Keeper Stewart-Hill stands out as Thistle win one, lose one

Gisborne Thistle goalkeeper Mitchell Stewart-Hill led from the back with two outstanding performances in Central Federation League football at the weekend.

Team captain Stewart-Hill kept his side in with a chance before they eventually lost to league leaders Palmerston North Marist 3-2 at Childers Road Reserve on Friday.

Then on Sunday his performance outshone a well-taken hat-trick by Jimmy Somerton as ALH Gisborne Thistle beat Taradale 4-1.

Stewart-Hill showed skill in all facets of the goalkeeper’s art but was particularly impressive in one-on-one contests.

In both games at the weekend he came out and spread himself at the feet of players bearing down on goal, smothered the shot and came up with the ball. It’s dangerous work, but courage and sound technique — such as Stewart-Hill displayed — can manage the risk and maximise the rewards.

He also made two vital second-half saves on Sunday, diving full-length to palm away an Ethan Clarke shot in the 54th minute and getting down to his right to turn away a 78th-minute Zac Madsen rocket from 15 metres after the striker had shown great control and powers of deception to find shooting room.

On Friday, Stewart-Hill and Palmerston North Marist danger man Melvin Rumere had a contest within a contest immediately before and after halftime.

In the four minutes before the break, the goalkeeper dived at Rumere’s feet and took the ball cleanly; two minutes later, Rumere was in the clear and Stewart-Hill made himself as big as possible to block the shot, which he did, holding on to the ball as well; and in the last moments of the half, Rumere got free again and rounded the keeper, but his angle was narrowed and he shot into the side netting.

Five minutes into the second half, Rumere broke through and hit the ball too far ahead as he tried to go past Stewart-Hill. Seven minutes later, Rumere earned his persistence award. He beat the last defender and got another touch to knock the ball past the ’keeper and into the net by way of the inside of the far post.

That made it 2-0, rightback Sam Hickmott having put Marist a goal up in the 41st minute, latching on to a loose ball near the edge of the penalty area following a corner and, falling away, hitting an unstoppable left-foot shot into the far corner.

Somerton scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-1 after referee Chris Niven ruled that Oska Smith, a second-half replacement for the injured Cullen Spawforth, was brought down in the box.

Cory Thomson was filling in as defensive midfielder for the suspended Hugo Elwood and in the 50th minute picked up a yellow card for a late tackle. He showed his willingness to work for the cause in the 65th minute, when he chased back 40 metres to put pressure on a breaking Marist forward and help Stewart-Hill defuse the danger.

But in the 70th minute, just after Zac Jenkins had put Marist 3-1 up, Thomson was shown the yellow card a second time (for a careless challenge), which constituted a red.

That evened up the teams, as Marist had lost skipper Adam Cowan to a red card in the 31st minute for a tackle on Spawforth, who himself had been yellow-carded a minute earlier.

Nick Land, returning from injury, was another Thistle player to be shown the yellow card . . . for running across the path of the Marist right-winger. Daniel Venema, in at centreback for Finn McAuley, who was recovering from tonsillitis, also saw yellow . . . for an infraction in the 72nd minute.

Davie Ure scored the goal of the game in its last few minutes. He let fly from 40 metres and Marist keeper Nick Howard was powerless to stop the ball as it passed in a blur and stretched the netting in the top right corner. But Thistle could not break down the Marist defence again in time to equalise.

Palmerston North Marist coach Juliano Schmeling said his players did well to make the long trip to Gisborne, play a good side, lose a man in the first half and still win the game.

When they lost Cowan to the red card, they relied more on Troye Aitken and Jenkins to do a good job in the midfield, while front-runners Luke Minshull and Rumere tested the Thistle defence.

Thistle coach Garrett Blair said he thought Thistle played better when it was 11 versus 11. When Marist lost a man, Thistle lost their urgency.

He was happy with the impact Oska Smith made when he came on up front, while centrebacks Daniel Venema and Ryan Noon put in good shifts.

But Stewart-Hill was the standout performer against Marist, Blair said.

GOALKEEPING MASTERCLASS

Coach Blair was repeating his sentiments on Sunday, labelling Stewart-Hill’s efforts at Childers Road Reserve against Taradale “a masterclass of goalkeeping”.

The team performance was 100 percent better than it had been on Friday, Blair said.

“For us to have two games in three days and to play like that shows we are capable of playing an attractive brand of football that is effective,” he said.

Fatigue could have been a problem, but the depth of the first-team squad had come into play.

Blair said he was impressed with Campbell Hall’s work as central striker. His pace, strength and ability to link up with wide players Somerton and Smith were assets.

Somerton opened the scoring in the eighth minute from the penalty spot after Palmerston North referee Russell Jones ruled he had been brought down in the box.

Originally from Watford, Jones has been in New Zealand for 18 months, and has refereed in England and Denmark.

He said he came to New Zealand as the “plus one” for his girlfriend, who was from Denmark and who’d got a job with Fonterra.

Spawforth was shown the yellow card in the 17th minute for a rash challenge, and in the 25th Thistle went 2-0 up following a smart move down the right flank.

Rightback Andre Baple fed Hall, who crossed low and hard between the backline and the goalkeeper. Somerton was waiting at the far post, five metres out, and made no mistake.

Taradale centreback Liam Hall was yellow-carded in the 28th minute, and then both sides had a chance to score before halftime. Somerton could have had a first-half hat-trick but hit the post from an acute angle on the left, and Stewart-Hill blocked a Taradale effort a minute before the break.

Elwood was back in the Thistle side as defensive midfielder, and McAuley was in the centre of defence alongside Ryan Noon.

In central midfield, just in front of Elwood, David Salmon gave his usual polished display. A well-balanced player with good touch and composure on the ball, Salmon never seems to waste possession. In the 49th minute, his deft touch almost produced a goal. Spawforth took a free-kick on the right edge of the penalty area and drove the ball low into the goalmouth. Salmon deflected the ball goalwards and it hit the outside of the near post.

Two minutes later, the Jags went 3-0 up. Smith was brought down in the penalty area and Somerton coolly completed his hat-trick from the spot.

Challenges became a bit ragged. Taradale rightback Brandon Josling, a former Thistle player, and leftback Thomas Hall were yellow-carded.

In the 62nd minute, Somerton made ground on the left and squared the ball to Smith, who had it in the net, only to hear that the goal was disallowed for offside.

Five minutes later, Smith scored, beating the Taradale defence for pace on the right flank, cutting inside and shooting hard and low for the far corner . . . 4-0.

Thomas Hall scored a consolation goal for Taradale. Striker Madsen fed Josling, whose right-wing cross was headed in at the far post by Thomas Hall, from five metres out.

Taradale coach Jamie Dunning said his side had enough chances to win probably three games of football, but the two penalties hurt them.

“We played some lovely football but that alone won’t win games,” he said.

“We have to take our chances. Gisborne deserved the three points for taking theirs.

“We’re on a bit of a losing streak. We’ll look to turn that around and see how we go. The average age of our team is probably 19. We’ll have to pick them up and go again.”