Havelock North put three past flat Gisborne Thistle

Gisborne Thistle defender Te Kani Wirepa-Hei heads upfield with Wainui's Greg Judd in pursuit. Wirepa-Hei had a solid game at the back for Electrinet Thistle in their Central Federation League away clash with Havelock North Wanderers but the Jags were beaten 3-0. Photo / Paul Rickard

Gisborne Thistle fell 3-0 to title contenders Havelock North Wanderers at Guthrie Park, Havelock North in Central Football’s Federation League on Saturday.

Wanderers led by two goals - one from the penalty spot - at halftime. Electrinet Thistle had a couple of second-half goal-scoring chances but couldn’t convert.

Ten minutes from fulltime, Wanderers scored again to kill any chance of a late Thistle comeback.

Thistle coach Tam Cramer said Wanderers had a lot of possession but didn’t do a lot with it.

“I thought we defended pretty well; they weren’t really troubling us,” he said.

“We were a bit flat. On the back of a good performance against Western [a 4-2 win two weeks before], it’s disappointing that this performance wasn’t great.

“If we’d been bit more clinical, it might have been a different scoreline.”

He thought strikers Jimmy Somerton and Travis White played well, and the defence of goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill, fullbacks Ziggy West-Hill and Te Kani Wirepa-Hei and centre backs Junior Jimmy and Cory Thomson coped with most of what Wanderers threw at them.

Central midfielder Matt McVey had been ill all week and was substituted shortly after halftime. Shai Avni came on for him but took one of the centre back roles and Thomson went into midfield. At the same time, Samson Hotas came on for Matt Hills on the right flank. Kaden Manderson patrolled the left.

Thistle have the bye on Saturday and then their next four games are at home - against Whanganui Athletic on June 1, New Plymouth Rangers on June 8, Peringa United on June 15 and Palmerston North Marist on June 29.

“We’re targeting 12 points [four wins] from those four games,” Cramer said.

He is expecting midfielder or defender Isaac Bush and defender Jirah Wanoa to be available for the start of that sequence.

“We should have the whole squad available for the first time.”

In the meantime, McVey will have the week off training to rest, and an extra session might be put on for the others to compensate for the lack of a game on Saturday.

Other Federation League results (home team first): FC Western 3 Taradale 1, Palmerston North Marist 2 New Plymouth Rangers 0, Peringa United 3 Palmerston North United 3.

Whanganui Athletic had the bye.