2008 In Review
Whakatane 2nd XI travelled across to the western Bay to kick off their 2008 season against Tauranga Boys College.
There was an air of optimism with the boys in white, despite having the bare eleven players with a player crisis hitting the club.
Whakatane soon realised that the task was going to be a lot harder than expected with TBC ripping shreds down the flanks and dominating the early exchanges all across the paddock, albeit a better than normal paddock with a touch of grass on the surface.
It didn’t take TBC long before they began to create the chances and immediately let Scott Holmes in goal know he was in for a busy day, whereas his counter part at the other end was enjoying the pleasant autumn sun picking daisies! Matt Dalgity in the centre of defense wearing the arm band was doing his best to hold a disjointed defense together, but it wasn’t enough as TBC went ahead, and deservedly so.
Whakatane tried to get competitive but were constantly found wanting in all departments as the youthful exuberance of the opposition carved apart Whakatane with a greater will to win and quick sensible triangular passing.
Backs against the wall Whakatane soon found the mountain getting steeper as they allowed TBC to double the lead. Whakatane did try to play some football but simply lacked any quality touches and constantly gave the ball back to the opposition. The only points of note in the first half were the bookings of Mark Thompson and Danny Smith.
Half time: TBC 2 v Whakatane 2nd XI 0
Two changes were made at the break with the appearance of Justin Nichols and Daniel Sharp. Whakatane did try to play some short passing in the early stages but really lacked any strength up front and rarely troubled a solid TBC defense. However, just when there was a sense of resilience from the men in white the killer punch was delivered when TBC got their third from a well taken corner.
Credit to Whakatane they didn’t give up and attempted to salvage something from the game, a nicely worked move culminated with Lee Barton shooting high over the cross bar. Smith had a fine shot saved and Sharp was unlucky with a brave header.
Then just when things couldn’t get any worse the referee was dishing out cards like Christmas was just round the corner. Nick Pidgeon picked one up for an over zealous challenge while Thompson picked up his second for a two footed lunge, and earned himself an early shower.
With ten men and already struggling it simply got worse with TBC adding another two goals, dishing out a much deserved lesson in how to play football.
FULL TIME: TBC 5 v WHAKATANE 2nd XI 0
Whakatane Reserves vs Old Blues
The 2nd XI entertained a large Bay Day crowd for the opening fixture at home in the 2008 calendar against Old Blues, still licking the wounds from the embarrassing defeat at the Boys College this fixture needed to be a dramatic improvement.
Fortunately there was an increase in personnel with four subs being available; this gave way to a few changes in the line up with Nick Pidgeon and Danny Smith taking up the roles in left and right back positions. There was an immediate improvement in the performance from the first kick; Whakatane looked controlled and hungry for the ball.
Old Blues on the other hand looked decidedly shaky with rushed attempts to clear the ball and poor passing being costly; however neither team seemed to have enough composure to create any clear cut chances. A neat little move down the left flank found Lewis Sharp playing up front in a pocket of space and delivered a inch perfect cross to almost give Lee Barton a goal with a brave header which the Old Blues keeper stopped with a good save.
Old Blues rarely worried Scott Holmes in goal who looked strong and commanding in goal, Pidgeon was winning everything in the air and the Dalgity’s kept the defense in check with some solid defending. Smith almost created the opening goal with a solid run into the heart of the Old Blues defense; sadly the shooting opportunity never emerged.
HALF TIME: Whakatane Town 2nd XI 0 v 0 Old Blues
The second half began much the same as the first with Whakatane being resolute in defense whilst Olds Blues continued to probe away. Lewis Sharp was replaced by Martin Winterson up front as the boys in white searched for somebody to score the opener.
Mid way through the second half it looked like the game was locked in a stale mate with neither team able to get many shots on goal. Justin Nichols had ran his socks off up front and was gifted a through ball which seemed destined to give him a shot on goal but he unselfishly laid the ball square which yet again failed to bring about a shot.
Then the turning point in the game, Barton was tracking back in midfield to make a challenge on the dribbling Old Blues player when Barton pulled up with a calf strain, it was from here that Old Blues opened up the defense and got the opening goal. Barton hobbled off and Whakatane struggled to get back into the hunt.
The minute ticked by and neither team looked like getting another goal; Whakatane can take a lot away from this performance which was a solid gritty effort. More work on creating shooting opportunities is high on the agenda but it won’t be long before some points will be earned if they can keep up the excellent work shown in this performance.
Player of the day went to Nick Pidgeon who was outstanding in defense.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2nd XI 0 v 1 OLD BLUES
Whakatane Reserves vs Kati Kati
Whakatane 2nd XI traveled over to the never reaches of the Western Bay of Plenty to face Kati Kati in a must win match for both sides. Kati Kati had suffered similar defeats as the boys in white, sporting a yellow strip ths week, similar to the Canaries from Norwich, East Anglia. Today promised to be a mouth watering experience that the Kitty Kats could almost taste the feathers of the opposition which they aimed to devour!
