“He hit a first-time sidefoot shot towards the far corner of the goal and the keeper didn’t stand a chance. Dane didn’t try to hit it hard. He just guided it in, but the pace of the cross and his firm contact meant it was in the net before any defender could react.”
Napier got the ball back to the halfway line and the referee blew for fulltime before they had a chance to kick off.
Venema said United were looking for three points, but in view of the way the game panned out, he would take a draw.
“They were very organised, and in the first half pressed up and played really well,” he said.
“We were on the back foot for most of the first half . . . they dominated.
“In the second half, we played a lot better and the game was pretty even.
“Both sides had chances in the first half. They hit the bar in the 40th minute.”
Napier went ahead midway through the second half when their right winger sent in a cross that a Napier striker controlled and tucked away from about the penalty spot.
Napier had three experienced players in key positions — goalkeeper Richard Gillespie, centreback Jonathan Taylor and striker Stu Wilson — and they were a steadying influence on the teenagers around them.
Gillespie, in particular, was having a stormer in goal. United had numerous corners — generally hit long and high — and he was coming out and collecting them with little difficulty.
So when United were awarded a corner and the referee was heard to say, “Last play of the game,” Marfell tried something different.
It capped a good game for him. He had been pushed forward from leftback to give Josh Harris a chance to get over some niggling injuries, and impressed with his work-rate and general play.
Josh Adams was central striker and in the first half looked set to score when he was running through on goal. However, the referee stopped play for an injury to Thompson.
Venema said Thompson was able to carry on and earned the man-of-the-match award for his work-rate and ball-winning ability.
Others to shine were sweeper Kieran Higham, central midfielder Corey Adams, and right winger Sam Royston.
Gisborne United’s next game is against Taradale at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.
Waikanae Beach TOP10 Gisborne Thistle struggled to come to terms with the artificial turf of Palmerston North Marist’s home ground.
“It was the first time a lot of our lads had played on artificial turf,” Thistle coach Garrett Blair said.
“We set some time aside for knocking a few balls around on the turf beforehand, but it’s not the same as playing a game.”
Thistle were 2-0 down when centreback Ryan Anderson and an opponent clashed heads about 30 minutes into the game.
Ema Martos came on as a replacement for Anderson, and did so well he was named Thistle’s man of the match.
Blair said Marist were a well-coached, well-organised side. On attack they left three players at the back, but on defence they played as a back five. That meant Thistle’s wide strikers, Jimmy Somerton and Oli Davies, could be faced with two players to get past down the wing or three players if they cut inside.
Deep-lying striker Jarom Brouwer found himself isolated as Thistle tried to get into their rhythm.
Blair said Nick Land put in a good shift in midfield but, generally, it was “not a good day out”.
“I think in our past two or three games we have conceded goals through giving players too much space,” Blair said.
“We haven’t cut the threats out early enough or stayed close enough to the man we’ve been marking. It’s felt like we’ve been giving our opponents too much respect. We need to work on how we can shift that approach.”
But it was not all about where Thistle went wrong. Marist were a “very good” team, with a striker — Nick Carrick — whose hat-trick of opportunist goals showed they had bite up front.
Thistle’s goal was a 25-metre pile-driver from holding midfielder Cullen Spawforth. With the score 4-0, a cross was half-cleared to Spawforth, who hit the ball first time from out in front.
Thistle’s next game is against league leaders Massey University at Childers Road Reserve on Sunday.
