standout performers on Saturday.

Over the season, Judd, skipper Rick Kitto, Gonzalez and defenders Barry McCarthy, Jeff Allen, Mark Langdon and Roberto Sthory had been key players. Diego Pedrioli would have been in that list if not for the knee cartilage injury he picked up early in the season. His duties were confined to those of club president.

Three players have shared goalkeeping duties: Matt Pierard Jnr (returned to university), Damian Archdale (injured a hand) and Angus Kelly (injury-free so far).

Division 3 could hardly have been decided in more dramatic fashion.

Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United Thirds were away to QRS Wairoa Athletic and needed at least a draw to stay ahead of Smash Palace Shockers. They came from 2-1 down to win 3-2.

Wairoa had already beaten United 5-0 in Gisborne this season, and one of the 12 United Thirds players travelling, Mark Turnbull, was coming back from three weeks out with a badly bruised ankle.

But help was on the way. Three United second division players — Matt Miller, Jack Adams and team player-coach Warren Muir — had played half a game against Gisborne Pro Roofing Bohemians and travelled by car to Wairoa to help out.

Miller came on for Turnbull 25 minutes in and scored after 10 minutes. A little later, Joe de Kock equalised for Wairoa.

United Thirds player-coach Laurence Fleming took himself off at halftime for Muir and in the second half gave Turnbull another rest (rolling subs apply in Eastern League football) and brought on Jack Adams.

Wairoa went 2-1 up early in the second half through defender Ben Blake.

Ten minutes later Josh Taylor, a right-footed leftback pushed into midfield, got to a right-wing cross to fire a left-footed shot through a tangle of legs for an equaliser.

Five minutes after that, United man of the match Jarred Knight, pushed from midfield into attack at halftime, was brought down in the penalty area and Mike Gill scored the winner from the penalty spot.

Knight is one of four teenagers who have played big parts in United Thirds’ success, the others being rightback Jaedyn Taylor (son of Josh), and midfielders Luke Stoltz and Tama Wirepa.

Fleming said others to feature this season were goalkeeper Chris Gill, his brother Mike Gill and Hone Pewhairangi in midfield, strikers Richard Haraki and skipper Jason Brooks, and defender Dylan Babbington.

In the women’s competition, HES United completed their league programme with a win by default against Campion College.

Coach Molly Adams said she hoped they could repeat last year’s treble — the Charity Shield preseason trophy, the Eastern League and the Braybrook Cup. The first two were secured and she had high hopes for the third.

Key players were Grace Levy, an enthusiast who wanted to play everywhere and was a club golden boot front-runner; Claire Bayliss, a prolific striker with a hard shot; Kayley Knight, a one-touch player with an eye for goals; Stella Perano, a brave, determined central defender; Chelsea Simpson, who came on at halftime in a decisive clash with Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina and scored all the goals in a 3-0 win; Sarah Graham and Tessa McDonald, hard-working midfielders with good skills; Karen McDonald, Tessa’s mother and a vastly experienced holding midfielder; Mel Knight, Kayley’s mother and a goalkeeper who had let in only one goal; Hana Edwardson, a fit, never-say-die winger; and Lydia Edginton, a gutsy rightback.

Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks 3 Thistle Youth 0. The other teams had byes.

Coates Associates Wainui Demons 1 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs 7, HES United 3 Gisborne Pro Roofing Bohemians 0, Tatapouri Bohemians 0 Thistle Vintage 3.

ITM Thistle 0 Smash Palace Shockers 5, QRS Wairoa Athletic 2 HES United Thirds 3.

Gisborne Girls’ High School 1 Bohemians 10, HES United 3 Campion College 0 (by default), Tatapouri Marist Thistle 1 Neighborhood Pizzeria Wainui Wahine 1.