Younger brother Josh ran on to it and, from the edge of the penalty area on the left-hand side, belted the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.
Port Hill equalised five minutes later with a near-post header from a left-wing inswinging corner.
Ten minutes later, Port Hill were 2-1 up. A cross from their left wing was headed out to the edge of the penalty area, where a midfielder took a touch on the ball before volleying a “screamer” into the top right corner.
Five minutes from time, United equalised. Left-flank midfielder Josh Harris played the ball in and a Port Hill player deflected it into the path of Josh Adams, who hit it hard and low. The goalkeeper got a touch but could not stop it going in.
“Both sides agreed a draw was about the right result,” United player-coach Corey Adams said.
“We were a bit slow getting into the game, but it opened up in the second half.
“When we scored our first goal I thought we were away, but they came straight back at us.”
He said the back four — centrebacks Kieran Venema and Kieran Higham, rightback Matt Adams and leftback Lucian Nickerson — played well.
In midfield, Harris was always a threat on the left, Malcolm Marfell had another good game on the right and Dane Thompson eased the defensive pressure by winning most of the high ball from Port Hill’s goal kicks. Mal Scammell, in his new defensive holding role, also put in a decent shift.
Up front, Josh Adams was doing his job . . . scoring goals.
On Saturday, both Gisborne teams are at home. United play Maycenvale at Harry Barker Reserve and Thistle play league leaders Napier City Rovers Seconds at Childers Road Reserve. Both games are scheduled to start at 2.30pm.
Thistle’s Eastern League team, bolstered by first-team reinforcements, beat Napier 4-1 in a Federation Cup game in Gisborne last month.
United would welcome a Thistle win, but the return to America of centreback George Andrew will not help the Jags’ cause.