Confused? Not half as confused as the coach was when he had to pick a team with 6 forced changes from the previous week’s line up!
Scott Holmes in goal had a completely new back line, whilst Graham Sims in midfield partnered up with the ever influential icon Gavin Rothwell, who sported the captain’s armband. The left hand flank sported decades of football experience with Ian Finch and Pete Stoove holding the left side together, as well as several parts of their respective bodies!
Whakatane started with their usual hesitancy and really struggled to get any passing moves together whilst Kati Kati looked to lump high balls over the new look central defense. Marcel Boer returning back to the club was rarely troubled, but on a couple of occasions looked a little exposed, especially one time that resulted in a quality save from Holmes in goal.
Whakatane aimed to apply pressure up front and Justin Nichols was working like a man possessed. Few shots were had but territorial pressure was being gained, Stoove earned a throw in deep in the Kati half, Rothwell received the ball in the 18 yard box, turned on a sixpence and pulled a first time snap shot that worked its way through a flock of players beating the keeper and squeezed in at the far post.
Finally something to celebrate, but it got better with Nichols earning a free kick just in from the right corner flag, crazy legs Craig Lambert floated an inch perfect dead ball cross which was met by Rothwell, who’s weekend watching hot air balloons in Hamilton served him well as he floated into the air to head home a peach of a goal!
Then Whakatane decided to play football, the pressure of scoring goals had lifted and there was a sense of confidence and composure across the park as Whakatane could sense finally a victory.
HALF TIME: Kati Kati 0 v 2 Whakatane 2nd XI
Whakatane continued to look good and should have capitalized from a number of chances, Lewis Sharp up front found himself one on one but dwelled on the ball and the shooting opportunity evaded him. Nichols had a couple of good efforts that failed to trouble the keeper but showed good signs of his goal searching prowess.
Stoove was replaced by Brad Hastie who immediately showed good composure for his young shoulders. The tables turned though with Kati Kati rarely troubling the Whakatane found themselves in with a sniff of the points. Another lumped ball up front found their marksman who turned Finch inside out and shot an explosive shot from outside the box that Holmes got a hand to, but couldn’t do enough to stop the ball hitting the back of the net.
Whakatane yet again found them selves in panic mode, when if they had taken some earlier chances they would have been coasting to victory. Sims never stopped battling and Andrew Mitchell stayed competitive throughout. Nichols thought he’d snatched the points when he smashed home a well taken volley, but was rightly judged to be in an offside position.
With the dieing minutes of the game looming Kati Kati searched for an equalizer, they earned a string of corners and chucked everything they had, including the keeper at the Whakatane defense. Whakatane hung on and went away happy they had done enough to grab all 3 points.
Special mention to Hastie who did well when he came on, Rothwell for showing skill and experience in midfield and Justin Nichols for his never die attitude that will surely earn him goals if he continues with such performances. Next week will see the struggling Rotorua Utd travel to Rex Morpeth park in another must win fixture.
Player of the day went to Justin Nichols.
FULL TIME: KATI KATI 1 v 2 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs Rotorua United
On a wind swept sodden day, Whakatane 2nd XI played host to Rotorua Utd, who following an embarrassing 12- 1 thumping the week before would surely want to make a strong effort to avoid any further score lines similar. Whereas Whakatane were very keen to add to there hard fought win the week before and aim to increase there points tally for the season.
Whakatane fielded a strong line up with Justin Nichols and Lewis ‘Stupidio’ Sharp retaining there positions up front, hoping to open there own scoring accounts. Gavin Rothwell carried the captains arm band in central midfield again and partnered up with Lee Barton, while the Dalgitys were back in operation after their weekend watching brum brum cars and Mark Thompson took up the challenge of keeper with the absence of Scott Holmes.
Whakatane started very brightly, short crisp passing and simple attacking football was destroying the young Rotorua outfit, Rothwell enjoyed a cluster of shots from outside goal and Nichols and Stupidio ran the back line ragged. 20 minutes elapsed with no pressure on the Whakatane goal and despite many chances created still no goals were scored. Nick Pidgeon from left back had a lovely low driving shot which created a corner. From the corner another opportunity saw a shot hit the arm of the Rotorua defender in the box, handing Rothwell the opportunity to increase his tally for the season from the spot. He did so calmly and gave Whakatane the breakthrough they needed.
Not long after going ahead a neat through ball again from Rothwell put Stupidio in on goal and he finished expertly with his left foot with the composure that you would expect from a star South American player!
Then Whakatane lost there shape and stopped playing the simple football that had made them look so dangerous in the earlier encounters of the half.
HALF TIME: Whakatane 2nd XI 2 v 0 Rotorua Utd
A pep talk at half time ensured the simple stuff required to do the job and finish the game off. Whakatane rarely looked dangerous as the enigmatic Marcel Boer controlled all proceedings at the back and Pidgeon was offering a solid job at left back.
‘Crazy Legs’ Craig Lambert was pulled off to allow the young up and coming Brad Hastie to show his stuff on the left side of midfield. Nichols continued to do the running required and he soon got his just deserves with a well taken shot that granted him his first goal of the season and surely the 3 points to his club mates.
