BIG GAME REVIEWS
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Grants Braes 1, Spirit FC 5; Aug 9th

“That was very satisfying” said Spirit FC head coach Ken Cresswell when asked to sum up the performance of his predominantly young team following its 5-1 drubbing of Grants Braes in their Soccersouth premier league clash at Dunedin’s Ocean Grove on Saturday.

 Two goal Hamish Low (blue 4) breaks past the Braes defenders....

Cresswell is using the three remaining bottom-four group games to give some of his youthful fringe players an opportunity to experience premier league football and Saturday’s outing was all success as the regular players and newcomers worked together to eventually enjoy the convincing win.

No player responded more to the call than Waihopai’s Carl Henderson who belied his slightly built frame with a strong performance linking his defensive duties with a series of good midfield build ups.

 Henderson (blue) shows the determination that won him the POD award....

The foundation for Saturday’s success though was clearly built around Scottish Import Barry Gardiner who not only dominated the midfield play in the game but was constantly guiding and encouraging the play of those around him.

Gardiner had a hand in four of Spirit’s five goals scoring the last but the best of them himself to cap off a rewarding day.

On that occasion a practiced short-corner move between Gardiner and Mark Pearson which had already undone Grants Braes defence for George Hercus to put Spirit ahead was repeated, only this time Gardiner skilfully outfoxed the Braes defenders who were moving to cover Spirit’s attackers and slotted the ball behind its keeper into the net.

Grants Braes opened the game in spectacular fashion when at the two minute mark and in its first attacking foray its player of the day Chris Owens latched on to a poor clearance from Spirit and knocked the ball past Spirit stand-in keeper Cresswell to put the home team ahead 1-nil.
John Schol (blue) back after a long lay-off with an injury enjoyed another good game at Ocean Grove
 ....as he does.

Spirit responded tentatively but while managing to hold Grants braes from adding to its tally the younger brigade was gaining confidence and working hard to right-the-wrong.

At the 25 minute mark from a Gardiner long corner John Schol bundled the ball into the Grants Braes net for Spirit’sequalising goal and triggered a rise in impetus from which Spirit began to dominate the game.
There's three defenders, a goalkeeper and Spirit's John Schol in this pic.
More importantly there's a ball there too and its over the line.

Twenty minutes into the second period of play Hercus scored his goal to put Spirit in front 2-1.

15 minutes from full-time Grants Braes Newton Rewi was instantly red-carded by the ref for a tackle on Mark Pearson which seemed innocuous and at worst might have invited a yellow.

Spirit at that stage was gaining momentum and in the next five minutes Hamish Low grabbed two goals and Gardiner notched his to destroy any hope the home team had of getting a result.

 Nothing whatsoever to do with Spirit's game but seen here is a wounded Northern
lower division player heading out to do battle on an adjacent pitch with Grants Braes
 accompanied by the Northern team mascot.

In Invercargill the first and second placed Southland Premier League teams AMP Old Boys and McLellan Motors Queens Park shrugged off their opponents Appleby Tavern Southend United and Laser Electrical Waihopai respectively, and now head to their all important clash next week.

Matty Burgess and Adam Letts grabbed a brace each for Park while Danny Rosel added the fifth. Quinton Wicks netted Waihopai’s consolation goal.

Glen McMurdo enjoyed his promotion to Old Boys top team scoring twice while Gordon Lamont and Blair Maddison completed the four goal haul.

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