Two on one: Havelock North Wanderers striker Bradley Perks tries to hold off Gisborne Thistle players Cullen Spawforth (left) and Ema Martos in a Central Federation League game at Childers Road Reserve yesterday. Wanderers won 4-1. Picture by Paul Rickard
Havelock North Wanderers had the look of Central Federation League champions in their performance at Childers Road Reserve yesterday.
They beat Waikanae Beach TOP10 Gisborne Thistle 4-1, yet for over 80 minutes out of 90 the Jags were within a goal of a classy Wanderers outfit.
It was a tough scoreline for a Thistle side who had been in contention for at least a share of the points for 90 percent of the game.
Wanderers deserved to win, though. Their play had just a bit more polish and, while Thistle contested possession with gusto, Wanderers seemed to have the edge physically.
They had more scoring chances, too. Thistle kept them at bay for the first half and most of the second, thanks largely to a string of brilliant saves by goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill. The game-breaking goals eventually came by way of three clinical strikes.
Havelock North went 1-0 up in the sixth minute. Striker Bjorn Christensen drove a right-wing corner to the edge of the goal area (six-yard box), where skipper and midfielder Jerome Groot hooked it — on the volley — into the far corner of the goal.
Thistle equalised in the 27th minute. Midfielder Tomek Frooms looked as if he was about to shoot from 25 metres but instead played a pinpoint pass to left-winger Justo Rodriguez, making a run from the left across the penalty area. His right-footed shot sneaked in at the far post.
Groot crowned a personal stormer of a game in the 78th minute when he made a run into the penalty area, and from five metres out, to the right of the goal, angled the ball into the far corner.
Four minutes later, Wanderers went two up. Bradley Perks rode an attempted tackle on the left wing and his cross found Christensen on the edge of the penalty area. He took the ball on his chest and as a defender swept past trying to anticipate the ball's movement, Christensen fired in a shot that gave Stewart-Hill no chance.
Perks completed the scoring in the 88th minute. A long throw from the right by Christensen was nodded on by the tall Joshua Lawson, who had replaced striker Dakota Lucas just three minutes earlier, and Perks volleyed in from close range at the near post.
When Wanderers came to Gisborne in April with a depleted side and battled to a 2-1 win in the Chatham Cup, coach Chris Greatholder said they would be more expansive when they returned in the league. His team lived up to the prediction from the kick-off on Saturday.
In the second minute, Stewart-Hill had to look sharp to save low to his right, and in the sixth minute Wanderers scored.
Thistle midfielder Cullen Spawforth's 40-metre free-kick — after he was body-checked by Groot — narrowly cleared the bar and skimmed the top of the net. A minute later, Frooms shot from the right and Wanderers keeper James McPeake saved with his legs.
In the 22nd, Groot crossed from the right and Lucas headed the ball down at the far post. Stewart-Hill dived high to his right to claw the ball away before it crossed the line on its way to the roof of the net.
He slapped away the ensuing corner and then went low to his right to save a shot from Lucas.
In the 53rd minute, Christensen's free-kick from the right, just inside the Thistle half, was headed on towards the far post by Perks, and Stewart-Hill again dived full-length to palm the ball away.
For Thistle, centreback Ryan Anderson was strong in the air and alongside him, Ander Batarrita had a steady game, as did Daniel Venema, who came on for injured rightback Brandon Josling in the 25th minute.
Leftback Kuba Jerabek had a solid outing until he came off in the 72nd minute to allow the entry of Oska Smith, as Thistle coach Garrett Blair threw the dice in search of three points. Smith went to the right wing, Justo Rodriguez dropped from the midfield left flank to fullback and skipper Nick Land went from the right flank to the left.
Blair had already replaced, in the 62nd minute, holding midfielder Ema Martos with Agustin Ventre in a more attacking midfield role.
The gamble almost paid off. In the 64th minute, Rodriguez — still in the left midfield position at that stage — made a run to the byline and cut the ball back towards Ventre. However, Wanderers centreback Josh Stewart got a block on the ball just as Ventre shot.
Smith provided support for striker Jimmy Somerton, who had been a lone wolf till then, but by this time the Wanderers machine was cranking up for the run home.
For Havelock North, McPeake was as safe as houses in goal, and Stewart was outstanding at the heart of the defence.
Stewart had been a striker early in the season but was put at centreback for the cup game in Gisborne because Wanderers were without a lot of regular first-team players. He did so well and enjoyed it so much he has stayed there ever since.
Sixteen-year-old rightback Jack Albertini looks like one to watch out for in future.
Groot was the outstanding midfielder of the game. A product of Hawke's Bay football, he showed power, control, a competitive streak and an eye for goals. Alongside him, Oliver Chapman did a lot of good work unobtrusively.
Up front, Christensen, Perks and Lucas ran themselves ragged in the team cause.
Thistle coach Garrett Blair said he made substitutions to chase a win, but he thought the pace of the game was starting to tell on the starting players.
He thought a draw would have been a fair reflection of how the teams played, but said the difference between good teams and great teams was what they did in the last 10 minutes of a game.
Greatholder, who played the last two minutes in place of a cramp-crippled Perks, said he thought the winning of the game was in Wanderers staying patient and true to what they were trying to do.
“We have good depth; we made substitutions and went up to fourth or fifth gear in the last 15 minutes.
“Gisborne tried really hard and should be proud of their endeavour, but I thought we deserved to win.
“We're very difficult to break down once we have our shape. We try to get numbers back quickly in transition. We get behind the ball and then the other team have to work hard to put a string of passes together.”
Referee Jason Marshall, of Palmerston North, showed the yellow card to Land, Spawforth, Rodriguez and Ventre from Thistle, and Groot and Christensen from Havelock North.
Thistle have a bye next week.