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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Gisborne Boys' High out of Eastern Premiership, won't play last three games
By one measure, the strategy worked. In the Super 8 competition at Rotorua last month, Gisborne Boys' High had two wins from five games to finish sixth overall – their best finish since 2017. They beat Rotorua Boys' High 3-2 and, in post-pool play, beat Napier Boys' High School 3-0 – their first win against Napier in the Super 8 era. But the writing was on the wall when Piper rang Itman. The five defaults came in a span of seven fixtures. Piper said the teams scheduled to play Boys' High from now till the end of the season would be credited with 3-0 wins. This weekend's scheduled game between Boys' High and Maycenvale has already been listed on the Central Football website as a win for the Hawke's Bay side. 'Gisborne Boys' High entered with good intentions,' Piper said. 'The difficulty we have is that at the premiership level it is an aspirational league. 'When I spoke to Sebastian it was about ensuring the players still had somewhere to play, but I think we also have to consider all the clubs in the premiership and that is why this move was taken. 'They have 20 players across two squads. We had to consider both the integrity of the premiership and the need for the remaining [Boys' High] players to have somewhere to play.' Itman said three players had transferred to Heavy Equipment Services Gisborne United and four to Electrinet Thistle just before the transfer deadline at the end of June. United and Thistle sit fifth and sixth respectively in the Hawke's Bay-dominated premiership. The prospect of a third Gisborne team in the league – and the reduced travel burden as a result – was a factor in United's decision to re-enter the competition that used to be known as the Pacific Premiership. Itman said the remaining First XI players would join those from the school's reserve team in the Tairāwhiti Men's Championship. A run of injuries to key First XI players had meant that replacements were drawn from the reserves, who in turn relied on prefects, hockey players and 'whoever was keen to turn up to help' to keep the team playing. 'Now I have a new First XI playing in the Tairāwhiti Men's Championship, the top local division,' Itman said. He and assistant coach Darren Larkins had taken over the reins from Garrett Blair, whose job had made it difficult for him to attend practice, and they were looking forward to the continued development of the side. Boys' High will compete in the Trident secondary school tournament in Wellington in the last week of August and will use local league games to build combinations. They play Thistle Athletic Bobcats at the Boys' High back field at 12.30pm on Saturday. In the Eastern Premiership, Thistle play Western Rangers on Childers Road Reserve No 1 at 12.30pm, and Gisborne United play Napier Marist on the Bond Field at Park Island, Napier, at 3pm. Rangers and Marist lie eighth and ninth respectively.
NZ Herald
16-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Top four Eastern Premiership football teams on show in Gisborne Saturday
Thistle will be close to full strength. Coach Tam Cramer is likely to rest utility player Nick Land, who has been playing with a niggling injury, and midfielder Federico Suarez will still be missing through injury. But the influential 'spine' of the side – goalkeeper Mark Baple, centre backs Martin Kees and Junior Jimmy, midfielder Cory Thomson and striker Jimmy Somerton – will be there. 'We're expecting a tough game,' Cramer said. 'They won the Pacific Premiership last year – went through the season unbeaten – and they've been pretty good this year. 'With a full squad we fancy ourselves against anyone, but it won't be easy.' Gisborne United have looked to be title contenders in their first year back in this level of competition. They took their foot off the pedal in the second half of their game against HSOB Gisborne Boys' High School last week, but that won't happen against Havelock North. Player-coach Josh Adams has a side close to full strength, although Andy McIntosh – a standout performer in goal this season – is unavailable for the clash due to a longstanding commitment. Adams picked up an injury niggle on Tuesday and, with the Thistle-United derby only a week away, will look to protect it by playing in goal. He has played there before and is not a weakness in that position, but he will be missed up front. Campbell Hall will take his place as central striker and will offer a different though still effective type of threat. Corey Adams will play alongside Hall. Sam Royston looks set to be in the starting line-up at right wingback, a role he has filled admirably in the past two weeks. The rest of the side look solid. Dane Thompson, Dan Torrie and Aaron Graham are a formidable central midfield combination and central defenders Kieran Higham, Ryan Anderson and Jonathan Purcell are all likely to feature at some stage. Kieran Venema is also having a good season in the back four or in a holding midfield position. Warren Muir has come into the squad and can cover both goalkeeping and outfield positions. United will need to be at the top of their form, as Havelock North have an enviable reputation as perennial contenders for honours at this level and above. HSOB Gisborne Boys' High School travel to Hastings to take on Western Rangers, who are only three points ahead of them on the league table. Centre back Kauri Holmes is unavailable, but midfielder Matt Hills and defender Kaden Manderson return to the squad. Left back Kyran Lasenby, who has been sidelined with an elbow fracture, is expected to be fit for training in a week or so, and goalkeeper Aiden Armstrong came through the game against United with a man-of-the-match performance a week after dislocating a finger. Coach Garrett Blair said he would have a squad of 15 to travel and was looking for a continuation of last week's second-half performance. Jacob Adams would probably play alongside Hills in an attacking midfield role, with Euan Cramer looking to build play from deeper positions. Blair said Boys' High had interschool qualifying games against Hastings Boys' High School on May 26, Napier Boys' High two weeks after that and Lindisfarne College on June 19. Eastern Premiership games were providing invaluable preparation for those matches.
