Grants Braes 2, Spirit 1; July 25th
With apologies to my Grants Braes friends whom I stated in
my Preview "didn't have a bolters show of winning this one"...

Spirit FC team manager Adrian Cocker aptly summed up the team’s final game of the season performance in his after match speech when he stated that the home team, Grants Braes, played with more of what the Spirit name is about than they did and so deserved their 2-1 winning margin.

Manager Adrian Cocker, his inspirational after-match speeches,
jokes and van driving earned him POD.
Thanks also to his lovely wife Sandra for carting the lads
to and from the away games incident free...well done.

It was a disappointing end to what has been a season of consolidation for the Spirit team especially in the bottom-six series of games in which until Saturday’s encounter at the Ocean Grove ground in Dunedin it was unbeaten.

The structure of next season’s Footballsouth competition is unsure at the moment as a review of New Zealand football competition formats is taking place.

However with Spirit possibly only losing the services of talented youngster George Hercus and the news that Scottish import Craig Milne is keen to return the prospect of building on this season’s improved form with a similar playing squad is relatively high.

Grants Braes send in a dummy runner to prevent Spirit's Dion Cameron (right)
getting to the ball...there's not much coach Al Laidler doesn't know about football tactics.
And he reads my previews....he's a good man.

On Saturday the Spirit youngsters who have coped so well in attacking mode in recent weeks had no answer to the wily skill and leadership of Grants Braes experienced central defender Robbie Mitchell who time and again thwarted Spirit attacks through the centre of the Grants Braes defence.
 

To counter Mitchell’s dominance Spirit was forced to play from the flanks but in doing so repeatedly over hit balls into and across the goal mouth where the Grants Braes full backs were tidying up with ease and generating counter attacks.

It was the home team that took the lead midway through the first half when Liam Lockheart was on target to give them a 1-nil advantage.

On the stroke of half time Spirit hit back through its leading goal-scorer and clearly most improved player Carl Henderson to level the score at 1 apiece at the break.

Spirit's Carl Henderson had a stellar season
and is fast becoming a mature senior footballer.

Try as they may Spirit could not break down the stubborn home defence in the early stages of the second half and on the one occasion they should have Hercus sent his shot on the unguarded goal high over the crossbar.

A vociferous Spirit plea for a penalty following a trip on player coach Barry Gardiner was turned down with haste from the referee mid way through the second half and as it turned out that ended Spirit’s goal chances for the day.

Barry Gardiner escapes the attention of Grants Braes Robbie Mitchell.
Ah, but Badger had worked a cunning little hand ball control (note the contorted left hand...)
that the ref spotted and actioned.

Grants Braes began to create more attacking moves in the last 20 minutes of play and from one such move Shannon Cox was on hand to break the 1-all deadlock and score the winning goal just five minutes from time.

AMP South Old Boys proved it’s winning that matters and not the margin as it scored a one goal margin win for the sixth time in seven games when it beat the Spirit Academy team 2-1 at O’Rorke Park.

The win meant that the Scott Mackenzie coached Old Boys unit consolidated its lead in the Premier men’s Donald Gray cup competition and retained the Larry O’Rorke challenge cup.

Old Boys veteran Grant Yorkstone made it a red letter day for himself as he scored both goals for the winning team on his return to top flight football.

The newly formed Queens Park women’s team provided the highlight of the

Women’s premier league yesterday when it drew with Old Boys 2-all.

Goals from Nessa Legge and Amber Laking

gave the team its first goals scored for the season and its first competition point.

The fledgling team made up predominantly of new players has competed well without

success during its first campaign and yesterday’s result was welcomed with a degree of excitement.

Malloch McClean Riverton defended the Ottley challenge trophy and retained its league leader status with a resounding

9-nil win over Winton while second placed  Southend United had an even bigger margin in its win over Thistle.

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