Football: Gisborne Boys’ High School’s Premier hopes dashed by late goal

Gisborne Boys' Boys' High School First XI right winger Jacob Adams, in Super 8 action against Palmerston North Boys' High School last year, scored a goal in the first XI's national premier secondary school qualification clash with Lindisfarne College last week. As did Matt Hills (pictured in background). But a 2-2 draw was not enough for Gisborne to qualify. Gisborne are competing in the 2024 Super 8 in New Plymouth next week. Photo / Liam Clayton

A last-minute goal kept Gisborne Boys’ High School out of the qualification places for New Zealand Football’s premier national high school competition.

Gisborne led 2-1 against Lindisfarne College late in a game at Lindisfarne last week. They needed a win to have any chance of qualifying, whereas Lindisfarne needed only a draw and threw everything at Boys’ High in pursuit of it.

A corner was whipped in, and a goalmouth scramble ended with a Lindisfarne leg connecting with the ball and forcing it over the line for a 2-2 draw.

The result meant Lindisfarne and Napier Boys’ High School qualified for the premier national tournament. Napier had beaten Gisborne 5-3 at the Rectory ground while Taradale beat Gisborne 1-0 three weeks ago, but lost to Lindisfarne in a Monday night game last week.

While disappointed his team did not qualify for the national tournament at their first attempt, Gisborne Boys’ High coach Garrett Blair said he was proud of the way they responded in the second half after going a goal down late in the first.

“We started really well,” Blair said.

Playing with a back four, five across the midfield and a lone striker, Boys’ High dominated possession in the first 20 minutes and created a lot of chances.

Lindisfarne worked their way into the game and put Gisborne under pressure, scoring four minutes before the break.

Blair urged his players to keep doing what they had done in the first 20 minutes and lift themselves again.

“They came out firing on all cylinders,” Blair said.

“We shifted the ball through our midfield to our left-hand side in our attacking third. It went out to Gavin Derr, who held it up and played it to Max Kume, coming from midfield. He shot from outside the penalty area, the ball came off the keeper’s chest and Matt Hills followed up and slipped the ball into the net.

“The boys kicked into another gear, created chances and won a lot of corners. From one of those, Gavin [Derr] whipped in a left-footed in-swinger from the right and our right winger, Jacob Adams, scored with a glancing header at the near post.

“We still had quite a bit of time left. We needed to manage the game and, for the most part, we did that well.

“Their captain and best player, Tom Speers, was playing up front on the left. In the last five to 10 minutes their plan was to get the ball down and out wide for him to run at our defenders. When the goal came, it was from a corner and was the last kick of the game.”

Blair said the three matches of the qualification series were good preparation for the Super 8 football tournament in New Plymouth next week.

He and assistant coach (and Gisborne Boys’ director of football) Sebastian Itman will be assisted by manager Darren Larkins and parent/driver Jason Derr.

The team will travel in two vans on Sunday and have their first two games, against Hamilton Boys’ High and Palmerston North Boys’ High, on Monday. On Tuesday morning, they play Rotorua Boys’ High, and on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning they play crossover games against teams from the other pool. Also taking part will be Hastings, Napier and New Plymouth boys’ high schools.

“Also taking part will be Hastings, Napier and New Plymouth boys’ high schools and Tauranga Boys’ College.”