Gisborne United are still favourites to win the premiership. Maycenvale have finished their league programme and have 36 points from 14 games.
United have 34 points from 13 games, and their game in hand is against bottom-placed Western Rangers, who have seven points.
To win the league, United must beat Rangers at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday. Rangers will be coming off an “away” win, 2-0 against Napier Marist Seconds.
United should prevail, but they will need to lift themselves following a disappointing performance against a committed Maycenvale side on Saturday.
Maycenvale were a big, awkward-looking team, surprisingly fast in most positions, and competitive everywhere. They also played good football.
Gisborne United started brightly, shooting on sight, perhaps looking for an early goal to settle nerves and dishearten Maycenvale.
In the second minute, skipper Dane Thompson headed over the bar from a left-wing corner; in the third, striker Josh Adams shot from wide on the left, forcing 18-year-old goalkeeper Hamish Long to save; in the fourth, Adams shot again from wide left, and Long saved.
And in the seventh minute, Maycenvale scored. From midway in United's half, the ball was crossed from Maycenvale's right flank towards the far post, where left-winger Matthew Goodwin ghosted in for a close-range header.
But surely this was an aberration, and United would click into gear and split open the visitors' defence.
And so, occasionally, they did. But the Maycenvale back four were tenacious. In leftback Luke Percy-Fysh they had a defender who could turn, chase and catch a winger as fast as Sam Royston and cleanly slide the ball over the sideline.
When all else failed, keeper Long would be out to neutralise the danger, usually before strikers Stu Cranswick or Adams could latch on to the ball over the top of the defence.
Centrebacks Matthew Ebbett and Shaun Newland and rightback and skipper Isaiah Andrews did not have the blistering pace of Percy-Fysh, but they had never-say-die desperation when chasing back and did not hesitate to fling themselves in front of shots.
Maycenvale nearly went two up in the 33rd minute when a long-range effort looked as if it might beat keeper Seth Piper. At full stretch, he tipped the ball on to the bar and a defender's boot cleared the danger.
A minute before halftime, Thompson took the ball on a run from just inside the Maycenvale half to within shooting range, where — pressured on all sides by men in orange shirts — he shot wide.
Maycenvale coach Paul Woon said after the match that their plan was to hold the midfield, and his players bought into it with gusto.
On attack, Maycenvale looked as if they were playing 4-2-4, with central midfielders Adam Woon and Ben Foxall spraying the ball wide to the strong-running Goodwin on the left or the tricky Dylan Cozens on the right. In the middle, Luke Woon was the spearhead, with Xavier Herrick giving depth to the attack.
On defence, the wingers and Herrick would drop back to help, giving Maycenvale a five-man midfield and smothering the United threat. At times, all 11 Maycenvale players got behind the ball.
No wonder the United midfield of Thompson, James Bristow and Corey Adams struggled to exert their usual dominance in the middle of the park.
Nevertheless, United still had chances that might have led to goals against less committed opponents.
In the 68th minute, Josh Adams got through on the left and Long came out and blocked the shot.
A minute later, Maycenvale went 2-0 up. From the left wing, Herrick took a long throw that wrongfooted everyone and bounced up for Cozens to head in bravely under pressure at the far post.
United player-coach Kieran Venema, sitting out this match, took off Royston — just back from an ankle injury — and pushed rightback Adam Simpson and leftback Malcolm Marfell into more advanced positions. Corey Boocock came on at leftback to form a three-man backline with Kieran Higham and Mal Scammell.
But before this move could have any effect, Maycenvale scored again. A right-wing corner found Luke Woon alone, five metres out, level with the back post. His header was in the net before Piper could react.
At 3-0 it seemed all over, but when Cranswick worked his way into the penalty area and scored, United still had nearly 20 minutes to get two more goals to draw level and sew up the league.
In the 82nd minute, Cranswick got to a bouncing ball an instant before Long, and his lobbed shot was goalbound until centreback Ebbett caught up to it and hooked it away. The ball went straight to the other end and Maycenvale threatened to score again before Boocock belted it clear.
Five minutes from time, Josh Badger came on for Cozens, who in scoring had taken a head knock. With four first-team regulars unable to travel, Badger was one of two subs available. The other was team manager Martin Trowbridge.
Josh Adams had two late chances. He got through on the left in the 86th minute, and the keeper saved. A minute later, Adams took a snapshot and Long got down smartly to the foot of his right-hand post to keep the two-goal cushion intact.
Venema said Maycenvale were hungrier than Gisborne United.
“I think they were better all over the park,” he said.
“We didn't show up. We expected one another to do it, and not do it ourselves.”
Maycenvale coach Woon said they knew who Gisborne's strong players were and knew that United would play long.
They had worked hard to combat those threats, and the goalkeeper had chipped in with “a couple of great saves” that kept them in with a chance of winning.
“United were ahead of us . . . we didn't want to be the team coming here and giving them the title,” he said.
They had worked hard on set plays, and it was pleasing that one goal had come from a long throw and another from a corner.
“We've worked hard on our fitness and making sure we can keep up with the younger guys. Our speed is one of our main weapons.
“And we have a lot of lefties (left-footed players) in the team.”
The match was well controlled by referee Jim Adcock.
