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1st XI 2-6 Motueka 1st XI
Location: Motueka
Goals: Will Mathews (1), Seth Watson (1)
Match MVP: Jesse Wilson
The Men’s First XI travelled to Motueka for Round 1 of the Nelson Pine’s Division 1 in 2023, looking to start the season with a bang.
Unfortunately, the eagerly awaited season opener will, perhaps, go down in memory, more for the pre-game mystery of the missing socks, rather than for any on field brilliance. Kick off was delayed whilst MVP for the day, Jesse, hustled to provide the boys with playing socks, after it became apparent that the kitbag was entirely without.
10 minutes behind schedule but more importantly, with socks on, the game finally kicked off and the season got underway. A new look Tahuna team, despite a sharp warm up, started slowly, with Motueka controlling the early stages. A couple of early chances fell to the home side, with Joe making a sharp stop down to his right before the bounce of the early season pitch forced a looping effort over the crossbar, keeping the score locked at 0-0.
Tahuna looked to be finding their feet, threatening twice to open the scoring on the counter, after some slick interchange between IT, Will and debutant Jake up top. Then, out of seemingly nothing, Mot managed to open the scoring. A long ball over the back line, turned Tahuna around, and a low cross, as the boys transitioned, was collected by the Motueka striker, who was bundled over inside the box as Tahuna scrambled back in defence – penalty awarded and converted for 1-0.
Going down seemed to energise the away side, who responded with a well worked goal of their own to level the scores shortly after. Some dogged work by captain Josh, teed up Joe who stood a ball up at the back stick for Will to finish off the post, 1-1.
With the scores level, the Tahuna front three, supported by Macca in the 10 pressed for another opening. The game became stretched, as Mot, who looked dangerous throughout, looked to release their playmakers and take the lead.
A period of end-to-end football haulted when the referee awarded a second penalty of the afternoon, and a second to the home side. This one as Mot recycled the ball on the edge of the Tahuna box, the Mot striker going down under pressure from behind. Different taker, same result, 2-1 Motueka.
Just as the equaliser had galvanised our boys, the second goal seemed to deflate them whilst spurring Mot on. Tails up, they took over the game, scoring twice more before the halftime whistle. Both coming from defensive mistakes, leaving Joe 1-on-1 with the in-form Mot striker, who completed his hat-trick with the fourth goal.
As the halftime whistle went, Tahuna headed to the sheds trailing 4-1.
The second half got underway with Tahuna looking to rebuild some confidence and find a way back into the game. Showing a bit more patience on the ball, Tahuna held possession well in the opening moments of the half, but it was Mot who threatened first. Forcing a turnover high up, the resulting snapshot blazed over the bar.
Tahuna continued to settle, and worked the ball well on a number of occasions, finally reducing the deficit 15 mins into the second half, when Seth netted from a breakaway down the right flank. The centre back unmarked in the box, slotting home. What he was doing that high up the pitch remains a mystery, but we’re glad he was! The score now 4-2, and Tahuna looking increasingly threatening.
The next 15 minutes of the game became frantic, both teams losing their structure and focusing on trying to add to the scoreline. Tahuna will feel hard done by to have not reduced the deficit further. In the space of a few minutes IT had a goal disallowed for in a questionable offside call - unfortunately, VAR was unavailable on this occasion - before Jake, Will and Ash had shots saved, blocked or deflected inside the Mot 18 yard box.
Despite pushing, Tahuna could not find a third, and when Mot were awarded their third penalty of the day on the break, extending the score to 5-2 with 10 to, the game was all but over. Tahuna dispossessed on the half way line, in what most on the side-lines felt was a foul, before a scramble in the box resulted in the penalty. GK Joe tripping his opponent as he tried to smother the ball and block the shot.
Mot added a final nail in the coffin late on, capitalising on a misplaced pass at the back to tie up the game 6-2. Although the scoreline reads poorly, the lads can take plenty of positives away from their first outing together as a team and build for the rest of the season. Starting next week, as we host Nelson Suburbs Reserves in R2, 3PM Saturday April 29th.
Match Report by Matt.
2nd XI 1-7 FC Nelson Karenni
Location: Guppy Park
Goals: Rob Myers (1)
Match MVP: Darryn Fitzgerald & Will Murphy
The much-awaited first game of the season between Tahuna 2nd XI and FC Nelson Karenni was an electrifying clash that took place at the iconic Guppy Park. Tahuna had just been promoted to Division 2, and Karenni had just been relegated from Division 1, setting the stage for an epic showdown.
