Athletic finally achieve

Jordan Gilmore was one of the goal scorers in Wanganui Athletic's first win of the season on Saturday.

It's been a long time coming but Devon Homes Wanganui Athletic finally found the heart, the desire, and ultimately the three points they've been so desperately looking for in the Lotto Federation League with a gritty win over Massey University at the university ground on Saturday.

Meanwhile the Athletic Reserves were unlucky to fall short of repeating the efforts of their first team counterparts, falling to a narrow loss at the hands of the Palmerston North Marist 3rds in the Western Premiership.

After weeks of being on the receiving end of loss after loss, the men in red finally had something to celebrate with their determined 2-1 victory over Massey on their home ground.

In a stroke against the format of the usual script for Athletic, Jordan Gilmore scored the opening goal for Athletic from a pinpoint Ryan Holden delivery, giving the team an early lead in the game and a chance to apply pressure to an opposition while asking them to chase.

Athletic then set about the unfamiliar task of shutting down the university boys and putting in a defensive display that has been aching to break out during their previous games.

That whole-hearted defence was perhaps a bit too heart-on-the-sleeve when Massey were awarded a debatable penalty after defender Symon King brought down a Massey striker inside the box, gifting the home team the equaliser going into the halftime break.

With the resumption of the second stanza both teams wrestled for control, yet it was the major influence came once again from the midfield general Holden - who linked up with club stalwart Scott Burney to allow Burney to bury a bullet into the top corner from just outside the edge of the box.

Again the unusual position of holding a lead was placed firmly on the shoulders of the men in red, as the side that had been the whipping boys of the competition all season dug deep and roared into a display of football unlike anything they have put out before.

The nerves were edgy as the final whistle approached, with Massey making their own sorties into Athletic's defensive half, but for every attempt on the steely Matt Calvert's goalmouth, Athletic returned their own salvo.

They pinned Massey back and ultimately at the final whistle left them empty handed.

The celebrations would have lasted long into the night for the Reds, but they will quickly need to get their minds back on task and prepare for their next fixture while hoping they can repeat the performance.

The Athletic Reserves were unable to replicate the win by the first team, but were unlucky not to get the rub of green from the football gods in their 2-1 loss to the Palmerston North Marist 3rds in a game which looked for all odds to be swinging in their favour.

It was Takudzwa Hove who found himself putting a goal past the Marist keeper, but the visiting side were unable to find a way to break down Marist further.

After conceding two goals, the final whistle quickly brought the Reserves back down to earth, failing devastatingly short of earning themselves the competition points they had fought so hard for.

If the Reserves can maintain this momentum over the coming weekends remaining on the competition, we might shortly be seeing the development side bringing home more and more of their own wins to the clubrooms.