Wainui ahead in seesaw battle

FOOTBALL

TWO extraordinary results changed the landscape at the top of football’s Eastern League Division 1 at the weekend.

Carpet Court Thistle Massive no longer sit at the top of the heap after their 6-5 loss to Gisborne Thistle Youth.

Their place has been taken by Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks, who beat Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United 7-0.

The biggest turnaround has come from Thistle Youth. Their low point came on May 29, when they lost 13-0 to United.

The following week they beat clubmates Thistle Reserves 4-3 and last Saturday they beat competition leaders Massive on Childers Road Reserve No.1, thanks to an 89th-minute penalty.

Travis White scored from the spot to win the match, Daniel Venema chipped the keeper from 20 metres for the first goal, and the four goals in between came from striker Oska Smith.

Speed and good finishing were the keys to Smith’s scoring success. He and Venema normally turn out for one of the other two Thistle Division 1 teams when not on first-team duty, but the youth team were short at the weekend through injury and illness, so they helped out.

Venema added solidity to Thistle Youth’s central midfield by filling a holding role, while Smith played up front, down the middle.

But the performance that most pleased coach Ross Niven was that of Campion College schoolboy Jamie Joblin on the right side of midfield.

At training they had worked on control, getting into space, playing out from the back, looking up, playing back if necessary and not giving away possession, Niven said.

“He took it all on board and did it. If everyone did that — listened and did what they were asked to do — the standard of the game would be through the roof.”

Thistle Youth led 3-1 at halftime but Massive came back at them and the scoring went “tit for tat” until Massive scored from the penalty spot within the last 10 minutes to make it 5-5.

With a minute to go, referee Jim Adcock pointed to the penalty spot at the other end and White kept cool to score the winner.

“I have never been involved in a game where you win 6-5 and almost lose it,” Niven said.

He appreciates the input of assistant coach John Whitley, who played in Gisborne City national league and central league sides under coaches Alan Vest, Ray Veall, John Hill, Iain Gillies and Kevin Fallon.

Whitley’s speed, ball control and shooting power had him earmarked as a striker or midfielder early in his career. But it was a calculated gamble that led to the full flowering of Whitley’s talents.

He was given an extended run at leftback and he took to his new position as if he’d played there all his life.

After he left Gisborne in the early 1980s, Whitley became a fixture in the emerging Mt Maunganui side.

It’s good to see him back in Gisborne and helping the next generation of players.

Things won’t get any easier for Thistle Youth this Saturday. They play new leaders Wainui Sharks at their Wainui stronghold.

Wainui are in scarily good form.

On Saturday, on Harry Barker Reserve No.1, they scored seven goals against a United side who “actually played really well”, according to Wainui manager Blake Mulrooney.

United coach Chris Adams said the game was “pretty even” for a while but the finishing of the Wainui forwards was lethal. At halftime Wainui led 5-0.

United never threw in the towel. Striker Stu Cranswick hit the post twice and broke through to be one on one with goalkeeper Patrick Pierard, but had his shot saved at almost point-blank range.

Cranswick gave his usual whole-hearted performance but the goals would not come.

Chris Cockburn in central midfield and double centrebacks Lucian Nickerson and Jonathan Purcell were the other standout performers for United.

Jake Theron was the danger-man for Wainui. He scored four goals, one of which could almost be described as delicate. He charged in from the right, looked as if he would shoot with his left foot, cut back and dinked the ball over the keeper with his right.

Fellow striker Thiago Carlos de Melo scored twice. One of them was hit from outside the penalty area and Mulrooney reckoned it was in the back of the net before the goalkeeper knew about it.

The other goal was a nicely executed near-post header from centreback Jamie Gallacher from a Max Logan cross.

Midfielder Shane Hooks was player of the day for Wainui. Others to shine were Pierard, Gallacher and midfielder Logan, but Mulrooney said it was a day on which everyone played well.

Other results — Eastern League Division 2: Smash Palace Shockers 2 Gisborne Pro Roofing Bohemians 3, Thistle Vintage 5 HES United Thirds 0, 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs 3 HES United 4, Thistle Development 3 ITM Thistle 3, QRS Wairoa Athletic 0 Tatapouri Bohemians 2.

Women’s Eastern League: Neighborhood Pizzeria Wainui Wahine 0 Gisborne Girls’ High School 6, Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina 0 HES United 3.