Boost for Thistle as they return to Fed League action

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Gisborne Thistle have been without Federation League football for three weeks, but are still in touching distance of the frontrunners.

And they have strengthened their squad with the addition of a midfielder who has come through English professional clubs’ academy systems and played high-level football in Iceland.

Hugo Elwood, 23, is likely to take his place in the Thistle side in a holding midfield role against Taradale in Hawke’s Bay tomorrow.

Table-topping Napier City Rovers Reserves — beaten 7-6 by Thistle last month — are six points ahead of the Jags, who have two games in hand (potentially worth six points).

Tomorrow ALH Gisborne Thistle get back to road travel for Hawke’s Bay trips, following the reopening of State Highway 2 between Wairoa and Napier.

The Jags’ first-round away game against Taradale ended 1-1. Thistle lie fourth in the five-team league, with four points from a win and a draw from their three games. Taradale sit one place above, on six points from a win, three draws and a loss.

Thistle will be without some of their more experienced and influential players tomorrow.

Midfielder Nick Land has a torn calf muscle and could be out for six weeks; defender Ander Batarrita has a tear in his medial cruciate ligament and is halfway through a projected six-week recovery; attacking midfielder Davie Ure has a hamstring tweak and may err on the side of caution with a world masters’ tournament in Thailand coming up; flank player Sam Patterson has a right-ankle injury that could be two weeks away from mending; and midfielder Matt McVey could be given another week to build match fitness.

But head coach Garrett Blair is confident his team have the players to do well tomorrow.

“We’ve continued training twice a week and last Friday played Gisborne Boys’ High School to keep our match fitness intact,” he said. “Really, it’s about the mental side of the game, keeping the players focused and in tune with what we want. We’ve spent a bit of time off the football pitch to build that camaraderie and understanding of what everyone wants.”

Blair said the arrival of Elwood had given the squad a boost.

Elwood had read an online article about Thistle’s travel challenges as a result of road damage caused by Cyclone Gabrielle, and when he saw the club was recruiting players, he got in touch. He was playing for Australia’s oldest football club, Balgownie Rangers, in New South Wales, but was looking for a change. Now he’s looking ahead to the next stage of his football career.

Blair said Elwood would likely start in the midfield alongside Cory Thomson. They would be a buffer for a defence of goalkeeper and captain Mitchell Stewart-Hill, and defenders Andre Baple, Finn McAuley, Matt Smith and probably one other.

David Salmon was likely to be the attacking midfielder behind a front three of Campbell Hall, Jimmy Somerton and Oska Smith.

That would leave a strong bench likely to include Sam Royston, Ash McMillan, Cullen Spawforth (possibly coming on for a return to first-team duty following injury) and Daniel Venema.

Blair was sure that line-up would pose problems for most teams in the league.