United closing in on league title

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UNITED took a big step towards winning football’s Eastern League for the first time since 2014 when they beat Thistle Massive 5-4 on Saturday.

Massive won the league last year and the year before, and they needed to beat Heavy Equipment United at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday to give themselves a realistic chance of a hat-trick of Division 1 title wins.

But United’s victory, courtesy of a sidefoot volley by man of the match Damon Husband two minutes from time, put them seven points clear with five games to go.

For Massive to have any chance of overhauling United, third-placed Carpet Court Thistle Reserves would have to beat United this Saturday.

United would still have to drop points in one or two of their other four games against the bottom three teams (they are down to play Wainui Sharks twice). And Massive would have to keep winning; their home stretch includes an always-tough fixture against the Reserves.

United player-coach Stu Cranswick is adamant his team will not let up.

His halftime team talk on Saturday focused their attention on the job at hand, after they had taken a three-goal lead inside 20 minutes then conceded three goals before halftime.

It took 25 minutes of the second half before United scored again, then Massive scored almost straight from the kick-off.

Husband’s late winner was the decisive blow in a football slugfest.

In other games, Gisborne Boys’ High School showed the benefit of recent tournament experience, sprinting to a 3-0 halftime lead against the Sharks at the Rectory field before closing out the game, 5-2, and Thistle Reserves beat Shipwreck Bohemians 4-1 at Nelson Park.

United took the lead against Massive through Aaron Graham’s 20-metre free kick after five minutes. Five minutes later, Graham’s left-flank free kick to the far post was headed home by Husband from six metres.

Around the 15-minute mark, Cranswick got on the end of an Andy McIntosh free kick from halfway, beat his marker and drilled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Midfielder Kane Stirton began the Thistle fightback 10 minutes later, taking the ball to the right byline and driving it across for player-coach David Ure to sidefoot into the net at the near post.

Five minutes later, first-team coach Matt Hastings clipped a ball from halfway into the path of Ure, who had pulled away from his marker and who finished the chance with a volley over the advancing keeper.

Thistle equalised just before halftime. Ure’s left-wing corner looked long, but striker Nic Somerton’s header kept it alive and centreback Chris Spurr slammed in the loose ball from 10 metres.

In the 70th, Cranswick scored again, after a run down the right flank that ended with a low drive from the corner of the penalty area into the net at the far post.

From the kick-off, Somerton took the ball down the right to the byline, Ure pulled away from his goalward run, dragging a defender with him, and Daniel Contreras ran from the left wing into the space created to score at the far post with a sidefoot finish . . . 4-4.

Twice Somerton almost put Thistle ahead. He met a half-clearance with a first-time left-footed grass-cutter from 25 metres (he’s right-footed, and the shot hit the base of the post), and then his near-post header from Ure’s corner hit the keeper and bobbled between the legs of Chris Adams on the goal-line before it was booted away.

Husband’s second and clinching goal — for which he applied a volleyed finish to a cross from the right — capped an outstanding performance in which the United left-flank midfielder took on defenders, got crosses over and made the most of his opportunities.

Others to shine were central midfielders Craig Christophers and Graham, goalkeeper Timoti Weir and defenders Jonathan Purcell, McIntosh, Jimmy Holden and Matt McFatter.

Cranswick said the defence could do little to stop Thistle’s goals.

For Thistle, Ure took his goals well, Hector Araya was dangerous up front, particularly in the first 60 minutes, and midfielder Contreras and fullback Shannon Dowsing kept things buzzing on the left flank.

Gisborne Boys’ High played with new-found confidence after a good showing at the Super 8 tournament in Hastings last month, coach Darren Larkins said.

The previous weekend’s 8-2 scoreline against United had been distorted by a late rush of goals, but on Saturday Boys’ High played with more assurance.

Only four of last year’s side were available this year, and it had taken this long for the team to gel, Larkins said.

Midfielders Noy Paull, Rangi Moore, and Riaki Ruru scored in the 15th, 20th and 43rd minutes respectively, and striker Jirah Wanoa made it four in the 60th.

But Wainui striker Ricky Boyd got his side back in the game with two goals, the first being a volley with too much on it for keeper Jack Faulkner to keep out.

Any worries Boys’ High might have had were soothed when Paull’s left-wing inswinging corner in the 80th minute was judged to have crossed the line in a scramble of arms and legs.

For Boys’ High, 15-year-old leftback Oli Aldridge was outstanding, holding his own in the defensive hurly-burly.

Keeper Faulkner had another sound game, and midfielders Paull, Moore, Alex Larkins and Ruru played key roles in the smooth running of the team engine-room.

Coach Larkins said this performance augured well for the five-day Trident Tournament in Hamilton in September.

Wainui had a good side out, but also missed some regular solid contributors.

Tristan Bannink, Jimmy Lawrence and Greg Judd were away, while Shane Hooks and Damian Archdale were still on the injured list.

Wainui Demons players Ben Whitley and, for the second week in a row, Yannis Kokkosis, played two games on the day to help. George Mita also turned out on his holiday, in defence and in midfield.

Keeper Andy Daubé kept his side in it with a string of good saves, coach Michael Smith shone in midfield and defence, and Matt Smith put in a good midfield shift.

In Thistle Reserves’ 4-1 win against Bohemians, midfielders Matt McVey and Ander Batarrita, and strikers PJ Goodlett and Kieran Higham scored for Thistle.

They also shone in general play, and McVey was Thistle’s man of the match.

Other results — Division 2: QRS Wairoa Athletic 4 Riverina 2, GBHS (2) 4 United (2) 2, Three Rivers Medical Bohemians Development 1 Wainui Demons 5, Bohemians Social 3 Thistle Vintage 9.

Division 3: Lytton High School 2 Ngatapa Silkies 3, Liquid Thistle Allsorts 2 Campion College 3, GBHS (3) 1 Smash Palace Shockers 4.

Women: Campion College 0 DJ Mac Panel & Paint Bohemians 2, Heavy Equipment United 7 Gisborne Girls’ High School 0, Ritana Raiders 0 Tatapouri Marist Thistle 3.