Rothwell hopes into goal giving Thompson the chance to contribute in midfield, and the fresh legs served his team well as the struggling opposition had no reply for the home side.
As the half drew in Nichols found him self free in the centre of the box and neatly chipped the ball over the keeper to earn him a brace and a healthy looking score line for the boys in white.
Rothwell stood out with another goal, two assists and a clean sheet, not a bad day’s work. While Nichols and Sharp repaid the coaches faith in them by both getting well earned goals. The Dalgitys looked useful down the right flank and Pidgeon was always looking strong along side the quality of Boer at the back.
However, next week will bring a totally different challenge with Whakatane traveling away to table toppers and unbeaten AFC Fury, a fixture that will pose a whole new ball game but most certainly not a mountain that can not be climbed and ultimately conquered, every team is beatable.
All in all a good day at the office and Marcel Boer picked up player of the day.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2nd XI 4 v 0 ROTORUA UTD
Whakatane Reserves vs AFC Fury
The Reserves traveled over to table toppers AFC Fury which was going to be the toughest game this year. The writing was on the wall after the first few minutes as Fury dominated and dictated all the play, when Whakatane did get the ball they simply gave it back to Fury.
Fury found their selves ahead with a screamer of a half volley almost breaking a hole through the back of the net. It wasn’t long before they notched up another with lack luster defense being Whakatane’s downfall. A third goal wasn’t far away with a dubious offside looking goal to see Fury safe at half time and Whakatane wondering how they had managed to keep the score line down.
HALF TIME: AFC Fury 3 v 0 Whakatane 2nd XI
The second half merely got worse as Fury added another 5 goals to their tally, leaving Whakatane wondering what had happened.
Whakatane failed to hold the ball, pass the ball, make challenges and granted the opposition way to much respect. Fury are a good side but Whakatane didn’t show any determination in their performance and this resulted in the embarrassing score line.
Player of the day was Pete Stoove.
FULL TIME: AFC FURY 8 v 0 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs Tauranga City
Whakatane Reserves hosted second in the table Tauranga City Utd for this Bay division 1 fixture, Whakatane on the back of a thumping from Fury whilst Tauranga would be certainly looking to make further ground in their chase of the title.
Whakatane made one forced change in the line with Aarron Wood coming into the line up with Gavin Rothwell out with a knee injury. Player coach Lee Barton moved the formation around with Nick Pidgeon coming into central midfield.
Whakatane started with their backs up against the wall in the opening encounters while Tauranga showed good possession but little damage up front, the numerous Brazilians on show attempted to create movement and flair to disrupt the Whakatane boys. However despite the pressure Whakatane sustained the on slaughter and began to grow in confidence as the game progressed.
Whakatane started to create some attacking options with good shape and pressure from midfield to force Tauranga on the back foot, this resulted in a number of corners gained for their efforts. It was from one of these where Barton had an ambitious overhead bicycle kick which went narrowly wide of the up right.
Justin Nichols and Lewis ‘Stupidio’ Sharp worked effortlessly from up front and looked to apply pressure on the opposition whenever possible. Despite the growing stature of the men in white it was against the run of play when Tauranga broke through the offside trap and slotted home the first goal. It was a well taken one on one with Martin Winterson who shot off his line and almost made an attempt to stop the ball being slipped passed him.
On the stroke of half time this could be a sucker blow to Whakatane but as they played out the remaining minutes of the half they continued to look orgainised and aggressive in the challenge. They were certainly not going to crumble on this occasion!
HALF TIME: Whakatane 2nd XI 0 v Tauranga City United 1
Whakatane began the second half as they finished the first with passion and fight, in fact Tauranga struggled to combat the efforts that were on show, swift passing along with a strong sense of competitiveness was certainly on display from Whakataneas they searched for an equalizer.
Nichols was put into a number of goal scoring opportunities that required quick fire shooting whilst Stupidio never gave up the chase. Whakatane enjoyed long periods of possession and when they did lose the ball they consistently looked orgainised in defense. Marcel Boer carrying the arm band was always in control at the heart of defense along side Mark Thompson who was covering well.
Whakatane earned a corner just inside the Tauranga half and it was Thompson who floated a ball into the near post Barton made a good effort to make contact and in doing so drew defenders which allowed Pidgeon to glance a header over the marauding Tauranga keeper. A much deserved goal for his and Whakatane’s efforts.
The equalizer upset the opposition and they looked flustered as Whakatane got under their skin with strong challenges and good organisation.
The game continued as a bruising affair with Nichols going down under a dubious shoulder barge and the ref started to dish out the cards with two for the opposition and Wood picked up a yellow for a soft challenge for Whakatane.
Tauranga desperately searched for a winner but Whakatane kept them at bay and unlucky to not get a winner themselves. In the dying moments Barton cleared a goal bound header from a corner with a gallant header himself and right at the death Tauranga could have snatched it with a glancing header.
