Injury-stricken Gisborne Thistle face daunting challenge on the road

As if battling multiple injuries was not tough enough, Gisborne Thistle are on the road to face the Central Fed League table-toppers tomorrow.

If it takes a worried man to sing a worried song, Gisborne Thistle coach Tam Cramer could sing the house down.

Today he’s driving a vanload of players down to Manawatū to face the team leading Central Football’s Federation League.

Yesterday he had the prospect of sending 11 players on to Memorial Park at 12.30pm tomorrow with only two reserves, one of them a goalkeeper, on the bench.

They’ll be up against Palmerston North United, the team who beat the Jags 9-0 at Childers Rd Reserve on April 20, who’ve scored 34 goals (nine more than any other side) in nine games and conceded only 11, and who have in their ranks league leading goalscorer Benjamin Mori (11 goals) and two others in the top six – Anthony Jones (7) and Thomas Bell (6).

But the main source of Cramer’s anxiety yesterday was that Thistle’s tale of injury woe continues.

The Jags have six players out this weekend, all because of injury.

They’re Jirah Wanoa (foot), Daniel Venema (groin), Nick Land (back training but some way off match fitness), Shai Avni and Matt Hills (injured in Super 8 action for Gisborne Boys’ High School), and Matt McVey (a flare-up of an old injury).

Cramer was cautious about the possibility of other injuries. As far as he knew, defensive players Ziggy West-Hill, Te Kani Wirepa-Hei and Kaden Manderson would be available following their Super 8 exertions. West-Hill was reportedly sore but confident he would be able to play.

The good news is that many of Thistle’s most influential players will be in the van heading south today. Striker Jimmy Somerton, midfielders David Salmon, Samson Hotas and Cory Thomson, central defender Junior Jimmy and goalkeeping options Mitchell Stewart-Hill and Hugo Lodewyk are all expected to travel.

Cramer says this is the most challenging football job he has had in 35 years of coaching. Much of that is down to the fact he hasn’t been able to field a full-strength squad since the start of the league.

If any more casualties have emerged from last night’s training session, Cramer might have to raid Thistle’s Eastern League teams for reinforcements. A free ride to Palmerston North and back is on the table as incentive.