Maycenvale right back Nick Yorke hits the ground after getting a goal-saving block on Gisborne Thistle striker Leo Maisey's shot in Eastern Premiership football at Childers Road Reserve on Saturday. Thistle won the match 2-0. Photo / Paul Rickard
Gisborne Thistle will have fewer more difficult opponents this year than the Maycenvale United team they beat 2-0 on Saturday.
Maycenvale tackled, harried and ran themselves into the ground in this Eastern Premiership match at Childers Road Reserve.
But Electrinet Thistle put in a good shift themselves and scored a goal in each half to move into fourth place, a point behind their opponents from Saturday.
In Hawke’s Bay, Jimmy Somerton scored in the second minute of first-half stoppage time and the 88th minute as Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United recovered from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw with Havelock North Wanderers at Guthrie Park.
United stay top of the table, ahead of Wanderers on goal difference.
Both Thistle and United had a man sent off.
Jags centre back Junior Jimmy was shown the red card for a lunging, studs-first tackle in the 84th minute. Jimmy had been Thistle’s best player and was applauded off the field, something Maycenvale coach Christian Jirkowsky thought inappropriate following a challenge he said could have caused serious injury.
United lost the services of striker Campbell Hall in the 82nd minute when he was shown the yellow card a second time, six minutes after the first. Both cards were for tackling offences, and the second meant automatic red.
Hall had been nursing an injury at training and did not come on until the 63rd minute, for Matt Hills. Coach Kieran Venema said he felt for Hall a bit over the second card.
“Someone went through Jimmy [Somerton] and it should have been called, but play went on and that’s when Campbell made his challenge.”
He thought Hall could be back in time for the Central Federation Cup game against Whanganui Athletic Reserves at Park Island in Napier on April 27, after being suspended for the game against Maycenvale at Harry Barker Reserve on Saturday.
The Thistle-Maycenvale match was hotly contested from the start.
In the seventh minute a right-wing cross found Thistle striker Leo Maisey 5m out and as he shot, Maycenvale right back Nick Yorke made a goal-saving block.
Three minutes later, Maycenvale striker Dakota Lucas was almost through when Jimmy got a vital touch.
In the 24th, Maisey bore down on goal and was felled in a desperate challenge from chasing defender Iapalapa Toni, who was shown the yellow card. Maisey scored from the penalty.
In the 32nd, Lucas was shown the yellow card and given 10 minutes in the sin bin for dissent.
Thistle went two up in the 61st, when left midfielder Aiden Norris aimed for the far corner and retreating defender Toni could only help the ball over the line.
Maycenvale attacking midfielder Ethan Rideout was shown the yellow card and sin-binned for dissent in the middle of the second half.
After Jimmy was sent off, Nick Land moved from an attacking midfield role to centre back, and the defence held firm.
Maisey and left back Travis White were also yellow-carded.
Thistle goalkeeper Drew Churchwell was a sound last line, while Louis Sengelow and Jimmy were strong in the centre of defence, and well supported by fullbacks Cory Land and White.
Euan Cramer and Luke Jarvie patrolled the area in front of the defence to good effect, Jarvie making an 80th-minute last-man tackle to avert danger. while Nick Land worked hard to get up in support of Maisey.
Leo Starck on the right and Norris on the left had their moments, but they were up against a determined, hard-tackling Maycenvale defence. Maisey often found himself outnumbered but kept the visiting defenders on their toes.
Thistle coach Tam Cramer introduced fresh legs, with Kobe Donnelly, Facundo Pisano, Kenny Johnny and Charlie Harvey all getting a run in the last quarter.
Maycenvale coach Jirkowsky put on youngsters Rashil Naiker and Samuel Biju midway through the second half. Naiker was on only two minutes when he made a last-man interception that foiled Maisey.
Others to shine for Maycenvale were defenders Thomas Alve and Yorke, midfielders Shaun Newland and Charlie Meek, and attackers Ridha Chilad, Lucas and Rideout.
Thistle coach Cramer said his side played some “great football”, in the first half especially.
It was good to score two goals and keep a clean sheet, and to have a full squad.
“It wasn’t perfect but we’re getting there,” he said.
Maycenvale coach Jirkowsky said the game plan had been to play down the wings.
“For whatever reason, we decided – especially in the first half – to go through the centre. This worked in Gisborne’s favour as their centre backs picked up the ball.
“They [Thistle] fought well and we lost the ball in critical moments.
“Typically we can score three to five goals; today we couldn’t score.”
Arguing with the referee didn’t help, he said.
“Very rarely do referees take their decisions back.”
Referee Chris Niven had his hands full keeping order in a match where challenges were routinely robust.
Gisborne United got off to a slow start against Havelock North Wanders.
“They scored two early goals (through Harry Bayliss in the third and 11th minutes) and played at quite a high tempo in the first 25 minutes,” United co-coach Kieran Venema said.
“I felt they took the foot off the pedal after that and we got a boost with Jimmy’s goal just before halftime.
“Our passing was poor in the first half; the second half was a lot better.
“Guthrie Park is not an easy place to get points. To go there and be 2-0 down in about 10 minutes and then come back and get a draw .... we’re very happy. But we’ve got a lot to work on.”
United had Josh Adams in goal, a back four of Sam Royston, Kieran Higham, Mal Scammell and Malcolm Marfell; a midfield of Cullen Spawforth, Matt Hills and Dane Thompson; and Corey Adams and Josh Harris out wide to support Somerton up front.
Somerton’s first goal came from the penalty spot after Harris drew the foul, and the second came from a Spawforth ball over the top. Somerton reached it on the first bounce and headed it past the advancing keeper.
Standout performances came from Spawforth, Corey Adams and Somerton.
Royston had an ankle injury and was replaced by Kauri Holmes, Hall came on for Hills, and Corey Adams and Harris came off late in the game to rest existing injuries. They were replaced by Jirah Wanoa and Jacob Adams.
Harris and Holmes – as well as Hall – were shown the yellow card, while six Wanderers players were carded.
Other Eastern Premiership results: Taradale Reserves 2 Western Rangers 1, Napier City Rovers Reserves 1 Port Hill United 2.
Points (after four games): Gisborne United 10, Havelock North Wanderers 10, Maycenvale 7, Gisborne Thistle 6, Taradale 4, Port Hill 4, Napier City Rovers 3, Western Rangers 1.