20 June 2025

bountymouse88
Jun 24
10 min read

Updated: Jun 24

Division 1: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 1st XI Division 2: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 2nd XI

Division 3: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 3rd XI Division 4:

Sprig + Fern Tahuna 4th XI

Women's Premiership: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Breakers Masters Football: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Masters

1st XI 1-2 Rangers AFC

Location: Tahunanui S1

Goals: Ethan

Match MVP: Joe Hold up a second! Who let the beavers over the hill??

Tahuna 1 – Rangers 2

There’s currently only one proven way to beat the Rangers—and that’s to play them in Nelson.

Tahuna 1sts were fired up to blast open Marlborough’s dam and shake up the league standings. With a win, we’d be right back in the mix, but unfortunately, the boys in blue couldn’t quite get it done this time, settling for second place on the day.

The match kicked off at a rapid pace, with Marlborough launching early attacks using the second-fastest player in the league leading their front line. Tahuna held firm for 15 minutes, but a quick break and a deflected shot saw the visitors take a 1–0 lead. Disappointment, yes—but not defeat.

Only five minutes later, disaster struck again. A lapse in defence allowed the beavers to snatch another goal, putting us 2–0 down. Heads dropped momentarily, but the energy on the pitch—and from the sidelines—kept us in it. There was belief. There was fight. There was noise.

Time to dig in. Let’s play.

From then on, Tahuna turned up the heat. Pressing high and attacking relentlessly, we forced Marlborough to retreat. Multiple corners, attacking throw-ins, and waves of pressure pinned them back—but we couldn’t find the net… until the 46th minute.

Another deadly set piece. Macca flicked on a header, Seth rose to challenge, and the Marlborough keeper—under pressure—fumbled it on the line. Who else but the in-form Hound Dog Ethan Skinner was there to pounce, bundling it home for his third goal of the season.

Halftime: 2–1. A breather. A reset. A very pleasant chat.

Back out for the second half, and thank god we’re a second-half team.

From the whistle, we took control. The dam was cracking. Marlborough, usually calm and composed, started to look rattled. We pressed, we harried, and we threw everything we had at them. Physicality ramped up. Tempers flared. The winemakers were fermenting into last year’s sav.

But the final blow never came.

Despite dominating the half and creating chances, the equaliser just wouldn’t drop. The full-time whistle blew with the scoreboard reading 2–1 to the visitors—but the story was closer than that.

A gritty performance. A spirited fight. And a reminder: the league isn’t over yet. Not by a long shot.

We go again.

Up the T! Match report by Seth Watson.

2nd XI 2-2 Locomotive

Location: Tahunanui S1

Goals: Will Mathews 2

Match MVP: Dan Smith

The last time we faced Locomotive, they slotted three goals straight from the footballing gods—including a last-minute free kick into the top bins that still haunts us in slow motion.

Despite being light on regulars thanks to injuries and the usual mysterious absences, Tahuna came out swinging. We bossed the ball, carved out chances, and generally looked like a team with purpose. Will Mathews continued his suspiciously prolific run of form, nodding home two headers so pristine they should’ve been bubble-wrapped.

Sadly, our other Will - birthday boy and part-time goalkeeper - had clearly over-celebrated. First came a spilled shot that trickled into the path of a grateful Loco striker to equalise for 1-1. Then, a second-half missed punch that saw the ball ricochet off Joe and into our own net for 2-2.

Locomotive didn't create much, but didn’t need to. We did the job for them. Still, there were plenty of positives: Dan tore up the wings, Munday dished out crunching tackles like party favours, Joe was everywhere, Danny made his long-awaited return from Peru (and mild hamstring trauma), and Will Mathews was back to his flying best.

A draw on the scoresheet, a win in spirit, and a cautionary tale about mixing goalkeeping with birthdays.

Match report by Will "Safe Hands" Murphy

3rd XI 2-2 Loco Steamers

Location: Tahunanui S2 Goals: Sayha, Binh

Match MVP: Binh Tahuna welcomed FC Nelson Loco Steamers to Tahuna S2 this past Saturday in a match that had the makings of a spicy tie, especially after the previous 7 goal thriller at Neale Park a few weeks back.

1st half: Tahuna kicked off knowing a win here would solidify their position at the top. However it seemed the change of playing day caught the boys napping as within 3 mins Tahuna found themselves 1-0 down after a neat bit of inter play from Loco saw them squeeze the ball under Tom Dunn at his near post.

Not to be deterred Tahuna had their tactical sniffing salt and kicked off. Straight away the salt did the trick as Sayha and Binh linked up well with Dong who fed it back to Sayha whose shot almost caught the Loco keeper unawares. A sign of things to come....