Right from the kick-off, Tahuna came out firing on all cylinders, playing some scintillating passing football that had the crowd on their feet. Karenni, known for their rapid and skillful players, tried to catch Tahuna on the counter, but Tahuna's defence stood firm.
After just 15 minutes, Tahuna took the lead in spectacular fashion. Dazza put in a bone-crunching tackle to win the ball, and with lightning-quick precision, he passed it wide to Gus, who squared it to Rob. Rob unleashed a rocket of a shot from outside the box, hitting the ball with the outside of his boot and sending it soaring into the top corner of the net. The crowd erupted with joy as Tahuna celebrated their well-deserved lead.
However, Karenni was not one to back down easily. They quickly shifted into a higher gear and started creating chances, putting Tahuna's defense under immense pressure. But Tahuna's goalkeeper, Will, was in top form, making two stunning one-on-one saves to keep his team in the lead. The game was now a thrilling end-to-end affair, with both teams giving it their all.
As the pace of the game intensified, Tahuna made some substitutions to freshen up their lineup. However, it seemed to disrupt their rhythm, and Karenni seized the opportunity. They struck back with a vengeance, scoring three quick goals in succession. First, their striker outpaced Tahuna's defense to collect a through ball and round Will and find the back of the net. Then, with some slick passing, Karenni found an unmarked player who made no mistake in finishing the chance. Before Tahuna could regain their composure, Karenni's left winger cut inside onto his right foot and buried the ball in the bottom corner with a clinical finish.
Despite the setback, Tahuna refused to back down. They fought back valiantly, trying to find a way back into the game. However, Karenni's defense stood strong, and their counter-attacks remained a constant threat. Labu Pan, in particular, was a force to be reckoned with, dictating the game with his mazy runs and creating havoc in Tahuna's defense.
The second half saw Tahuna playing some tidy football, getting it wide and creating chances that fell to Dazza, Gus, and Piter. But luck was not on their side, as they struggled to get shots on target to find the back of the net. Karenni, on the other hand, continued to be lethal on the counter, exploiting Tahuna's tired legs and scoring four more goals in the second half, despite Will's best efforts in nets. The highlight came courtesy of Labu, where he picked up the ball deep in his own half, danced through the midfield and past defenders with sublime skill, before sitting Will down on the ground to walk the ball home and complete his hat-trick.
Despite the defeat, Tahuna can hold their heads high, knowing they gave it their all against a formidable opponent. The new faces in the team showed promise, and there is much to look forward to in the upcoming matches. Karenni displayed their quality and showed why they are expected to be one of the strongest teams in the division. Tahuna will now regroup and look to bounce back in their next game against Golden Bay.
Match Report by Will.
3rd XI 6-0 Richmond Stags
Location: Ngawhatu
Goals: Pedro Ivo (3), Sayha Mens (2), Rhys Black (1)
Match MVP: Matt
Great job guys total team effort.
Very happy with our passing and how comfortable players are on the ball. Very happy with our closing them down, which really killed them in the first half. We know we can score and from all over the pitch, both Kyle and Rhys lost their virginity today (goal virginity) and scored.
Gotta say and I'll stick my neck out 'I think Rhys scored goal of the season.' Pedro got 3 and Sayha also go 1, so we don't rely on any 1 scorer. We got a bit tired late in the second but they didn't have much more than us and we dealt with it. Clean sheet Ollie, (thats when you don't pick the ball out of your own net).....nah I was just lucky. I think we had their attack in our pocket and the defense and midfield just snuffed everything out. We went 5-0 up at half time and got another in the second 6-0, so great job guys.
Man of the match. Matt (all the team deserved it, but Matt put in that 110%, great job mate)
Match Report by Colin.
4th XI 6-1 Suburbs Sky Blues
Location: Ngawhatu
Goals: Jonny Lewis 3, Adam Crichton 2, Daniel Hall 1
Match MVP: Bradley Jessop & Jonny Lewis
The sun was shining over a beautiful Ngawhatu, the grass was green, and the Pink Knights were ready to start their season off with a big win.
