Chatham Cup

EVAN BARNES/Nelson Mail

MY BALL: Nelson Suburbs' Hamish Lewis, left, takes on Richmond Athletic's Mike Campbell in the premier league game at Saxton Field on Sunday.

 

Harder, better, faster, stronger. Nelson Suburbs was never going down to Richmond Athletic at Saxton Field.

Mainland Premier League leader Suburbs on Sunday asserted its dominance from kick-off, pinning Richmond, which is so far winless this season, in its own half in the opening minutes of the game.

When Richmond began fighting its way to the other end of the field, Suburbs was able to open up the lightning counter-attacks that would win it the game 3-0.

Hamish Lewis started the textbook play that would open the scoring only seven minutes in with a pass down the right wing to Joses Nawo. Simon Gatward-Smith chested down the cross from the Solomon Islander and blasted the ball past goalkeeper Karl Numan. The defenders were caught dead as Suburbs moved the ball as if just doing a practice field drill.

Just after Suburb's first goal, Richmond's Matt Mitchell, in his first game for the club on return from a stint in Australia, tried to even the score with a dig from the edge of the penalty area that went just wide of the far post.

It was the first of few for a team that sorely lacked an attacker with a finishing touch. Two of the team's most able attackers, Billy Scott and Darren Cunningham, were unable to play due to illness.

Suburbs was also missing two key players, Kidston Billy, out due to injury, and Mike Bothwell, who was away playing for a Mainland representative team against the Wellington Phoenix in Christchurch. However, with Nawo, Gatward-Smith, Lewis Hamish Allan, Joel Wiechern and Adam Smith all on form, there was no shortage of firepower.

After its initial burst, Suburbs began to lose momentum, with its trademark flanking attack at times dissolving into midfield scrapping.

With some of the pressure off, Mitchell and Tom Martin began to push towards goal, though never close enough for a serious scoring opportunity.

At the other end of the park, Glen Pearless was taking on anything the Suburbs attack could throw at him.

Suburbs reignited 10 minutes into the second half when Nawo whipped through the Richmond defence after collecting a huge throw from Suburbs goalkeeper Brent Fletcher, to send the ball wide of Numan with a strike at the bottom far corner.

Nawo tried to repeat the performance but a slip on the wet turf allowed Richmond's defence to get back before he could make it a double.

Richmond twice might have ended its 10-week goal drought but for a header on goal that had no power behind it and Mitchell being called offside after he'd slotted the ball. Every other attack was frustrated by misjudgment or Suburbs' committed defence.

Fletcher assisted Suburbs' third goal with a huge kick that found Hamish Allan alone with only the keeper to get past.

In a bizarre decision in the final minute of the game, Suburbs co-coach John Brydon called Fletcher forward to receive a corner kick, which the keeper smashed to nowhere.

Suburbs co-coach Brendan Crichton said he was glad to have the game out of the way. Richmond assistant coach Mark Henderson admitted his team had simply been out-played.