Wainui Riverina out on their own in women’s league

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

The High School Old Boys name will be back on Gisborne football silverware following the success of the team that revived the name.

HSOB won the Eastern League second division competition on goal difference from Smash Palace Shockers.

It has been over 30 years since a High School Old Boys team competed in local football.

From 17 games this season, both HSOB and Shockers had 15 wins, a loss and a draw for 46 points, but HSOB had a goal difference of 66 (from 79 goals for and 13 against) to Shockers’ 47 (from 66 for and 19 against).

In the first week of the competition, HSOB beat Shockers 8-0.

On August 5, Shockers beat HSOB 3-2 and the race was on.

HSOB had already dropped two points in a 0-0 draw with Neighbourhood Pizzeria Wainui Sandbar on June 10, but Shockers lost their advantage when they drew 1-1 with Tatapouri Bohemians on August 19.

Since then the results have kept these two sides level on points, with HSOB having built up a superior goal difference from the first half of the season, when they had a string of big victories.

HSOB will be in the first division next year, and Central Football Gisborne operations manager Fletcher Stewart-Hill says the door will be open for Shockers should they wish to go up, too.

The final make-up of the divisions will be discussed — and probably decided — at next year’s pre-season meeting of club representatives.

In the meantime, second division teams and Bailey Cup first-round losers will contest the first round of the Chris Moore Cup, the traditional knockout competition of what used to be known as the reserve grade.

Losers this weekend will go into the Poverty Bay Cup.

Stewart-Hill says that with the help of some weekday fixtures, the women’s Eastern League should finish on September 24.

Gisborne Laundry Services Wainui Riverina have an unassailable lead there.

They have 42 points with two games to go. Their closest rivals, Campion College, have 30 points and only nine more available from their last three games.

Nevertheless, a final-day fixture on the league programme should hold interest. It’s Campion versus Wainui Riverina on Harry Barker Reserve No. 1.

Then the women turn their attention to the Braybrook Cup knockout competition.

Stewart-Hill says the aim is to have all the cup finals — apart from the Bailey Cup, which was decided last Saturday — on the weekend of October 7 and 8.