Western and Pacific Premierships
Premiership football: Third Hawke's Bay side eyes move to elite league
ANENDRA SINGH - Sports Editor | 18th July 2011
Hawke's Bay football is on course for a third side in next year's Central League competition.
Geon Taradale Prems' 3-2 victory over Gisborne Thistle in Saturday's Pacific Premiership has paved the path for the Napier club to join the elite winter league.
Dale player/coach Warren Gilbertson said his team only needed draws against Napier Marist at home and Cru Bar Maycenvale United away to be the premiership champions this season.
Barring any upsets, Dale will play-off against Western Premiership runaway leaders Manawatu Red Sox to determine who will automatically be promoted to the Central League.
"Yes, we're keen and it'll be good to go Central League," Gilbertson said.
This season, newcomers Maycenvale and old campaigners Bluewater Napier City Rovers, who played in a derby at Park Island yesterday, are flying the Bay flag in the Central League.
In the Taradale Park on Saturday, Dale and Thistle were locked scoreless after 45 minutes before the visitors shot to a 2-0 lead within 15 minutes of resumption, both goals courtesy of Nic Somerton's boot.
The momentum of the game changed in the 65th minute when ex-Kingfisher Bar Bohemians Ryan O'Neill went for an early shower after collecting two yellow cards for mindless indiscretions - kicking the ball away and stubbornly failing to retreat 10m for a freekick.
"They were playing quite well before that," Gilbertson said of the Dave Ure-coached side.
David Gearey came off the bench to pull one back and before hobbling off after tearing his groin muscle again.
"We scored from two Perry Cotton penalties - one for a handball and in the other Macca [Chris McIvor] was brought down in the box," Gilbertson said.
In the battle of reserve teenagers of Central League sides, the Terry O'Neill-coached HBE Napier City Rovers avenged their 2-1 defeat to Vale in Tuesday's HB Premier Knockout Cup semifinal match by the same margin.
Newton Rewi put the Rovers ahead at Park Island before Tai Barham increased the lead in the second before Vale claimed a consolation goal. "There was good three-point control from referee Roger Sinclair," O'Neill said in the second successive endorsement of the whistleblower in as many matches.
He felt Vale goalkeeper Sam Chandler who saved three one-on-one opportunities.
At St Leonard's Park, Hastings, defending champions Ericksen Honda Port Hill United had to work hard for victory after striker Patrick Pilz scored the only goal in just five minutes.
Port Hill coach Murray Loader was aware Rangers had a record of losing most games by a narrow margin.
"Today we played well below par and it was a continual battle," Loader said, having to run on to the pitch as the only substitute on the bench after influenza struck some players.
He thought Dale were too far ahead in the premiership to catch up so Port Hill were keen on securing a top-three finish with three games to go. They play Thistle away.
It was equally difficult for Havelock North New World Wanderers after they drew 1-1 with Bohemians at Childer's Road Reserve. The hosts shot to a 1-0 lead after Liam Ryan scored in the 43rd minute.
"Our equaliser is on the card as an own goal but there was a huge assist from Andy Jeffs and it touched a defender and goalkeeper and went in," Havelock coach Ritchie Howard said.
He bemoaned a dearth of players, embracing division two and three graders after injuries and high school balls put a spanner in the works. Like Loader, Howard ran on as a substitute. Bohemians coach Martin Ryan said it was a "great game and we deserved a draw".
At Lytton High School, the hosts thumped Napier Marist 4-0 after a 2-0 lead at halftime but player/coach Craig Christophers said the result flattered the Gisborne schoolboys.
Albert Geuze scored a hattrick and Corey Adams did the damage in a game that even the refs enjoyed with no chatter from the players.
"They applied heaps of pressure and at one time made us take 10 goal kicks in a row," Christophers said, adding Lytton's goal now was to finish fourth although a perfect run would see them claim a rung higher on the ladder.
In the Western Premiership, Taradale AFC came down to earth with a 4-1 thud at home after a 2-1 win over Taranaki the previous weekend. Wanganui City shot to a 3-0 lead at halftime with goals to Josh Hannabel, Brendan Kerr and Anthony Bell before Zane Robinson put the hosts out of their misery.
"We were terrible and just didn't turn up," Dale coach Jamie Hall lamented. "We played a hundred times better in Taranaki but today we just weren't there in the first 45 minutes," Hall said as his troops slipped to fifth on the table with hopes of finishing third at best with three games to go against Wanganui Athletic, leaders Sox and Palmerston North Boys' High School. He lauded their sister Pacific Premiership team's ascendancy and welcomed Dale's chances of re-entering the Central League.
Wanganui City coach Simon Butters, who had no intentions of seeking promotion this winter, hopes to finish runners-up below the Sox. "They [Sox] thumped us 4-0 at Wembley Park [Wanganui]," he revealed, happy just to rebuild this winter.
They play PNBHS next before travelling to Palmerston North to face the Sox
They created the dilemma themselves so meh.
Premiership football: Third Hawke's Bay side eyes move to elite league
ANENDRA SINGH - Sports Editor | 18th July 2011
Hawke's Bay football is on course for a third side in next year's Central League competition.
Barring any upsets, Dale will play-off against Western Premiership runaway leaders Manawatu Red Sox to determine who will automatically be promoted to the Central League.