The result was a fair one with neither team doing enough to earn maximum points although Whakatane certainly felt as though it was a minor victory. Each player stood up for themselves and if they can show more attitude like this they will certainly finish higher than their present mid table position.
Credit to all players and each one of them could have been named player of the day but it was George Dalgity that earned it this week with an outstanding show of grit and determination.
Next week Whakatane travel to face Edgecumbe in which promises to be a real rip snorter of an affair as Edgecumbe search to find points on the table.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2ND XI 1 v 1 TAURANGA CITY UTD
Whakatane Reserves vs Edgecumbe
Whakatane reserves made the short hop across to Awakeri School to face local rivals Edgecumbe for this Bay division 1 fixture. Whakatane were on the back of a hard fought point against Tauranga City Utd whilst Edgecumbe have struggled in past games to gain any points.
The early encounters saw both sides looking a little reserved in their approaches with very few good quality passing moves being created. The midfield looked bogged down in a grid lock with the odd glimmer of class with Wouter Vullings making his first appearance for the reserves this season.
Gavin Rothwell back from injury looked solid up front with neat little flicks to release good opportunities for Vullings and Lewis Sharp, but with little effect on the Edgecumbe goal mouth. Both sides looked committed and in good shape, which attributed to the constant lack of chances. Rothwell was seeking a goal with ambitious bicycle kicks ensuring the reasonable crowd was kept awake.
Edegcumbe however did ruffle the Whakatane defense a couple of times, especially with a fierce attempt late in the half which rattled the post and certainly ensured the attention of the boys in white and managed to muster up some healthy ooohs from the crowd.
Tackles began to fly around and a good midfield battle began to emerge with ex Whakatane player Dean Butterworth earning a yellow for a rash challenge on Vullings.
HALF TIME: Edgecumbe 0 v 0 Whakatane 2nd XI
The second half progressed in much the same light as the first half except there was beginning to be a slower pace to the game. Edgecumbe attempted to push Whakatane back but the solid defense with Boer and Thompson stayed strong in making sure there was little to worry Martin Winterson in goal. Andrew Mitchell and birthday boy (37) Aarron Wood stayed proficient in there full back roles.
As the game opened up it was Whakatane that began to look like they could steal all 3 points, but with such a mammoth keeper in Christian Wettings for Edgecumbe it was going to take something special to beat him. It was Matt Dalgity who almost unlocked it with a superb first time shot which forced Wettings to pull off a great save.
Sharp, up front found him self with an opportunity in front of goal but received a knock on the ankle from Wettings instead. This soon saw Sharp replaced by Craig Lambert and he began to use fresh legs to chase down the opposition.
Vullings got his revenge on Butterworth with a two footed lunge which earned him a yellow and handbags were out in the middle of the park. Woods upset the yocals with a dubious tackle and the mud slinging continued! Tempers were frail and this ensured the final encounters saw little quality to the game.
Matt Dalgity was again unlucky with a one on one, but the game tempered out to be a goalless, but by no means soulless draw.
Both teams didn’t do quite enough to deserve the win and both teams need to work on there passing moves in order to improve on their respective league positions.
Marcel Boer was player of the day for Whakatane.
FULL TIME: EDGECUMBE 0 v 0 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs Opotiki
Whakatane Reserves made the short trip further out east to their near rivals Opotiki for this Bay 1 fixture. Whakatane were in need of a win and Opotiki hadn’t managed one all season, in which they had leaked more goals than you can throw a bus at!
Whakatane started brightly and immediately looked the better of the two teams, Nick Pidgeon nominated as captain was looking strong along side Wouter Vullings in central midfield. Justin Nichols back from a week away was quickly in the action with a dubious challenge that earned him a yellow card.
Whakatane pressed hard for the opener and it was Nichols that found him self in a shooting opportunity on the corner of the 18 yard box, he smashed it first time with true venom and accuracy giving the keeper no chance and the ball found the top corner of the goal, with what could certainly claim to be goal of the season so far.
The Pidgeon/Vullings combination was soon to pull out another goal with an inch perfect cross from Vullings picking out Pidgeon who rose above all else and flicked the ball past the assailing keeper to gain the boys in white their much deserved second.
Whakatane were rarely troubled at the back and Whakatane should’ve have capitalized on their possession better with more goals, but the 1st half came and went and the score stayed the same.
HALF TIME: Opotiki 0 v 2 Whakatane Reserves
The bumpy pitch made football messy and it was difficult for either team to play smooth flowing football. Whakatane however seemed to take their foot off the gas and became complacent. Opotiki could sense this and their supporters cheered on their young hopeful to search for a goal.
Whakatane started to show more unrest and the pressure from Opotiki finally paid off as they were awarded a penalty for a bundling challenge in the box. Gavin Rothwell serving as keeper showed no signs of pressure and looked big and strong in goal, it was the penalty taker who lost his nerve as he smashed it well wide of the post, giving Rothwell the energetic task of retrieving the ball from several hundred metres away!
This was surely a let off for Whakatane but they still showed nervous moments and it was again Opotiki that looked for a goal, only narrowly missing with a fruity lob that had Rothwell beat and hit the cross bar.