Tahuna then pressed on with Sobi and Will looking efficient in the midfield. Tahuna worked and ended up with a corner. Binh whipped in the cross and the ball fell to Dong who managed to flick it to Sayha, a mass of Loco bodies jumped at him as well as the Loco keeper. Unfortunately it wasn't to be as Loco recovered luckily. Tahuna pressed again and this time they got it right as Dong released Sayha who beat the Loco last man and slotted it into the keepers bottom left! 1-1 and Tahuna were straight back into it with 12 mins on the clock.

Loco kicked off and straight away Tahuna were on them like ants on jam. Will and Thorsten put in some crunching challenges, then Sobi got the ball on the right and launched a peach of a cross into Binh who chested it and then first time volleyed it into the back of the net. The home crowd went nuts!!! 2-1 Tahuna with 21 mins on the clock and Binh definitely in with a shout for goal of the season with that hit.

Loco, slightly demoralised, came back at Tahuna and it wasn't long before substitutions were made by both teams, Dong making way for Stu and Eric coming on for Ralph. Loco undeterred started using their physicality and tried to out muscle Tahuna. Sobi on the receiving end of numerous late challenges. The half came to a close as Tahuna held their slender 2-1 lead.

2nd half:

Oranges and positive encouragement at half time as Tahuna knew they needed to see the game off. Quan and Dong coming into the fray at the start of the half. Loco knew they needed to get themselves back into it and managed to put pressure on Tom but Tom wasn't having any of it and stood strong against each ball that came his way. Rhys getting into a lovers tiff with Loco's #6 Mark Sheehan. Sobi again was targeted by the Loco midfield but cards began being dished out as the game looked to descend into mayhem. Calls from both coaches to their players to keep the game flowing.

A number of neat plays from Will, Sobi, Dong and Binh released Sayha multiple times throughout the half but each time the poor lad just couldn't put it away. As the half went on the tackles from both teams went in. As the half drew to a close subs from both teams were made with Tahuna hoping to get that all important 3rd goal to seal the win, it wasn't to be however as with 85mins on the clock Loco took a shot on the edge of the box, Tom anticipating the shot went the right way to save but the ball clipped off the back of Rhys' heel and wrong footed Tom rolling past him and into the back of the net, you would have thought Loco had just won the cup final with the celebrating.

And that was how the score stayed to the end of the game. 2-2 as the whistle blew. A fair result for Loco Steamers and a game Tahuna knew they should have won. It was all smiles and banter in the pub afterwards as both teams shared jokes and pints with each other.

Next week, Tahuna face Richmond Bogans at Jubilee Park that promises to be one hell of a physical game for the 3rds.

Match report by Stuart Mountain.

4th XI 4-0 Richmond Brockies

Location: Jubilee Park

Goals: Luke, Jonny, Josh, Kyle

Match MVP: Isaiah Tahuna stormed to a commanding 4-0 win away to Richmond, scoring all four goals in a dominant first half that left the home side reeling.

The opening 20 minutes were evenly matched, with both sides battling for control and few clear chances. But in the 23rd minute, Luke gave Tahuna the lead with a low-driven shot that took a deflection and wrong-footed the Richmond keeper.

Seven minutes later, Jonny made it 2-0, running onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Luke and calmly finishing past the onrushing keeper.

In the 37th minute, Josh added a third after Adam's powerful strike was parried into his path. Josh reacted quickest and tucked the rebound away.

Tahuna’s fourth came seconds before halftime, as Kyle pounced on a loose ball at the top of the box and chipped the advancing keeper with a composed finish.

The second half saw chances for both sides, but neither could find the net. Richmond pressed for a consolation, while Tahuna looked dangerous on the break, yet the score remained unchanged.

MOTM Isaiah

It was a standout performance from Isaiah at centre-back, earning him Man of the Match honours. He led the defensive line with authority, making key tackles and clearances to keep Richmond at bay. The result also marked Tahuna’s first clean sheet of the season — a well-earned reward for a team effort.

Match report by Justin.

TFC Breakers 9-0 Wakefield Ladies

Location: Wakefield Domain

Goals: Emily 2, Aimee, Liv 3, Jes 3

Match MVP: Aimee

A chilly day in Wakefield set the scene for a dominant performance from the Tahuna Breakers. After fueling up with the obligatory Wakey Bakey, the team was ready to take the field. We were excited to welcome Vi, who stepped into the goalkeeper role with confidence for her debut.

