North Shore United v. Tauranga City United 060915

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Tauranga Rains On North Shore's Parade

by Jeremy Ruane

It was a day when the locals had converged on Allen Hill Stadium, anticipating the return of North Shore United to the Lotto Northern Premier League, a competition they last contested in 2007.

A win or a draw would have secured Shore promotion from the First Division with a game to spare on 6 September, but fellow promotion rivals Tauranga City United, the only other team in contention for the runners-up spot behind Forrest Hill-Milford United, had other ideas, and deservedly rained on their rivals' parade thanks to a well-earned 3-1 triumph.

The visitors had to win all four of their remaining games going into this encounter if they are to have any chance of going up, and they set about achieving the first of those three-point hauls in fine fashion, by taking the lead after just five minutes.

Cory Hitchen's initial blunder was pounced on by Van Ewert, who swiftly worked a one-two with Andrew Cooper before letting fly. Mark Wilson, Shore's goalkeeper, parried his effort, with Ewert's follow-up attempt cannoning off Ed Sillars.

The home team failed to adequately clear their lines as a result, and within seconds Tauranga were in again. This time, Jordan Culpepper found Jerahl Hughes on the right, and the First Division's leading marksman added to his collection with an unerring low angled drive which flew past the startled figure of Wilson and in by the far post.

That certainly stunned the natives, and it took Shore a fair while before they recovered their poise, by which time Tauranga could have doubled their advantage - Cooper volleyed wildly over the bar after Sillars had sliced a clearance straight to the striker.

In the eighteenth minute, the lively figure of Cooper created something out of nothing on Shore's right flank, culminating in a cross-shot which had Wilson diving across his goal in vain.

It was only after this that the home team fired their first shot in anger, Reid Drake unleashing a twenty-five yard volley straight at Tom Pamment. Prior to this, any attempts Shore had made to redress the scoreline largely came to grief due to through balls being over-hit, which, considering they were playing into the prevailing wind anyway, didn't exactly bode well for the home team.

Sure enough, this soon became a frustration for the home team, and matters started getting a wee bit willing, prompting referee Mazhar Batoor to assert his authority - he certainly had his hands full in this encounter, but just about managed to keep a lid on things, despite the late outburst of Tauranga's assistant coach, Andy Birchenough, prompting his ejection from the bench in the shadows of the full-time whistle.

Tauranga threatened to double their advantage again in the 25th minute. Cooper pursued a lost cause down the left and retrieved the ball before the by-line, from where he picked out Hughes with a cross. His lob into Ewert saw him guide the ball down for Nathan Farey to let fly, and only a fine save by Wilson kept the visitors out on this occasion.

Four minutes later, however, they weren't to be denied. Hughes fizzed in a free-kick from the left which captain Raymond How deftly flicked home for a goal his personal performance richly merited - like Hughes, he had a terrific game.

Shore were in a deep hole, not a good situation to be in on a rough-and-ready playing surface which was far from conducive to free-flowing football, with bobbles here, there and everywhere.

Drake attempted to fire them out of it via a 33rd minute free-kick, but directed his effort straight at Pamment, who thwarted another set-piece from the same player three minutes later, after the home team had howled in vain for a penalty after Chris Bryson went down in a challenge.

Either side of this, Tauranga went close to extending their lead still further. Farey picked out Hughes, who produced a delightful piece of skill to evade three opponents before setting up Culpepper for a shot which Wilson tipped over the bar.

Then in the 37th minute, Cooper picked out Hughes on the left, where he beat two players before linking with Ewert. He again set up Farey, whose goalbound volley cannoned off Luke Jackson for a corner.

Hughes delivered the ball to the near post, where Culpepper was lurking with intent, and duly delivered - 3-0 Tauranga. Who would have picked

that? And so nearly a fourth two minutes later, Cooper volleying narrowly wide after Conor Dunne and Farey had combined neatly on the right.

Jaryd Gray and Drake attempted to secure Shore a lifeline before the half-time whistle, but their wayward efforts summed up the half for the home team, from whom a much improved second spell was essential.

They certainly fulfilled that part of the equation, but penetrating Tauranga's well-organised ranks proved to be something else again. Things might have panned out differently, however, had How not denied Gray with a superbly timed tackle in the 47th minute.

From the resulting corner, Marcus Nolde rattled the roof of the net, rather than the bar, after Drake's delivery had been flicked on by Alan Llunes.

Ten minutes later, Shore got back into the game on the scoreboard. Seconds after Wilson had turned a Hughes shot round the post, the home team cleared the resulting corner and sprung a counter-attack led by Olly Ceci.

He played a one-two with Gray before feeding Bryson, whose darting run through the inside right channel culminated in him evading a defender before beating Pamment all ends up at his near post - 3-1.

After this, the whites of Pamment's eyes were sighted far more often than those of Wilson, as Shore pressed for a second goal. Try as they might, however, it wouldn't come.

Gray sent substitute Andrew Cowell flying down the right in the 66th minute, and his first-time cross found Bryson sliding in on the far post, only to direct the ball inches wide under pressure.

Five minutes later, Nolde worked an opening with Johnson, whose teasing cross out of the sun was misjudged by Pamment. How was on hand to scramble the ball to safety, affording the visitors a brief respite from the home team's concerted raids.

The occasional Tauranga attack also served the visitors' cause well in this regard. One, in the 74th minute, earned a corner, from which Hughes' delivery was cleared to Ewert. His close-range volley cannoned to safety off Sillars, Shore's captain.

Both teams went close to altering the scoreline inside the next ten minutes, with Hughes shooting straight at Wilson after Pamment had kept out a cross-shot from Ceci and a Drake drive which the Shore man knew should have been directed to either side of the solid shot-stopper.

Still Shore pressed, Pamment plucking a Jackson cross off the head of Drake five minutes from time, before looking on as Drake saw a shot blocked by Cooper prior to Cowell sending a twenty-yarder flashing past the upright.

The final minutes saw all sorts of silly stuff going on, with a combination of fouls, gamesmanship, Shore's desperation, Tauranga's tenacity and futile verbal tirades all contributing to the additional six minutes of action.

The visitors knew they had Shore's measure long beforehand, however, and when Nolde headed wide from Cowell's prodigious long throw-in, the game was up for the home team, and with it, their prospects of sealing promotion on their own terms.

Shore have one final chance to clinch a return to the top flight, at home to Mangere United next Saturday. But even if they win that match, their fate is no longer in their hands.

Should Shore and Tauranga - who visit Waiuku next Saturday before hosting both Ngaruawahia United and Mangere in the coming weeks - win their remaining matches, they will be level on points, so it will come down to goal difference.

While the country's oldest club holds the upper hand on that score at present, you wouldn't bet against the Baysiders embarking upon a goalscoring blitz before their campaign concludes, as they bid to end a seven-year absence from the top flight of New Zealand's foremost and longest-running winter football league competition.

Shore: Wilson; Sinclair, Llunes, Sillars, Johnson; Hitchen (Cowell, 63), Drake, Ceci; Gray (booked, 22), Nolde, Bryson

Tauranga: Pamment; Farey, Styles, How (booked, 90), Nahna (Boom, 82); Hughes, Culpepper, Dunne (Fletcher, 67), Ali; Ewert, Cooper (booked, 73)

Referee: Mazhar Batoor

Northern League