It wasn’t until a brave defensive diving header from Mark Thompson that Whakatane finally found their selves again. Lewis Sharp came on for George Dalgity and the younger Sharp, Daniel switched over to the right flank. From here on Whakatane looked better and the pressure soon mounted on the Opotiki goal and after some sterling work from Pidgeon a cross troubled the Opotiki keeper which was met by Lewis Sharp who tapped in a well earned goal.
Whakatane closed out the game looking for more goals but couldn’t find them; one dampener was Matt Dalgity limping off with a hamstring strain which left Whakatane finishing with 10 men.
All in all a deserved three points but not pretty at all, Mark Thompson picked up player of the day for Whakatane.
Whakatane are back at home to face tough opposition when Te Puke visits them next week.
FULL TIME: OPOTIKI 0 v 3 WHAKATANE RESERVES
Whakatane Reserves vs Te Puke
Whakatane had a mammoth task taking on table toppers and unbeaten this season, Te Puke at home for this glorious last day in autumn fixture at Rex Morpeth Park.
The opening encounters seemed to fair quite well for Whakatane as they mounted a number of attacks on the Te Puke goal, receiving good change out the young Daniel Sharp who was getting in behind his opposite man down the right flank. Defensively Whakatane looked orgainised but the Te Puke pairing strikers were certainly beginning to be a handful for Whakatane.
Whakatane should’ve capitalized on the pressure they mounted but couldn’t and it wasn’t long before Te Puke were showing the reason why they were top of the table. Against the run of play Te Puke created their first goal with a well taken half volley from outside the box which gave Martin Winterson no chance to save.
Whakatane certainly didn’t crumble and continued to play good quality football and consistently created goal scoring opportunities but simply lacked the killer finish. Just on the stroke of half time Te Puke probed the defensive frailties of Whakatane, when a soft goal from a throw in had Winterson stranded with the ball floating over his stretching arm.
HALF TIME: Whakatane 2nd XI 0 v 2 Te Puke
Whakatane were dealt a sucker punch conceding the second goal but new that they were certainly not out of the game, the early minutes of the second period saw Whakatane generate a few more good passing flows but were caught on the break and Andrew Mitchell in attempting to make a challenge bundled over the Te Puke marks man, and a penalty was awarded.
Te Puke dually converted and the mountain got a whole lot bigger, to give Whakatane credit they didn’t give up and continually applied pressure in the Te Puke half. The Whakatane game was summed up when a shot on an empty goal hit the cross bar and the rebound was smashed out for a throw in.
In the closing stages the Te Puke forward escaped some lack luster challenges and cut in to score a fourth goal. A score line that didn’t reflect the performance given by Whakatane and the boys in white can take a great deal from the passing moves they created, although goal scoring has to be top of priorities for future fixtures.
Player of the day went to Nick Pidgeon.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2nd XI 0 v 4 TE PUKE
Whakatane Reserves vs TBC
Whakatane welcomed Tauranga Boys College to Rex Morpeth Park, with a rag tag team due to absences and injuries.
Whakatane was put on the back foot in the 1st minute, when Nick Pidgeon was ruled to have made a careless tackle inside the box. T.B.C stepped up ready to make the home team pay for their mistake. What must have been an over confidence by the spot kicker, can only explain why he pushed it so wide and miss the early opportunity.
The home sides confidence grew and some penetrating runs from the two up front and Daniel Sharp on the right wing started to show T.B.C that this side was not going to let the earlier result between them repeat itself. Whakatane not allowing the College side to go down through the middle was starting to frustrate the lads and having to use the wings was not paying off either, with the likes of Aaron Wood and Brad Hastie closing down their runs early and then playing the ball forward for another chance at opening the scoring.
T.B.C’s only goal of the half came from a corner that was pushed away by keeper Scott Holmes, only to have it land at a College players feet to slot home.
Whakatane not allowing this goal to get to them, pushed on and continued to play the game that has given them pride in the last few weeks.
Half Time: Whakatane 0 – 1 Tauranga Boys College.
Stand in coach Matt Dalgity allowing only positive comments back in the shed, spurred the home side on to look early to equalize the game and then take it from T.B.C.
Starting off again with great gusto, Whakatane showed that they maybe the more mature team out there, but they can still play quick football. George Dalgity’s pass back to keeper Scott was a little on the light side and T.B.C capitalized on it and slotted the ball home for there 2nd goal.
Once again the home side held their heads up and continued to play like they still had a clean sheet. The decision was made to inject some fresh legs into the Whakatane side, Gavin Rothwell replaced George and with a slight reshuffle in the back line allowing the teams dynamics to change. Gavin took control of the middle of the pitch and allowed the home team more chances on the ball, and some great challenges from him stopped T.B.C in their tracks. The College boys would have to start back tracking quickly from what they had considered a penetrating run.