Hope not! whats this line all about
"He felt Vale goalkeeper Sam Chandler who saved three one-on-one opportunities."SportZone2011-07-25 00:26:09
FORMER Tauranga City national league defender Brett Derry will coach newly-formed Team Gisborne in next year�s Pacific Premiership.
�It�s great news for the district � a composite team led by a coach who has experience of playing at the highest level clubwise,� said Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti sports operations manager and former All Whites striker Thomas Edge, one of six members of the Team Gisborne committee.
�I think the last composite team was in 1999, when Marty Ryan and Iain Gillies were the coaches, and now it�s finally happening again.�
Edge said Team Gisborne had been accepted into the 2012 Pacific Premiership � a Central Football-run league involving teams from Hawke�s Bay and Gisborne.
The majority of the Team Gisborne squad will come from the three Gisborne clubs who competed in the 2011 Pacific Premiership � the Bohemians, Lytton High and Thistle.
�But we want to make it clear that one of the mandates for Team Gisborne will be to provide pathways for the district�s young players,� said Edge. �This concept is not about elite players playing in the Pacific Premiership.
�We will have a core of senior players but we want to give the young players something to aspire to, whether it be eventually playing for Hawke�s Bay United, Waitakere (Edge�s old club), Team Wellington or any other team in the national league.
�While we never say never, I can�t see us having a national league team here but we can help the young players coming through. I have already had talks with officials from Hawke�s Bay United and Waitakere and Manawatu coach Stu Jacobs in regard to sending players their way if and when we have players capable of stepping up.
�I also know that there are coaches here from American universities scouting for players. That�s another incentive for our young players.�
Edge, who played over 250 national league games for Waitakere and made seven appearances for the All Whites, said the support from Bohemians, Lytton and Thistle was encouraging.
In the past, Eastern League and school teams felt they were losing their best players purely in the interest of a team playing in the Central or national leagues.
�That�s definitely not the case with Team Gisborne,� said Edge. �We will be meeting with local clubs and whoever is in charge of the school teams to explain the process, and hopefully we can work together.
�Hopefully if one or two or more of the young players can step up it will inspire others to follow suit,� Edge said.
�We want to assure these other clubs and teams that it won�t be a matter of them losing players completely.
�We will need a good mixed squad, but those not in Team Gisborne will be able to go back and play for their clubs or schools in the local competition.
�As in other sports, we need more numbers playing the game after a certain age � about the time they leave school � and while the aim will always be to win whatever competition Team Gisborne are playing in, it is also about building the local clubs.
�The stronger they are, the stronger the local competition is and the stronger Team Gisborne will be.�
Edge said one of the most encouraging aspects of forming Team Gisborne was that the 20 people approached to help out all said yes.
�We have a wealth of football experience and knowledge in this district � some of whom have played at the very highest level � and we are keen to involve as many of them who want to contribute.
�Without the support from Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti, I would not have had the opportunity of helping make this work.�
The other members of the Team Gisborne committee are Derry, Leighton Evans, David Ure, who will also play, former national league player Bruce Hill and Jason Phillips.
Derry, who moved to Gisborne from Tauranga six years ago is excited about the challenge.
�Playing for Campion this year made me realise that we have to do something for the kids coming through,� Derry said.
�Gisborne is isolated and there�s no incentive for the young players to carry on with their football. Now that there is an opportunity for them to advance their football, Thomas, Bruce and I all have contacts outside the district to help those who want to play at a higher level or go to university.
�As Thomas said, we have a lot of players here with a fantastic knowledge of the game.
�It�s also about taking the game here to the next level � building a culture around Team Gisborne where players want to play for us and have pride in the jersey.
�When I played for Tauranga it took us about three years to build that culture. We became good mates on and off the field and while we never won the national league, we had a good team spirit and reached the Chatham Cup final.
�The Team Gisborne committee has come up with a list of 25 players who could form the basis of a strong team.
�There may be others which is why I will be having a get-together early in January, maybe just a kick-around for anyone who wants to come along.
�There will be more on that betwenn now and January. The important thing is Team Gisborne is official.�
So in the Pacific Premiership this week, this result took my eye....That would be Maycenvale, the team that was playing in CL last year. Apparently started with 9 players.
Promotem Napier City 23 - 1 Cru Bar Maycenvale United
Serious question....Is there such a thing as a mercy rule? From memory, there is in juniors? That is a proper hiding...starting with 9, i'm assuming they had no subs!
Serious question....Is there such a thing as a mercy rule? From memory, there is in juniors? That is a proper hiding...starting with 9, i'm assuming they had no subs!
I wonder how many turn up to training....
Serious question....Is there such a thing as a mercy rule? From memory, there is in juniors? That is a proper hiding...starting with 9, i'm assuming they had no subs!
Central League one year, cellar dwellers two leagues below the following year. 1Cape Physio Taradale11110044836332Best Travel Havelock North Wanderers AFC11803291514243Jennian Homes Team Gisborne1171321165224Promotem Napier City 11704491930215Hot Shots Napier Marist113081729-1296Western Rangers112271330-1787Ericksen Honda Port Hill United FC112181121-1078Cru Bar Maycenvale United 112091460-466
Geh, formatting issues..
I wonder how many turn up to training....
They lost 23-1 to a mid table team....oh dear. Big gap between the top and the bottom in this table too. Two relegations in two years?
wanganui city not fielding any travelling teams this season,