Smith was absent from the Thistle line-up for several weeks as he was in the Junior Black Fins contesting the inaugural Battle of the Tasman surf lifesaving competition on the Gold Coast last month. He is a beach sprint specialist whose speed on the football field gives Thistle an extra dimension.
And Thistle coach Garrett Blair says Smith and Somerton have an almost uncanny understanding on the pitch.
On Saturday, Thistle opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Hall played a ball in to Somerton, whose shot bounced off goalkeeper Dominic Semmens and into the path of Smith, who hit a sidefoot volley into the net.
Smith struck again in the 26th minute. A ball played beyond the PNU back four appeared to have been overhit, but Smith carried on his run and as the ’keeper went to pick up the ball he dropped it at Smith’s feet, where it was quickly sent goalwards.
Down 2-0 at halftime, PNU hit back in the 58th minute. Left-winger Tom Bell, who had scored a hat-trick the previous week in Gisborne, got on to a ball played in behind the Gisborne defence and squared it across the penalty area for right-winger Ryan McDermott to finish.
Five minutes later, Thistle’s two-goal cushion was restored when Cullen Spawforth put a left-wing free-kick “on the goalkeeper” so that the ball was coming out of the sun. The ’keeper went to palm the ball clear but succeeded only in helping it into the net.
Somerton made it 4-1 in the 75th minute when he chased down a long ball on the left flank and rifled a left-foot shot from five metres short of the byline and just inside the penalty area.
With about 10 minutes to go, Hall was heavily fouled, and the referee was on his way to the scene with a yellow card at the ready when Hall punched the PNU player concerned.
The referee sent off Hall. The injured PNU player was attended to by Thistle goalkeeping coach and trained physiotherapist Mark Baple, among others, and was taken to hospital, where he had stitches.
Stuff website said the player had concussion but was otherwise OK.
Thistle coach Blair said the team apologised to the PNU players, staff and supporters about the incident, and wished the player a speedy recovery.
“Campbell is really apologetic and understands the severity of the situation,” he said.
“As a club and as coaches we need to support him.”
A regular monthly meeting was to be held last night, Blair said. It was not called specifically for Saturday’s incident, but he imagined it would be discussed.
In the 90th minute on Saturday, Spawforth and a PNU player got into a tangle in the Thistle penalty area.
Blair said the PNU player held on to Spawforth’s legs while the Jags midfielder was trying to get up, and all the referee saw was Spawforth trying to free himself. A penalty was awarded and Spawforth was sent off.
Blair said that although the match was not livestreamed, the club had its own recording and, after viewing that, coaching staff would evaluate whether it could be used in a submission. If the red card was downgraded to yellow, Spawforth could be available for the last two games — against PNU on September 16 and Napier City Rovers Reserves on September 23.
Both games are in Gisborne. The City Rovers game had been set for this Saturday, but the Napier side are in the Central Federation Cup final against Whanganui Athletic Reserves at Wembley Park, Whanganui, on that day.
Blair said the game against PNU was “hotly contested”.
“Our boys played probably their best game of the season. They played with heart and showed they could foot it with the big boys quite comfortably. The possibility of not finishing at the bottom of the league is a reality now. That’s what is driving us.”
Blair said that for Smith to get through 90 minutes and score two goals was a massive achievement, considering he played a full programme for Boys’ High at the Rex Dawkins secondary school football tournament in Napier.
Goalkeeper and skipper Mitchell Stewart-Hill made some crucial saves, and his distribution was excellent.
“Daniel Venema had a really good game at centreback — probably his best game of the season. He and Finn McAuley played really well together.”
Spawforth shone in the holding midfield role, Blair said. He broke up opposition attacks and was able to get the ball in behind the PNU fullbacks for Hall and Smith to run on to.
Blair said the front three caused PNU a lot of problems, particularly with their pace. Somerton’s aerial game — heading on goal, contesting set pieces and flicking on kickouts — was becoming strong, as well.
Thistle lined up with Sam Royston and Andre Baple as rightback and leftback respectively, and Davie Ure and David Salmon as central midfielders.
Thistle travelled with only one reserve — schoolboy Te Kani Wirepa-Hei — but he was not used.
“They were coming at us throughout the game,” Blair said. “A lot of what they were trying to do didn’t come off, and we were able to frustrate them quite a bit. Once they went behind, they threw the kitchen sink at us.”
