Tasman United

My thoughts on the Tasman game:

A game of two halves, with WeeNix bossing the first half, and Tasman better in the second.

Tasman were poor at the back, particularly in the first half. Poor marking repeatedly gave the WeeNix chances, with Watson being improperly marked causing the goal. The goal was a tap-in from a squared ball, just outside the six-yard box. I don't know who it was at RB in the first half, but they were shaky.

In the first half, Watson and Rogerson were excellent. Watson had a lot of space and often drifted wide. Rogerson was dangerous throughout the whole game.

Not much of note for Tasman's first half, but they came out of the blocks well in the second. Ifill was fairly quiet, but Skippy and Hajdari were both threatening in attack, both showing their best. They were both very pacy on the ball, with Skippy winning a few wide fouls and Hajdari showing he could dribble well.

My man of the match was Skippy.

Oh, and they did use a lot of subs, but I didn't count. Got close to 22 players.

Did a short ginger CM get any time?

Starting wing backs were David Maisey and La Bu Pan. I really rate Maisey, but don't know much about Pan. Sounds promsising for a first hit out! That front 4 sounds scary to anyone in the league, hopefully some defensive strength will come with time, Not sure I'm sold on Allan as a starting CB.

Chester Gaskin, short ginger, got time further wide, late in the game.

Pan was OK, same issue as Maisey, but had some OK moments. RB looked like Maisey, but I wasn't sure (I could have sworn he was a midfielder). Allan did OK, but for me it was Johnston who was shakier.

Good to see that you liked the look of Hajdari. Do you know if the other imports went well? Lindsay, Gannon, Ifill, Barringer and Pearson?

Ifill, Gannon were quiet. I don't think, unless my memory fails me, Barringer played. I'll be honest, it took me a while to work out which players were which, so I have little to say about Lindsay or Pearson. It would've been helpful if the club had posted some form of lineup on the socials, so I could've worked out numbers (I was 5 minutes late to the game).

Where did Ifill play? Stricker or wide? I seen in the paper Johnston and Allan played at the back where did Barringer end up playing? any word on players coming in? 

Apparently Ifill played behind Hajdari. Can't tell you anything else.

Barringer-Tahiri is injured and didn't play.

Can't have been that bad. Saw him today and he looked fine.

did you see him playing 90 minutes against a national league side today? 

Mentions of a physio. Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't expect too long out.

From The Nelson Mail:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/sport/84637786/...

that tasman kit is gooood. hbu's is looking sharp too

It is very nice. I just wish they had the logo and sponsor on the top blue hoop.

Southern's is a fudgeing eyesore

What, the kit, or the football team?

Time to find out is when you lot have the pre season game v Southern on the 9th.

.

Ifill hardly touched the ball because Tasman were under the pump for the most part.

Could be a long first season.

So, today Tasman blew Richmond Athletic out of the water 10-1 (though I could have sworn it was 8) in a Jubilee Park friendly. My thoughts:

Defence was again shaky. Swaney in particular struggled with distribution, but no-one at the back could string passes together. The Richmond goal was from a heavy Turipa touch following a pass back, but Coey just generally wasn't good. Mostly this was in the first half.

Late in the first half, Robbie Pearson (who was pulling the strings in the midfield and doing a damn good job at it) was dragged, possibly for injury. Think it may be the knee, or upper leg.

Let there be no mistake; Paul Ifill was on fire. Dragged Tasman through an otherwise poor first half, and starred in the second.

Late in the first half, Alex Ridsdale lost his cool with a Richmond player after a late tackle, calling him something along the lines of fudgeing sharkcod, before lashing out. Would have been sent in a real game, and was dragged immediately. Not good, though he did play fairly well.

At half time, Rich gave them the hairdryer treatment and they emerged a different team, with Ermal, Ifill and Skippy starring as they put goal after goal past Tom Fawdry in he the Richmond net (though Tom himself had a solid game). There was one moment (Philip Rollo described it on Twitter as making "a mockery" of the defence, but that doesn't do it justice) where Ermal nutmegged the same player, twice, before totally skinning him, all in the space of three seconds.

As for Richmond, Bertie Fish made it all happen before switching sides in the second half, while Tasman youth reject Logan de Joux, among others, also impressed with passing and ball skills in the first half. But, Tasman gave them no time in the second, and without Bertie, they hadn't a snowball's chance in hell.

How does Logan de Joux not make the Tasman youth side?

Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he flopped on trial day? Surely they would have a look at the fact he's playing scoring in the same team as Bertie Fish, who was signed to the first-team.

From the Nelson Mail: Wrap in preseason game against Richmond.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/846...

Maybe he didn't trial? The youth team played today and beat Canterbury 4-3 I see.

Midfield I think was Chester Gaskin, Thomas Amasia and Callan Elliot. So finding a place for Logan de Joux would be hard, but even off the bench he should be there.

I spoke with his brother, he trialled.

Who was playing in Richmond's backline? If it was Keetley the fact that I saw him in Little Rock at 3am may have contributed to the 10 goals!

As someone who grew up in Nelson supporting Nelson United in the national league in the late 1970's and early 1980's, but has lived in Christchurch for many years, I'm really looking forward to the Tasman v Southern friendly on Sunday here in Christchurch as my first chance to see Tasman in action.

And then the Sterling Sports Premiership opener Tasman v Canterbury on October 23.

I couldn't have created a better match schedule even if I was able to manipulate the fixture list!

Anyone have any info on the kickoff time for Sunday's friendly Tasman v Southern at English Park?

Do we know the time of the Tasman v Southern Game in Chch?

Tasman vs. Southern is on the 9th, 12pm at English park.

Dylan Burns now with.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/846...

Tinashe Marowa signs for Tasman.

From what I saw, he was alright. Scored against Richmond, but wasn't standout in any of the games I saw.

He's probably a good option off the bench if Tasman are needing goals. Not sure he's a better player than Omar Guardiola but might be more of a team player.

Is Omar playing SS Prem for anyone this year? Not sure he's worth the baggage he brings to a team tbh.

From the Nelson Mail: Turipa and Pearson out of Sunday's pre-season against Southern

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/849...

My sources tell me North Shore left back Nick Smith has been offered a contract after a successful trial period with the club.

Promising talent, good going forward but prone to the odd lapse defensively. Also slightly unfit. Will be interesting to see how he gkes.

Interesting. We don't really need a LB. We already have Swaney and Pan. Can he play RB?

Not sure. He can play left wing. I've seen him play and I think he has a lot to offer the team.

Seems so!

From the Nelson Mail:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/850...

Story on new signing Dylan Burns

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/domestic/851...