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University 1, Spirit 0; Apr 16th
Spirit FC lost its Footballsouth
Premier League fourth round clash with University 1-nil at the Caledonian ground
in Dunedin on Saturday.
Bugga, for Spirit, as Dom Higgins wheels away hands
outstretched
having nailed Spirit with his late winner.
The big challenge facing the Spirit players on the day was, could they rebound
from last week’s second half mauling at the hands of league leader Dunedin Tech
and regain their credibility in the competition?
They answered the challenge with a positive solid display, let down only by the
lack of a polished finisher up front to capitalise on the goal chances created.
Aarrgh...go Tim Witten Sage (blue) and Spirit's Jason
Cocker as they vie for the ball
Enough indeed, for a frustrated player coach Barry Gardiner to question just
where they will get their next goal from.
“We can’t seem to buy a goal this season” Gardiner said, “one from four outings,
360 minutes of football, is not the sort of percentage that wins games.”
The week's Barry pic, shows him here being challenged by Varsity's Delan
Mahlagway.
Notice Mahlagway seems to have no left hand.
This pic clearly shows he has a left hand but (if you look
closely) very tiny fingers....
Spirit dominated the first fifteen minutes of Saturday’s encounter but failed to
hammer home that advantage with a goal.
As often happens, the opposing team then began to gain some ascendancy but in
this case University also failed to take the lead.
From then on it was evident that either a piece of sheer brilliance or a silly
mistake that would win the points for one of the teams.
And Steve Black said "if I have to get on my knees to do
it i'll stop them"...and he did.
In the end it was a combination of both as at the eighty five minute mark the
Spirit defence slipped up and gave possession away.
University in a three pass flash
moved the ball into the path of Dom Higgins who calmly side-footed it past the
oncoming Spirit keeper Oswaldo Rodriquez for the games only goal.
Sad for Rodriquez, because his goal keeping during the preceding play was more
than partly responsible for keeping the University strikers at bay.
Ossie's biggest threat here seems to come from his own
(maroon) players.
Spirit now faces home encounters with Queenstown and Green Island in succession
and will need to solve the striker issue or its season will be in tatters at the
half way point.
Ironically the weekend highlight
in round four games was Southland born Aaron Burgess’s haul of 6 goals for
Technical in their 6-2 defeat of Mosgiel.
One for the ladies.
An exclusive peek into a men's dressing room.
Nothing is spared on this site.
In local Premier men’s games a brace of goals from Dave Fosbender ensured AMP
South Old Boys retained a share of the competition lead and the Larry O’Rorke trophy with a
2-1 win over EWL Southland Waihopai at Surrey Park. Danny Leung replied with
Waihopai’s goal.
Computer Supplyline Thistle gained its first win after their return to the
Premier grade when a hat trick of goals from the league’s leading scorer Richie
Sutherland saw them safely home 5-3 against Waikiwi Amcal Pharmacy Southend
United on the ILT Football Turf.
While in Gore the more fancied joint league leader Eyeview Queens Park unit came away with a 2-1 win
against local team Gore Wanderers after yet another solid but unrewarding
display by the home team.
All the goals came in the second
half with Jonny Cox and Domnik Katvick netting for the winners and Norris Chand
for Wanderers.
Malloch McClean Waihopai showed they are a threat to the more fancied
teams this season
when they convincingly accounted for Club Southland Western 7-nil in their
Women’s Premier game played yesterday.
It was only the second loss in the Premier women’s competition for Western,
formerly Riverton, since
entering the league in 2009.
Gretchen Ireland 3, Theresa Rhein 2, Ashley Gordon and Leah McGregor netted the
goals for Waihopai.
In Queenstown the home team raced to a 4-nil halftime lead with goals from
Sahara MacDonald 2, Leanne Couch and Chris Smith before Sinderellas Southend
United
halted the onslaught in the second spell.
The only goal of the half coming from Southend’s Jackie Robertson.