Another ‘ding-dong’ Athletic battle in store for Gisborne Thistle

Electrinet Thistle's Matt Hills challenges a Western player in a Central Fed League game at Gisborne. Thistle face Whanganui Athletic on Saturday. Photo / Liam Clayton

Gisborne Thistle take on a resurgent Whanganui Athletic side in Central Football’s Federation League at Childers Road Reserve tomorrow.

Both teams are trying to build a winning rhythm after tough starts to the nine-team competition.

Electrinet Thistle appeared to have hit their stride when they beat New Plymouth side FC Western 4-2 in Gisborne on

May 4, but faltered in their next match, a 3-0 away loss to Havelock North Wanderers. They lie eighth on the table with three points from a win and four losses.

Whanganui Athletic are only a point ahead in sixth place, from a win, a draw and three losses. Their trajectory in the past three games has been upwards, though.

On April 20, they lost 2-1 to Palmerston North Marist on the artificial surface of Marist’s home pitch, Arena Turf.

On May 4, they drew 3-3 with last-placed New Plymouth Rangers, still a good result, as Taranaki teams are notoriously hard to beat on their own patch.

Whanganui had two weekends off before their next game, a 2-0 home victory against another New Plymouth side, Peringa United, who have the same points tally as Athletic but have played one game more and trail on goal difference.

Peringa, though, are no slouches. In their game the week before, they had drawn 3-3 with well-performed Palmerston North United and in the game before that lost by only one goal against title contenders Havelock North Wanderers.

Whanganui were obviously “up” for last week’s game. Club stalwart James Satherley was making his 100th first-team appearance. He captained the side for the day and was their man of the match.

They have had some ding-dong battles with Thistle over the years and a rivalry developed, much to the benefit of the entertainment on show.

Thistle coach Tam Cramer is confident his players are coming right after an indifferent start to their campaign. He has two of them missing from his squad tomorrow – one with Covid and another unavailable – but says those who run on to the pitch have it in them to win.

Isaac Bush, who has been out of town for several weeks and then was ill when he returned, is likely to make his Federation League debut for the Jags off the bench.

The game is scheduled to start at 2.30pm.