For Thistle, the return of goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill, midfielder David Salmon and striker Somerton, and the addition of centreback Junior Jimmy last time out gave the team a boost. It rubbed off on the other players and Cory Thomson was a revelation at centreback.
Guthrie Park can be a difficult place to visit but the Jags will be upbeat about their chances.
The YMCA Thistle women’s team lost a thrilling Central Federation Cup game to Whanganui Athletic, 5-4, at Park Island, Napier.
Coach Lee Smith was pleased with his team’s fighting spirit.
Thistle were never ahead, but never more than two goals behind. The scoring went 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3 and 5-4. It was 4-2 at halftime.
“The first half was tight,” Smith said.
“Jade McVey scored our first two goals. She was unplayable on the left wing in the first half. They tried three different players at rightback and in the second half they put more players on her. So then we got the wingers to start switching – Jade with, first, Mya Carrington and then Natalie Land. That gave them even more trouble.”
For her first goal, McVey nutmegged the fullback, cut inside and shot from near the penalty spot into the bottom-right corner. For her second, she cut inside from the left towards the edge of the penalty area and hit it into the top-left corner.
Carrington scored from the edge of the penalty area to get Thistle back in the hunt after halftime.
Whanganui got their two-goal cushion back, but Land made the final few minutes tense when she hit a 40-metre free-kick from near the left touchline into the top far corner of the goal.
Smith said Thistle’s player of the day was Bridie Morrison. Normally a defensive midfielder, she had to move into a double-centreback partnership with Kate Blackman when another player was injured. Both were outstanding.
Ruth Fletcher, in central midfield, did a lot of tracking back – work that could be overlooked but was vital for the team.
Gisborne Boys’ High School got their season under way at the Rectory ground on Wednesday. They lost 5-3 to Napier Boys’ High School in a match that indicated the Gisborne side have a lot still to offer.
Former Thistle Federation League coach and Gisborne Boys’ High old boy Garrett Blair is coaching the side this year.
Boys’ High director of football Sebastian Itman got on to Blair within a week of learning the latter would not be coaching Thistle this year, and is acting as his assistant.
Wednesday’s match was the first competitive outing for the Gisborne team, whereas Napier had benefited from several games.
The aim is to qualify for the premier national competition for high schools and, whatever happens, the increased matchplay for the Boys’ High team will better prepare them for tournament play.
Their next game is against Lindisfarne in Hastings on Tuesday, and then they play Taradale High on June 5 in Taradale.
On Wednesday, Napier went into a two-goal lead before Gisborne central midfielder Max Kume finished off a good passing move with a blistering drive into the top-right corner.
Napier led 3-1 at halftime but striker Matt Hills was rewarded for his never-say-die attitude when he nicked the ball from under the nose of the Napier goalkeeper to make it 3-2.
Napier went further ahead with a looping headed goal, then Ziggy West-Hill scored with a chip over the keeper from 20 metres to close it to 4-3 with 10 minutes to go.
The game was played in steady, sometimes heavy rain and both teams tired towards the end. Napier scored last to make it 5-3.
Centreback West-Hill was Gisborne’s player of the day and Kume and Hills also showed the benefits of playing in Thistle’s Federation League team.
