FOOTBALL
WAINUI clinched their second Eastern League title in 32 years on Saturday, with two games to spare.
They beat Thistle Massive 4-0 at Childers Road Reserve, but it was anything but plain sailing.
Thiago Carlos de Melo scored the first goal of his hat-trick after three minutes, but in the fifth minute midfielder Shane Hooks was sent off for a bad tackle and Wainui faced the next 85 minutes with 10 players.
Nevertheless, Carlos de Melo scored again in the 25th minute and Sunshine Brewing Wainui led 2-0 at halftime.
In the 60th minute, left-footed Jaiden Ibbetson curled a right-wing corner directly into the Carpet Court Thistle Massive goal at the far post after Wainui had piled men at the near post.
Carlos de Melo brought up his hat-trick in the 70th minute with what player-coach Michael Smith described as one of the best toe-poked goals he had seen.
The striker hit it with his favoured right foot and from 20 metres it flew high into the goal.
By this time, the teams were both down to 10 players. Injured Thistle rightback Emerson Araya had to come off about 15 minutes into the second half, and player-coach Craig Stirton — sidelined for the day by an injury himself — had no subs to put on. Shortly after Wainui’s fourth goal, Cullen Spawforth had to come off and Thistle were down to nine.
“We were never going to lose the game; we had worked so hard throughout the season,” Smith said.
Still a man down on Thistle at halftime, Wainui had taken off a wide player and brought on Rick Kitto as a holding midfielder to play alongside Max Logan and Smith. Caleb Baldacchino was moved from rightback to right wingback to compensate for the loss of a winger.
Logan had another outstanding game, Smith said.
“He’s quality, and at 30 is in the prime of his career. For a long time I’ve been at him to play for us. He’s a good lad and just wants to enjoy his football. Probably most of our players would get into one or other of the travelling teams. But they don’t want to travel; they want to play in Gisborne.
“We have a great goalkeeper, as well, in Patrick Pierard. Early in the second half he made a save off Matt Smith that was top-class. A header from five metres out . . . you would back Matt to score from there nine times out of 10, but Patrick pulled off a world-class save.”
With Mal Furlan away last Saturday, Martin Brusco was called in to play centreback alongside Jamie Gallacher, and looked as if he’d played there all his life, Smith said.
Brusco had spent a lot of time on the bench but had performed well in whatever position he was asked to fill. He was now “undroppable”.
Dan Torrie was also unavailable on Saturday, but the club had the players to fill in.
“The whole year has been about the club, and having the players to call on from the second team,” Smith said.
“It started last year with Jake Theron. He had an idea that we needed a bit of structure. You have to get the foundations right. So we’ve got a committee with Diego (Pedrioli) as president.
“We needed to attract some young players, and we got Mal (Furlan), Jaiden (Ibbetson) and others, mixed with old heads. If you play good football you’re having fun, and if you’re having fun you attract players.”
Last year, Theron had asked him to come in as his assistant, and this year Theron wanted to concentrate on playing.
Smith wanted to keep playing, too, and felt he needed a manager — someone on the sideline to make matchday decisions.
“I asked Blake Mulrooney to do it, and he’s been the right man for the job.”
Asked about his plans for next year, Smith said he would “definitely” play, and he and Mulrooney would carry on coaching.
“As a club we need to sit down and decide what we want to do,” Smith said.
“We need to look at another team next year (the club has three men’s teams and two women’s teams) and build on this season.
“Maybe we could enter the Federation Cup next year.”
Thistle coach Stirton said his side did OK in the first half, but in the second Wainui “ran away with it”.
Thistle player of the day was central midfielder Kane Stirton, and others to shine were midfielders Cullen Spawforth and Matt Smith, and leftback Daniel Contreras.
Regular striker Nic Somerton was away.
In the other Eastern League Division 1 game, Gisborne Vehicle Testing Thistle Reserves beat Thistle Youth 11-0, three players scoring hat-tricks.
Reserves player-coach Davie Ure said striker Alan Zarate opened the scoring 15 minutes in. Ure had been off-target with a shot from 20 metres but Zarate, 10 metres out, took the ball on his chest so that it popped up, and he scored with a right-footed overhead kick that Ure reckoned was one of the best goals he had seen.
Zarate completed his hat-trick in the first half, then moved to centreback for the second spell.
Striker PJ Goodlett scored once in the first half and twice in the second, and Ure scored once late in the first half from midfield and then twice in a 20-minute spell when he played up front at the start of the second half.
Leo Maisey scored twice while playing up front.
Ure said Zarate was a class above most on the field in the first half, while Ash McMillan played well at centreback and in central midfield, and Travis White shone on the left flank.
Thistle Vintage 1 1st Class Decorators Wainui Salty Dogs 4, Gisborne Pro Roofing Bohemians 0 Coates Associates Wainui Demons 5, Tatapouri Bohemians 2 HES United 2.
Smash Palace Shockers 1 HES United Thirds 3, ITM Thistle 3 Gizzy Bobcat Services Thistle 0.
HES United defeated Gisborne Girls’ High School by default, Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina def Bohemians by default, Neighborhood Pizzeria Wainui Wahine 0 Campion College 1.