The first half started with both teams kicking the ball up field and hoping for the best. Banic, eager to put a stop to this, decided the best way to achieve this was to take out their striker's legs…from behind…and in the penalty box. Would be safe to say this wasn’t the start we were after. Their number 13 stepped up to the penalty spot and calmly smashed the ball straight into the crossbar. After a scramble from both teams, the ball was finally cleared away, and the boys took a sigh of relief.
The lads didn’t take their get-out-of-jail-free card for granted and began clawing back control of the match. A free kick taken quickly landed at our new star signings feet. Jonny who was still a long way away from the goalbox let alone the goal, decided to have a crack, and sure enough the ball screamed into the top right corner. 1-0.
The lads controlled the next ten minutes well, but one miss controlled through ball meant suburbs were in on goal. The ball was played back across the box and then in the back of the net 1-1. Jonny who had scored a sick goal, was then sick of the field and was replaced upfront by Adam. This meant Brad, our other star signing slotted into the back four.
The rest of the half was dominated by the Tahuna boys and soon enough Adam was 1 on 1 with the keeper. Adam hit the ball beautifully, floating the ball just over the keepers head and into the back of the Suburbs net 2-1. Not long after Daniel was required to take over goalkeeping duties after Zach suffered a bout of sickness. However, he was not to be deterred for long and the start of the second half saw him return to the field to see out the rest of the game.
The second half was a masterclass in football. Macca and Glenn dominated the midfield and barely gave the suburbs team time to breathe. Keris and Danyon created chance after chance frustratingly never quite resulting in a goal. However, it wasn’t long before the pressure was too much, and Jonny was away down the side-line and in on goal. To no one’s surprise it was shot beautifully, and the lads were 3-1 up.
The Tahuna onslaught didn’t stop there. The lads were putting on cost of living crisis levels of pressure on the Suburbs defence and were rewarded with a goal each for Adam, Jonny and Daniel. 6-1 Tahuna. Full Time.
The lads played extremely well, with almost every player having a standout performance. But POTD was split between Jonny - for his well-crafted Hat-Trick and Brad for a stalwart debut at centre back essentially shutting down the suburb's offence for the whole second half. 6 Goals and 3 Points. Let’s keep this momentum for the rest of the season lads. Up! Up! Tahuna!
Match Report by Daniel.
Breakers 0-4 FC Nelson Diamonds
Location: Tahuna S2
Goals: 0
Match MVP: Kylie
Thrills, spills and... stationery cycle warm up drills? Newly rebranded, the FC Diamonds met with a mostly familiar-faced Breakers team on a fine Saturday afternoon, with both teams eager to make their mark and secure the first win of the season. Amongst the regular crew, two of the fresh recruits Ruby and Arin looked right at home - welcome to the TFC family ladies!
Nervous about playing a first div team, 21 players spent the the first 10 hanging about in the Breakers half. A hairy-scary 10 minutes, with defense and KJ working hard to keep scraggly balls away from the net. The next 15 was relatively evenly matched, perhaps even slightly in favour of the Breakers who managed several breakaways and strategic passing sequences, only to be shut down by younger faster legs than their own. Despite the efforts to move the ball beyond their own half, an FC goal @ ~25min came as the result of a well played corner and a Diamond chipping it behind our keeper. Later, a beautiful (potential) own goal was saved by a ballet like rendition of catch the ball, spin and try not to fall into the goal by miss Kylie-Pavlova. Luck was not on the Breakers side when a shot hit the inside of the FC goal post post, how it didn't hit any player and rebound in is a miracle.
Halftime score 1 - 0 to FC Diamonds.
Sun still blazing, and first game fatigue setting in, the 2nd half unfortunately did not fall in our favour. Many highlights, the most memorable of which saw Marissa take a graceful tumble and backwards roll - lucky she knows a chiro or two!
We saw Sophie breakaway with a chance, and almost scoring but was foiled by an uncooperative foot. FC Diamonds landed two goals much the same, just too high for an averaged sized gal to reach, and put the icing on their own cake with a final goal from a throw in, pass back and a long lob of a kick into the goal. Full time whistle left us 4 down, despite a full 90 minutes of fight from both sides.
Player of the day went to Kylie for taking on the hard task of keeping a first div team at bay, and saving so many shots with all the grace and poise of a ballerina!
Match Report by Courtenay.
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