Soccer: Two Hawke's Bay teams reach top eight in second tier

Havelock North coach Chris Greatholder urges his team on during yesterday's quarter-finals. Photo/Paul Taylor

U19 Youth Soccer
Park Island, Napier

Havelock North coach Chris Greatholder admitted his troops ran out of legs as they made a quarter-final exit from the annual Napier City Rovers under-19 youth soccer tournament yesterday.

"We haven't played in the tournament for a couple of years. Only one of our players had played in it before and most of our squad are 16 and will have two or three more cracks at it," Greatholder said after their 1-0 loss to Cambridge in the Satellite division of the Park Island event.

"They will learn how to manage themselves in this tournament. You have to play eight games to win it and we ran out of steam," Greatholder said.

"Cambridge deserved it. We gave it everything we had and didn't want to die not trying."

Greatholder's troops trailed 1-0 at halftime and had one opportunity and a couple of half chances they couldn't convert in the second half. Midfielder Guy Reeves and forward Liam Shackleton impressed with their work on attack for the villagers while defenders Liam Carrington and Kurtis Mayney operated well.

Greatholder predicted Cambridge, who he described as "big and strong", will win the Satellite division title.

Napier Marist lost their Satellite division quarterfinal 4-2 on penalties to Tauranga City after the score was 1-all at the end of regulation time.

"It was tough to take. We got on top during the second half and dominated both periods of extra time," disappointed Napier Marist coach Jamie Dunning said.

He was ordered away from the game's sidelines after expressing his disgust at what he claimed was a poor standard of officiating.

"There was a hand ball situation which one of the linesmen saw but he said he didn't want to say anything. You are better off having no officials if the ones we have don't want to say or do anything," Dunning said.

He agreed he had to accept the standard of officials in the Satellite division of such a big tournament may not be as good as teams get in the premier division.

"We lose six or seven players from this team to university next year so it was hard team talk in the changing room afterwards. Tauranga City also had the easier draw in a smaller section which meant they only had one 11am game before our 4pm match when we had games at 11am, 1pm and 4pm.

"But it has still been a memorable season for us winning the Premier League and the Challenge Cup."

Tauranga City will play Oratia United of Auckland in their semifinal and Cambridge will take on Christchurch team FCTwenty 11.

Napier Marist and Havelock North were two of five Hawke's Bay teams competing in the 22-team Satellite division of the tournament. The other three failed to reach the quarter-finals.

Porthill United recorded one win and three losses in section play, hosts Napier City Rovers lost all four of their section games and Taradale lost all five of their section games.

Last year's premier division title winners, Western Springs, and runners-up Birkenhead will be missing when the semifinals for the 24-team division begin this morning.

Birkenhead were beaten in the quarter-finals and Western Springs didn't reach the top eight.

Wellington Olympic will take on Cashmere Technical of Christchurch in one semifinal and Ellerslie will meet Hamilton Wanderers in the other.