Division 1: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 1st XI Division 2: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 2nd XI
Division 3: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 3rd XI Division 4:
Women's Premiership: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Breakers Masters Football: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Masters
1st XI 1-1 FC Nelson Karenni
Location: Tahunanui S1
Goals: Jamie Floyd
Match MVP: Kieron Crossan & Joe Robertson
After a few weeks without footy, the boys gathered themselves for the first of 3 games in 3 weeks to finish the year. Karenni had proved to be difficult opponents this year, with the sides meeting twice before this clash at KFC Arena, most recently, a hard fought 1-0 defeat at Victory Square last month. The boys were hard done to that day, and were hoping to settle some scores.
The game started fairly even, Karenni shading possession without really troubling the boys from the beach. The game came to life around the 15 minute mark, both sides hitting the woodwork, a goal line clearance and a string of set pieces.
Settling into the flow of the game, the home side began connecting well and moving the ball forward nicely. A flowing move down the left saw the returning GOAT, Macca, slide IT into the channel. IT feigned a cross, beat his man and whipped in a wicked cross which was met by the noggin of Mr Tahuna, Captain Fantastic, Seth at the front post. His header looping up, over the stranded keeper and cannoning off the crossbar and back into play. The boys scrambled and managed to retain possession, recycling through the energetic Rossy, before a neat one-two between Heyds and Riku saw the latter with a yard of space on the edge of the box, firing a powerful effort over the bar.
Karenni hit the woodwork themselves soon after, when an effort from distance deflected off one of the on-rushing defender’s bodies, seeing the ball spin high and onto the top of the bar.
Shortly after this, the games first moment of controversy as Joe avoided a red card when he brought down a Karenni attacker following a poorly weighted back pass. Lucky for him, James had managed to recover his position and force the attacker wide - sparing Joe a red card and the behemoth fine that accompanies it.
The home side hit the front, courtesy of Jamie halfway to oranges, when another slick move down the left, started after more dogged defensive work, saw Jamie meet a cross at the near post. His original effort rebounding back into his path off of the post, with the follow up slammed home for a deserved lead.
For the next 10 minutes, the home side continued to look comfortable, defensively determined and threatening in attack. Around the half hour mark, Karenni finally managed to spring in behind the Tahuna backline. A neat piece of interplay in the middle of the park saw the visitor’s left sided forward slid in. As Joe rushed out to close the angle, the forward lifted the ball over Joe’s sprawling dive. The ball bounced goal bound and looked destined to level the scores. Kieron had other ideas though, busting a lung to chase the ball down and clear it before it could hit the goal line.
This attacked seemed to spur the visiting side on, and for the final stages of the first half, the boys from the beach had to defend their box and lead with everything, seeing off a series of corners, free kicks and unusual calls, to get through to the half ahead.
The second half saw a similar pattern emerge to that of the first. A quiet first 15 minutes was broken in a flash when an unfortunate deflection saw the visitors strike the crossbar again. In the process of cleaning the ball, Kieron’s attempted long ball was blocked, looping up once again onto the bar.
Karenni settled into a pattern of holding possession well but the boys in blue held firm and defended Joe’s goal. Joe didn’t do too badly himself, a smart save high to his right direct from a free kick kept the home side ahead.
As the clock ticked down, Tahuna began to threaten themselves. Two nice moves again down the left flank first saw Toro go close, his effort forced over between the lunging bodies of Karenni defenders. This was one of Toro’s first actions of the game having just come on as a substitute. It would prove to be his last of the season, too, as he suffered a nasty ankle injury in the tangle of bodies which will sideline him for at least the next month.
His replacement, Gary Walker, immediately looked to keep Tahuna on the front foot. Dancing past two defenders, cutting in and unleashing a curling right footed effort which was parried away by the visiting GK.
Karenni looked to be growing frustrated and running out of ideas with under 10 minutes to go. Just as it seemed as though the game had been seen out, and the 3 points would stay in Tahuna, Karenni managed to level after a brilliant solo run and finish.
Both sides pressed for a winner in the last 5 minutes, with Karenni coming closest as the month long gap between games started to tell in the legs of the home side. The boys hung on for a point, with the linesman’s flag and Joe’s outstretched legs to thank in the closing stages for a point.
Overall, a well earned point and finally some reward for a good performance for the lads, after weeks of Lady Luck siding elsewhere. The boys get ready to go again for their last home match of 2024, against Champions elect, Blenheim, next week. Match report by Matt Jepo.
2nd XI : No Game
Location:
Goals:
Match MVP:
Match report by Will.
3rd XI 2-0 Motueka 2nd XI
Location: Memorial Park
Goals: Sayha x2
Match MVP:
Match report by Stu.
4th XI 0-4 FC Nelson (Friendly)
Location: Victory Square
Goals:
Match MVP:
Match report by Zach
TFC Breakers : No game
Location:
Goals:
Match MVP:
TFC Masters 5-1 Richmond Bogans Masters
Location: Jubilee Park
Goals: Matt x2, Peter, Ed, Gaz
Match MVP: Ed Johnson
Good game, back to winning ways. Our passing was OK, our work rate was good, our finishing was good and our defense was pretty solid. But most of all we were enjoying playing football again.....except me Kev n John who were injured and not playing. So total improvement on the last few weeks.
Lets keep this going and finish 3rd, which is a good effort for our first season. The game, well we started well and Matt put us 1-0 up in 10mins or so. We kept up the pressure and Batty got down the line and put in a cheeky cross along the goal line which their keeper helped in 2-0. Bogans got 1 break and their guy shot and it went under Ollies body and in 2-1......then the alzhiemers kicked in....we scored again....maybe Gaz....probably a lucky goal...and we finished the half 3-1.
We started the second half well. Matt got chopped in the box and Ed stuck away the pen 4-1 and game over more or less. But the Bogans came back at us in the last 20 and kept in our half for most of it, we got a few breaks and Matt scored another with about 10 to go.
Somewhere early in the half Ollie bent his thumb and had to come off, but Dave, his replacement was solid and kept a clean sheet.
A good physical game as it always is against Bogans played in good spirit and we came out on top. Next up Motueka on pitch 2, a must win so we finish 3rd above FC.
Man of the match Ed, great job controlling the back line
Match Report by Cole.
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