Right from the whistle, the Breakers came out firing. EJ opened the scoring within 30 seconds, sprinting down the right wing and slotting a stunning chip into the far corner.

Wakefield held firm for much of the first half, showing grit and organisation. It wasn’t until the 30-minute mark that EJ struck again, this time with a smart tip-in from a Hannah corner, giving the Breakers a 2-0 lead at the break.

The second half saw the Breakers shift into high gear. Aimee converted another Hannah corner with a composed chip over the keeper, the celebrations that followed earned her the player of the match. Moments later, Liv breezed through the defense, calmly rounding the keeper to score her first of the day.

Not to be outdone, Jesikah, now on the right wing, mimicked EJ’s opening goal with her own solo run and finish. Liv, pushing through exhaustion, found her second with another trademark solo effort and finish past the keeper.

Jesikah wasn’t finished either—she received a perfectly timed pass from Jenna, chipped over the goalie, and shortly after, completed her hat trick off yet another quality corner from Hannah.

Liv then sealed her own hat trick, finishing a smooth pass from Ruby with a clinical shot into the net.

With 10 minutes remaining, Rebecca, now playing up front, danced through the Wakefield defense to slot home the Breakers’ final goal.

Despite the scoreline, full credit goes to Wakefield for their unwavering attitude and development. Their tenacity on a cold day made for a competitive and spirited match, the determination and strong, committed play, progress was evident, and they made us work hard for every goal.

It was also a day of mixed emotions. While we celebrated a strong team performance, we also said goodbye to Liv, who played her final game before returning to England. Liv, your energy, skill, and ever-present smile have meant the world to us. Thank you for everything you've contributed on and off the field. We wish you all the best and safe travels—you’ll be missed.

Match report by Cris Phelan.

TFC Masters 1-4 Nelson Suburbs Masters United

Location: Champion Green

Goals: Ed

Match MVP: Gaz

Tahuna Masters met up outside the Avery Fields toilet block for a Matariki head to head against Suburbs FC United. As we got changed amidst discarded cans and the partly used supplies of a first aid kit, the omens were clear, we were not particularly welcome. Suburbs United were riled up for a scrap. Although the football pitch they’d set aside for the game was a beaut, considering the recent rain fest.

Before kick off our team looked enviously at Suburbs United’s swelling substitute bench. As the game progressed even more players arrived – where were they all call coming from? Not to bother though, we had Gaz bustling and bossing in front of their back line. On one of our first forays up the field, he held up the ball, distributing to Paddy who laid it off to Ed on the right side of the box. The doctor prescribed a flashing goal into the left corner of Suburbs FC United, 1-0. Like a dose of Prozac to our veins we cheered and rushed back for the retake, hoping to build a higher advantage (well we did beat them 10-0 last time round). Any thoughts of an easy game again were quickly dashed however when Suburbs United looped a ball over our back line. The running forward lobbed Ollie with control, 1-1, minutes from our opener. The game got physical at this point, elbows and pushing and kicking at the heels. The Suburbs ref turned a blind eye to all of these challenges. This became a source of increasing frustration, particularly when one of our strikers was bundled over in their box, for what seemed like an obvious penalty. As our protests waned on Suburbs United rudely broke our line and dashed through for a second goal (1-2). We were still working out who should be taking the penalty…. The rest of the first half continued in this vein, the Suburbs punt over our back line was a constant threat. Their forwards were simply a lot quicker than our defence. Ollie saved spectacularly well on at least 1 occasion diving down to his right to stop a certain goal at one Suburbs United thrust.

At half time Kev reminded Tahuna Masters that we tend to play our best football in the second half. It felt like we started with energy and threatened with some potential goal scoring moments. But then the injuries started. Zane, Steve and Tomas hobbled off in quick succession. We literally ran out of substitutes. Sore and hobbling players spread across our pitch like a Dad’s Army reserve team. Our collective legs were gone. Whilst we switched our players around, swapping linesmen, wingers and defenders, Suburbs United took full advantage and popped in a couple more goals, 1-4. Suburbs laughed all of their spare substitutes on and off the pitch. We still had opportunities. Kev did some industrious work in midfield and Ed dribbled past players. But each of our pursuits up front either ended with a poor final ball (I must take responsibility for at least a few of these (sorry)) or another clatter at our ankles, elbow in our backs. Their number 4 reminded us time and time again he was there.. If only the Masters league distributed bookings and if only we had more players in reserve when our hammies, glutes and quads are shot?! It just wasn’t to be, which was a massive disappointment. An SOS has gone out to Tahuna HQ… We need some more 40 year olds for our army!

Match Report by Peter Batty.