Whakatane’s opportunities continued when a good ball was played down the right wing for Daniel to turn and take on the defense. Getting past his man, Daniel then crossed the ball to his brother Lewis, who brought it down and laid it off to Justin Nichols. Justin’s shot just going wide.
The home team looking strong in defense, were denying challenge after challenge from the young lads. Then, what appeared to be a well covered defensive move was controversially ruled to be an over exuberant challenge in the box. The resulting penalty was netted.
Whakatane continued to push on and several opportunities went a miss to end the game as is.
Full time: Whakatane 0 – 3 Tauranga Boys College
A great game by all and huge thank you to Waka Mika and our player of the day Brad Hastie (returning after a few weeks illness)
Whakatane Reserves vs Papamoa
It was first round of the Tasman Cup as Whakatane played host to Papamoa in front of a healthy crowd at Rex Morpeth Park.
Whakatane were keen to re-write history after Papamoa bundled out Whakatane in the Tasman Bowl last season, the home side were in desperate need of goals and a much needed win. Papamoa were most certainly looking to upset the boys in white again.
Whakatane had made a few changes with Matt Dalgity stepping into central defense. The home side looked comfortable but hadn’t really settled properly at the back and Papamoa began to exploit the lack of organisation. However, when Whakatane broke into attack they did so with crisp passing and Daniel Sharp looked dangerous down the right flank.
The linesmen were beginning to steel the limelight as a number of decisions over ruled some excellent attacking opportunities. It was Papamoa that managed to spring the offside trap and the linesman kept his flag down which allowed the young Papamoa striker to score a good goal from a tight angle, whilst the Whakatane defense desperately pleaded for the flag to go up!
Whakatane, yet again against the run of play, found themselves clawing their way back into the game, where Papamoa must’ve been reliving the shock 1 nil victory from the year before. Whakatane lifted them well and continued to make good ground and attacked the Papamoa goal. Only minutes after conceding they found the equalizer with a beautifully weighted cross from Lee Barton which found the glancing header of Captain Nick Pidgeon. Another great goal and no more than Whakatane deserved.
HALF TIME: Whakatane 2nd XI 1 v 1 Papamoa
Whakatane started the second period as they began and dominated possession for long periods. Whakatane came close with a volley from Barton and Gavin Rothwell started to take full control in mid field.
However, as with previous weeks Whakatane struggled to create any clear cut chances but Justin Nichols was unlucky to be adjourned offside which would’ve given him a clear attempt on goal.
Whakatane made a couple of changes with Danny Smith replacing Nichols and Lewis Sharp replacing Brad Hastie on the left flank. Whakatane continued to push hard for the winner and just as extra time was looming, some neat footwork from the younger Sharp allowed Grant Johnson to loop a well hit ball over the keeper’s hands and into the old onion bag for the winner.
Whakatane safely through to the next round will head over to Litt Park to face Te Puke’s 2nd team.
Player of the day went to the hard working and winning goal scorer Grant Johnson.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2nd XI 2 v 1 PAPAMOA
Whakatane Reserves vs Old Blues
Whakatane traveled across to Waipuna Park in Welcome Bay to face off with 3rd place Old Blues. Whakatane were unlucky in their previous encounter after a late goal had given Old Blues victory at Rex Morpeth, so Whakatane felt optimistic in gaining a result here.
Playing up hill Whakatane immediately found the work load testing, sloppy passing and lack luster attempts to apply pressure was soon becoming costly. Whakatane granted way to much time and respect to the opposition and were being peppered with crosses causing all concerns at the back.
It was from a cross that found the lanky Old Blues striker who popped a looping header over Scott Holmes in goal, not many minutes had passed before yet another cross was met with deadly accuracy to put the home team two up.
Whakatane did try to gain some momentum but continued to look uncertain and in possession as they continued to give the ball away with more inaccurate passing. It wasn’t long before yet another cross was met with the boot of the Old Blues striker who struck it on the volley to get the third.
A mountain was to be climbed!
HALF TIME: Old Blues 3 v 0 Whakatane 2nd XI
Whakatane now playing down hill aimed to get some level of respect out of the game, yet despite some good attacking moves found their selves four down with an own goal as Nick Pidgeon and Holmes bumped into each other allowing the ball to trickle over the line.
Old Blues rarely troubled Holmes after that and Whakatane actually began to connect some passes together and it was towards the end of the game when a neat bit of combination play put right back Aaron Wood in on goal and he finished coolly.
It was no more than a consolation but certainly proved that when they want to Whakatane can pass the ball and play football.
Player of the day went to Matt Dalgity who did a sterling job up front.
FULL TIME: OLD BLUES 4 v 1 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs Te Puke Reserves
Whakatane faced the Bay 2 outfit Te Puke reserves in the 2nd round of the Tasman Cup. The pitch was not favorable for passing football as the ball bobbled all over the place. However, Whakatane looked by far the better passing side in the early encounters and this was set to continue throughout the game.
It was completely against the run of play when Te Puke floated a ball into the box and the unmarked striker headed the ball goal bound with Martin Winterson fluffing his attempted save and the ball trickled over the line.
