Striker could be the solution as Thistle’s central defenders battle injuries

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

Gisborne Thistle are running short of centrebacks but help is on its way in the form of a centre-forward.

Tomorrow ALH Thistle play Palmerston North Marist under lights on the artificial surface of  Arena Turf in Palmerston North.

Last Saturday Chris Spurr hobbled off the pitch at Bluewater Stadium, Napier, in the 90th minute with a tight calf.

Spurr had been outstanding at the heart of the Thistle defence alongside youngster and fellow centreback Finn McAuley. If Spurr is not fit for tomorrow’s game, Jags coach Garrett Blair will be without a specialist centreback replacement.

Matt Smith has a Grade 1 meniscus tear, an injury to the cartilage between the thigh bone and shinbone that could keep him out of action for weeks.

Meanwhile, Ander Batarrita is still two or three weeks away from a return following a medial cruciate ligament tear.

Utility defender Daniel Venema could do a job at centreback. He has in the past.

Blair has two other intriguing possibilities.

One is to use Cory Thomson, 18 next month, as a central defender.

“He plays in the middle of the park for us but he plays centreback for Boys’ High,” Blair said.

Thomson’s father Grant played his early football up front and in midfield but converted successfully to centreback and sweeper for Gisborne City in the national league.

Blair’s other option is to use new signing Ryan Noon as a centreback. Thistle’s English midfielder Hugo Elwood helped the club make contact with Noon, a 22-year-old, 6ft 2in centre-forward who has spent much of the past six months recovering from a broken leg.

“He’s had two or three weeks of football before coming out,” Blair said.

“He’s due to arrive on Friday night and is keen to travel to Palmerston North. Even if he doesn’t play, it would be a good opportunity for him to get to know the squad. He’ll be coming off a 24-hour flight . . . we’ll see how he feels.”

Blair said Noon was with the Scunthorpe United academy from the age of 12 to 18 and played as a centreback during his time there.

Formed in 1899, North Lincolnshire side Scunthorpe United played in the English Football League from 1950 to 2022, and in the coming season will compete in the National League North. In the 1960s and ’70s they nurtured such stars as goalkeeper Ray Clemence and strikers Kevin Keegan and Ian Storey-Moore.

Following his time at Scunthorpe, Noon spent two years at Darlington Football Club, playing in their under-23 team. Then he was at Grantham Town, in Lincolnshire, for 18 months. Grantham play in the Northern Premier League Division One East.

Blair said it was only in recent years Noon had been converted from a centreback to a centre-forward, and he had indicated he was willing to help out at centreback if required.

Blair also said he was pleased with the performance of Sam Royston at rightback in the 1-1 draw with Napier City Rovers Reserves last Saturday.

“He did well against two good young players in Tom Speers and Harry Huxford,” Blair said.

“And going forward he linked up with our wingers Campbell Hall and Oska Smith. He was well worth his man-of-the-match award.”

The question mark over Spurr’s fitness aside, the squad from last weekend should return almost unchanged, Blair said.

However, midfielder Cullen Spawforth — returning from a medial cruciate ligament tear — would be a notable addition to the bench, and he might get a run at some stage.

Kick-off in the match between Palmerston North Marist and Gisborne Thistle is 5.30pm. Marist won the teams’ last clash, 2-1, in Palmerston North on April 29.