Injury-depleted Gisborne Thistle fall to Whanganui Athletic

Kaden Manderson Gisborne Thistle fullback Kaden Manderson shields the ball from a Palmerston North United player in a Central Fed League match in Gisborne. Manderson and his teammates lost 3-1 away to Whanganui Athletic on Saturday. Photo / Paul Rickard

Gisborne Thistle’s bid for Central League football next season suffered a blow when the Jags lost 3-1 away to Whanganui Athletic on Saturday.

“Absent friends” were sorely missed, again.

Electrinet Thistle coach Tam Cramer knew midweek he would be without goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill, centreback Jirah Wanoa and midfielder Matt McVey.

Then, from Thursday night on, he learned that right-back Shai Avni was unable to play because of a groin injury, utility player Nick Land was unavailable because of a family commitment, and Ziggy West-Hill – having travelled with the team on Friday – was unable to play on Saturday after being sick all night.

Cramer was happy with the side he was able to field, although he had only two reserves, both youth players. And he thought the team played well, apart from the passages of play where goals were conceded. Poor marking from set pieces cost Thistle dearly.

Whanganui went ahead in the 22nd minute and led at halftime.

Thistle equalised through Jimmy Somerton – now the league’s equal-second top marksman with 11 goals – in the 52nd minute.

Five minutes later, Whanganui regained the lead and in the 64th minute, they scored again.

“For the last 20 minutes, it was all us,” Cramer said.

“They just parked the bus. Sam Hotas had a shot cleared off the line, we went close in goalmouth scrambles, their goalkeeper made an outstanding save.

“No one played badly.”

He was confident that a full-strength Thistle side – as at the middle of last week – would have provided the playing depth to win the match.

He said left-winger Ruben Garcia – having his first Federation League start – had a great game, and right-back Te Kani Wirepa-Hei gave an outstanding defensive display, particularly in the second half.

Travis White and Somerton linked up well, and Hotas also created problems for the Whanganui defence.

Thistle lined up with Hugo Lodewyk in goal, Kaden Manderson and Wirepa-Hei in the fullback positions, and Junior Jimmy and Cory Thomson as double centrebacks.

The central midfield trio comprised David Salmon, Isaac Bush and White, with Garcia and Hotas out wide. Somerton was the attack spearhead. Thistle remain in sixth position in the nine-team league.

The top three teams gain automatic inclusion in the Central League second division being reintroduced next year. Teams placed fourth to seventh will play off against Capital Premier and Capital 1 teams.

The higher Thistle can finish in the Federation League, the lower will be the ranking of the team they meet in the playoffs.

In other Central Federation League fixtures at the weekend, Palmerston North Marist beat Peringa United 7-0, Palmerston North United beat New Plymouth Rangers 2-1 and FC Western were awarded a 3-0 win for the default by Havelock North Wanderers. Taradale had the bye.

Points: Palmerston North United, 30 points from 13 games; Palmerston North Marist, 30 from 14; FC Western, 25 from 13; Havelock North Wanderers, 22 from 13; Taradale, 21 from 13; Gisborne Thistle, 15 from 12; New Plymouth Rangers, 13 from 13; Whanganui Athletic, 10 from 13; and Peringa United, 7 from 14.