United and Wainui in Bailey Cup final

FOOTBALL

GISBORNE United stand between Wainui Sharks and the Eastern League-Bailey Cup double in local club football.

They will play the first division knockout final for the Bailey Cup at Childers Road Reserve at 2.30pm on Saturday.

Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks reached the final with a convincing 4-0 victory over Carpet Court Thistle Massive last Saturday. Massive were runners-up in the Eastern League, which Wainui clinched with two weeks to spare.

Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United secured the other spot in the final with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Gisborne Vehicle Testing Thistle Reserves.

A hat-trick by Jaiden Ibbetson was a feature of Wainui’s win. He did not start the game because he was feeling the effects of a knock from the week before, but he was brought on 15 minutes in when centreback Dan Willock rolled his ankle.

Manager Blake Mulrooney shifted leftback Jamie Gallacher to centreback, left midfielder Dan Torrie to leftback and Ibbetson to left midfield.

Max Logan, who bossed the midfield with Shane Hooks, scored midway through the first half when Jake Theron — making his first start in a month — passed to him in the penalty area. Logan’s sidefooted strike found its mark from eight metres out.

Ibbetson’s goals owed much to the build-up play of deep-lying striker Michael Smith and front-runner Thiago Carlos de Melo, but Ibbetson still needed to put the ball into the net.

Mulrooney said that Smith had the best game he’d seen him play in years.

Mal Furlan at centreback, Hooks and Logan in midfield, Ibbetson out wide and Carlos de Melo through the middle were also outstanding in a polished team performance.

But Wainui have their injury worries. Theron had to go off 10 minutes before halftime with calf tightness, and defender John Hill rolled his ankle. They could be doubtful starters for the final, and Mulrooney thinks Willock will be kept out of action by his injury.

On the credit side, goalkeeper Patrick Pierard will be available — Rory White ably filled in on Saturday — while right-winger Caleb Baldacchino and utility player Martin Brusco should be back. Greg Judd, who was called into first-team duty before he could be cup-tied to any other team, will be in the squad for the final.

Mulrooney is expecting a tough game.

“Stu Cranswick is always a threat with anything knocked over the top, and Kieran Venema, Jonathan Purcell and Aaron Graham came through the grades with my son Conner . . . they can all play a bit. They’re a family-oriented side and I have a lot of respect for them.”

Thistle Massive player-coach Craig Stirton said Wainui were like a well-oiled machine. Everyone in his side battled hard but Wainui deserved to win.

It was good to have the services of a few players who had not been available for many games this season, Stirton said.

Chris Spurr at sweeper, Liam Ryan at rightback and Kieran Ryan in a deep-lying striker’s role all made telling contributions.

Of the regular starters, central midfielder Kane Stirton and striker Nic Somerton put in good shifts.

Thistle had the ball in the net before halftime, when a goal would have made the score 1-1, but Emerson Araya was adjudged offside when the final pass was played in to him. He played on the right wing until halftime, when he had to come off because of continuing hip problems.

In the other semifinal, Thistle Reserves scored first, midway through the first half, with a 20-metre shot from midfielder Alex Davies. They also scored last, in the dying moments, with a free-kick from Davies, into the top left corner from 20 metres.

For United, Cranswick scored a typical “striker’s goal” — nothing fancy, but effective — 10 minutes before the break.

Strike partner Aubrey Yates made it 2-1 after 60 minutes when the ball broke to him in the penalty area and he buried it from 10 metres.

Pacific Premiership golden boot Josh Adams scored the third on 75 minutes. He came on in midfield just before halftime and went up front for the last 20 minutes. His run for the goal started 40 metres out and he controlled the bouncing ball by stooping to head it on.

Eastern League regulars who impressed last Saturday included centrebacks Lucian Nickerson and Jonathan Purcell, rightback Ben Hansen and central midfielder Aaron Graham.

For the final, they would be without wide midfielder Damon Husband and defenders Matt Adams and Kim Perano, but their absence would be offset by the availability of first-teamers Adams and Venema.

For Thistle Reserves, midfielders Levi Julies and Davies, striker Cory Thomson and sweeper Andre Riley were outstanding.

The United women’s team had their hopes of an Eastern League-Braybrook Cup double dashed when they lost 2-1 to Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina in a cup match on Sunday.

“Riverina wanted it more than we did; they deserved to win,” United coach Molly Adams said.

United were 1-0 up at halftime, through a 25th-minute goal to Grace Levy, who ran on to a bouncing ball and lobbed it over the Riverina keeper from 15 metres.

Central midfielder Torepe Taumaunu-Kingi scored twice for Riverina. The first goal came by way of a shot from the edge of the penalty area 20 minutes after the break, and the second was from the penalty spot 10 minutes from time.

Goalkeeper Mel Knight, sweeper Sarah Graham, centreback Taryn Walford and central midfielder Claire Bayliss were outstanding for United.

For Riverina, McKenzie Holmes did well in one of her rare appearances this season, called in to replace injured striker Lizzie Hall.

Coach Blake Mulrooney said it was the best performance in two or three years from a team heavily reliant on teenagers. They built from a solid defence of central defenders Larisa Mahn, Morgan Lloyd and Lily Auckram, and fullbacks Samara Wharehinga-Walton and Dara Mulrooney.

Riverina play Gisborne Girls’ High School in one semifinal. Bohemians play Campion College in the other.