United rounding final bend

The finish line is in sight, and all Gisborne United have to do is get there without stumbling.

That's easy to say, but football has a habit of keeping people grounded by tripping them up when they least expect it.

Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United lead football's Pacific Premiership by one point.

Second are Hastings club Maycenvale, the only side with a realistic chance of overhauling United.

At 3pm tomorrow in Hawke's Bay, Gisborne United play Taradale, a team with a points total less than half the size of United's. But Taradale have always been dangerous on their own pitch.

United player-coach Kieran Venema says his message will be simple.

“I just pretty much want the boys to play the way they did last week (against Napier City Rovers Reserves),” he said.

“I told them, ‘I don't care how we win, just get the job done.' It's the first time I've said that, and they played really well.”

He said the team would probably line up the same as they started last week. That would mean Seth Piper in goal, Adam Simpson and Malcolm Marfell at rightback and leftback respectively, Mal Scammell and Kieran Higham as centrebacks, James Bristow and skipper Dane Thompson in holding midfield roles, Corey Adams as the link with the attack, and from right to left along the front Sam Royston, Josh Adams and Josh Harris.

Venema, himself, and Corey Boocock will likely be on the bench.

“After a good performance last week, we can't walk out and think these guys are going to be easy,” Venema said.

On May 8, United beat Taradale 2-0 at Harry Barker Reserve.

“We played poorly and beat them here,” Venema said.

“But if we go down there thinking we'll walk over them, we could get tipped up. I'll be telling the boys that.”

He said Royston thought the ankle injury he suffered against Napier last Saturday would be all right by tomorrow.

However, if it wasn't good enough for him to play, United had the players to cover the gap without major disruption.

Taradale sit in fifth place in the eight-team league, having won five games and lost six, scoring 20 goals and conceding 22. Their leading scorers are Matt Single, with six (the same as United's Josh Harris and Royston), and Stephen Flude, with four (the same as United's Corey Adams).

United striker Josh Adams leads the premiership golden boot competition, with 14 goals.

Tomorrow Maycenvale have a home game against Napier Marist Reserves, which they should win. The week after, they come to Gisborne to play United at Harry Barker Reserve. It will be Maycenvale's last league game, but United have one more the following week, against Western Rangers.

First things first, though . . . Taradale.