Whakatane came back even stronger and structured some fine passing moves and it wasn’t long before they were back on level terms when Justin Nichols struck a peach of a volley from the edge of the box and it finished off perfectly in the goal.
Whakatane were rarely troubled at the back but couldn’t turn all their possession into goals.
HALF TIME: Te Puke res. 1 v 1 Whakatane res.
Whakatane started brightly in the second half and again played the ball round well, but really lacked with any bite up front. The game pushed ever closer towards extra time, and Whakatane were starting to make hard work of a game that should’ve been put well past Te Puke.
The keeper was beaten on a couple of occasions, Matt Dalgity almost gave Whakatane the winner they deserved and Lewis Sharp had a good opportunity to finish the game off.
Te Puke lumped the ball up front as they had done all game and it was in the final minute where Whakatane should’ve cleared the ball, but the missed chances at the other end became the undoing as the big striker toe poked the ball into the goal.
Football can be a cruel sport and today the better team was knocked out, but it is a simple game that requires one team to score more goals than the other. Te Puke had 2 shots on goal and scored both!
Player of the day went to the hard working captain Nick Pidgeon.
FULL TIME: TE PUKE 2 v 1 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs Kati Kati
Whakatane 2nd XI were in desperate need on improvement after the immense disappointment the week before in the Tasman cup. It was on a chilly day that Kati Kati offered the opposition and they themselves were looking to gain points from the travels.
Whakatane having made various changes were a new look side and they showed good vigor in the early encounters. Justin Nichols was as usual fighting for all he could down the left flank and captain Nick Pidgeon and Wouter Vullings were always in control in midfield.
Nichols found himself in on goal on a couple of occasions yet no goal surmounted, Whakatane were guilty of holding onto the ball for too long on more than one occasion when a shot was required on goal.
Mark Thompson took a nasty blow to the head midway through the half and although he continued until half time it was going to be the end of his game from then on.
Whakatane played very good football all the way through the half and really should have scored a couple of goals for the vast amount of possession they had, yet the half time came and the game was still locked up with no goals.
HALF TIME: Whakatane 2nd XI 0 v 0 Kati Kati
With one forced change that saw Lewis Sharp on, whilst Pidgeon covered at the back for the loss of Thompson. The changes didn’t help the home team and they lost their shape at times and rarely troubled the Kati Kati goal.
The missed opportunities from the first half were about to be the undoing of Whakatane as a dubious offside call gifted the Kati Kati attackers with a golden opportunity to take the lead. Martin Winterson did his best to close down the angle but had little chance to stop the ball hitting the net from the one on one battle.
It was probably the kick that Whakatane needed; some changes were made with Daniel Sharp coming off for George Dalgity. Whakatane continued to dominate possession but lacked any shots on goal or at least till deep into the half when a neat interchange of passes resulted in Grant Johnson getting in on goal and made no mistake in firing in the equaliser.
It seemed like the game was going to end in a share of the spoils but not according to George Dalgity who found himself cutting into the box and shot low which took a nasty deflection that rebounded of the post, it went straight back to Dalgity who made no mistake in side footing the ball into the goal.
After the disappointing late goal the week before it was a case of role reversals this week as the seconds died out and the three points were awarded to Whakatane.
Finally something to cheer about and player of the day went to Wouter Vullings for his constant effort in midfield.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 2nd XI 2 v 1 KATI KATI
Whakatane Reserves vs Rotorua United
Whakatane reserves braved the wind and rain to face Rotorua Utd at International stadium. Rotorua had struggled all season to gain many points and Whakatane hoped to capitalise on that statistic.
The rain had made for a slippery surface and the ball skidded off the grass with much pace, this meant that passing needed to be accurate. Whakatane started brightly occupying all the possession and it wasn’t long before they turned the possession into shots on target.
Wouter Vullings soon found himself skipping passed challenges and began to pepper the goal, mostly not troubling the keeper who seemed to have glue on his gloves. Matt Dalgity also carved out some opportunities whilst Lewis Sharp also found space in behind the defense. Yet none of the possession and territory gifted Whakatane with a goal.
Yet another game emerged where Whakatane were going to rue their missed chances as Rotorua, totally against the run of play found themselves gifted with a goal as Mark Thompson covering in goal had little chance to stop the opener.
Whakatane showed again the courage that has not deserted them over passed weeks when Dalgity was fouled near the goal line and Lee Barton floated an inch perfect cross to meet the glancing head of Captain Nick Pidgeon. It was Pidgeon’s fifth of the season, all of which had come off his head.
HALF TIME: Rotorua Utd 1 v 1 Whakatane 2nd XI
The rain disappeared and Whakatane set out to get all three points, countless minutes of possession resulting in numerous shots still didn’t give them the lead.
Justin Nicholls came close with a superb long range effort and also a fine header that just shaved the cross bar. Vullings continued to shoot from outside the box and the keeper still had glue on his gloves.
