It’s United vs Shockers in Gisborne’s Bailey Cup football final

The Bailey Cup finalists in Eastern League football have been found. Division 1 league champions Gisborne United will take on Shockers on Saturday August 24. Photo / Getty Images

Gisborne United and Shockers will contest local football’s Bailey Cup final after they convincingly won their semifinals last week.

Heavy Equipment Services United beat Sunshine Brewing Wainui Sharks 7-1 and Smash Palace Shockers Gold beat Neighbourhood Pizzeria Wainui Sandbar 7-0.

They will play the final on Harry Barker Reserve No 2 at 2.45pm on August 24.

The Bailey Cup final has traditionally been played on Childers Road Reserve No 1 – Gisborne’s version of “Wembley”.

However, an Eastern League Division 2 Top 6 game between Versatile Gisborne Thistle and Thistle Vintage Masters has been scheduled for the 2.45pm slot on Childers Road Reserve No 1 that day.

The curtain-raiser is another Division 2 Top 6 game, Thistle Youth B vs QRS Wairoa Athletic, at 12.30pm.

At Harry Barker Reserve No.1 – the field next to the grandstand – a Division 2 Bottom 6 game between HES United Seconds and C & G Plumbing High School Old Boys Eels is scheduled for 12.30pm. No game is set down for that ground at 2.45pm.

Asked why the Bailey Cup final was scheduled for the Harry Barker Reserve No 2 ground (100m from the grandstand), Central Football competitions manager (East) Dana Herbison said Shockers were drawn to have home advantage in the final.

Harry Barker Reserve No 1 was deemed to be United’s home ground and No 2 was deemed the closest thing Shockers had to a home ground.

With Thistle’s Federation League team away, today’s local football is confined to Eastern League Division 2 Top 6 and Bottom 6 games. Only one first-division game remains – United vs Wainui Sharks – and that will be played next Saturday.

The Chris Moore Cup final, between HSOB Eels and Versatile Thistle, will be played whenever the Eastern League second division is finished - probably in September.

In women’s football tomorrow, YMCA Thistle play Bohemians and Tatapouri Marist Thistle play HES United at Childers Road Reserve No 1 and No 2 respectively at 10.30am.

Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina have the women’s Eastern League sewn up, but the battle for second is close.

Wainui Riverina have 36 points and then come YMCA Thistle and Bohemians on 22 and Shockers on 21.

It was good to see Wainui Riverina captain Lily Mae Auckram back on the field last week after emergency surgery for appendicitis four weeks before.