Danny Smith came on and began to offer himself well and was extremely unlucky to not be awarded a penalty for a challenge he received from the keeper. Yet it was at the other end that Rotorua would feel a little grieved as Aarron Woods aimed to clear the ball in the box and he clearly kicked the ball onto his own hand, all to the desperate pleas of the Rotorua players and supporters.
Whakatane simply couldn’t find a way to unlock the goal and as the minutes ticked by there was a definite feeling of desperate football as the referee blew the whistle, giving Rotorua the point they probably didn’t deserve and leaving Whakatane wondering what had happened.
Whakatane have a week of rest which is what they will need as they face unbeaten and top of the table AFC Fury at home in two weeks. Player of the day went to Aaron Woods for his sterling job in the heart of defense.
FULL TIME: ROTORUA UTD 1 v 1 WHAKATANE 2nd XI
Whakatane Reserves vs AFC Fury
After a three week break from competition both Whakatane and league leaders AFC Fury were in desperate need of getting back into some game action. Despite the torrential rain of the past weeks the lush green turf on number two field at Rex Morpeth was looking in splendid shape, but the forecast wasn’t so good with heavy rain due to hit during the game.
The league table spoke volumes as to the mountain to climb for Whakatane against the unbeaten Fury. They had only leaked 7 goals in 12 fixtures whilst slotting home an impressive 68 goals past the rest of the league, with 8 of those put past a lack luster performance from Whakatane earlier in the season.
Whakatane started with good vigor and let Fury know they were going to have to work hard to take the points. Whakatane did enough to expose the wings on a number of occasions whilst the Whakatane defense held strong. With 15 minutes gone in the match Lee Barton popped a floated ball into the box which found Wouter Vullings who was rightly adjourned to have been pushed in the back, gifting Whakatane a penalty.
Captain Nick Pidgeon stepped up to the challenge and missed the opportunity to become leader in the golden boot and dragged his shot wide. Certainly a golden opportunity lost, but the home team didn’t allow the miss to affect their game and continued to fight hard for all they could.
Justin Nichols came close with a good shot that rattled the cross bar, however it was Fury that finally found the net as they broke the offside trap and the resulting 1 on 1 with Martin Winterson in goal was slotted home just before half time.
HALF TIME: Whakatane 0 v 1 AFC Fury
With the start of the second half the rain also began and despite the conditions Fury stepped up a gear and during a 5 minute period they ripped Whakatane apart with some clinical moves and powerful shots from outside the box. The 5 minutes lapse took away all the good work done by Whakatane in the 1st half.
The score line quickly went from 1 nil to 4 nil; leaving Whakatane scratching their heads wondering what had hit them!
Whakatane made a couple of changes bringing Gavin Rothwell and Craig Lambert into the match, which made an impact, giving Whakatane more aggression and options. As the rain poured down neither team looked like they were going to get another goal, until the last minutes when Whakatane got their just deserves with Rothwell nicking in to get a consolation goal.
Whakatane can take a great deal from the effort they showed and now need to build on that effort for their next fixture against Tauranga City Utd.
Waka Mika was awarded player of the day for his outstanding and competitive performance in central defense.
FULL TIME: WHAKATANE 1 v 4 AFC FURY
Whakatane Reserves vs Tauranga City
Whakatane reserves traveled across to Tauranga City Utd in this Bay division fixture, TCU were only just above Whakatane in the league placings but had opened up a healthy points difference which signified the gulf between the top and bottom of the table.
Whakatane started well as they have done of recent but rarely troubled the oppositions goal, Whakatane stayed well orgainised but relied on Martin Winterson in goal to keep the sheet scoreless. TCU probed away looking for the opener yet Whakatane matched them for competitiveness and it wasn’t until right on the stroke of half time that it all changed.
A mix up at the back allowed the TCU forward to have a free run at goal and pushed the ball past Winterson and slotted home into an empty net, before a hardly another pass was made after the restart the refs whistle blew for the end of the half.
It was a real sucker punch for Whakatane who had certainly done enough to keep the score down.
HALF TIME: TCU 1 v 0 Whakatane
The instructions for the 2nd period were to stay focused and not allow TCU to increase their lead, what then happened was the exact opposite. A sloppy back pass attempt from Whakatane’s sweeper failed to make it’s destination to Winterson and the TCU striker had the easiest of attempts as he waltzed through the defense and yet again pushed the ball wide of Winterson and struck home into the empty net.
It was progressing into another tail of inconsistency for Whakatane who have continued to be competitive all season yet failed to build on that platform.
Not long after the second goal TCU were awarded a penalty by the extremely dubious referee who adjourned what appeared to be a simulation dive an incorrect challenge by Waka Mika. They stepped up and finished easily past the rooted Winterson.
The game progressed into a verbal slanging match by a number of the Whakatane players and they allowed their lack of composure to affect their ability to play quality football. The referee was beginning to show a lack of control and began to enter into verbal conflicts himself, all in all the game ended in a very mess state.
Whakatane now have a week off with their next game at home against local rivals Edgecumbe. David Herdman picked up player of the day for Whakatane.
FULL TIME: TCU 3 v 0 WHAKATANE 2nd XI