25 July 2026
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
Division 1: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 1st XI Division 2: Sprig + Fern Tahuna 2nd XI Sprig + Fern Tahuna 3rd XI Division 4:
Women's Premiership: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Womens XI Masters Football: Sprig + Fern Tahuna Masters
1st XI 1 - 5 Rangers AFC
Location: A&P Park
Goals: James
Match MVP: Adam
The beach boys made the trip over the hill chasing a historic league treble over Rangers, having already got one over them twice this season. As expected, there wasn’t exactly much love lost between the two sides after those encounters, and it’s fair to say there’ll be a few names crossed off Christmas card lists come December.
Already missing nine first-team regulars through illness, injury and relocation (seriously… who voluntarily swaps Nelson for Palmy?), the squad took another hit on the morning of kick-off when Thang was ruled out due to a family illness. Safe to say the treatment table has been busier than the Sprig at prizegiving.
Despite the lengthy absentee list, the boys still believed they had enough quality to take the game to Rangers and leave with the point—or preferably all three—needed to lock in second place. Unfortunately, unlike the previous meeting where Tahuna flew out of the blocks and raced into a two-goal lead, this week the footballing brains, legs and intensity were all left in the changing sheds. At this level, if you give a side a 30-minute head start they’ll happily say “thank you very much,” and Rangers certainly did, racing to a three-goal lead inside 25 minutes.
As they have all season, though, the boys showed plenty of character. Seth scrapped for a loose ball in the box and won a penalty just before the break, which James “Just Enjoy It” Owen calmly tucked away with all the composure of a man knocking one around in the back garden. Game on… sort of.
The goal also seemed to rattle the home side, who decided that if they couldn’t always kick the ball, they’d have a decent crack at kicking anything wearing blue instead. The referee was kept busy while the boys picked up a collection of fresh boot prints to take home as complimentary “Welcome to Blenheim” souvenirs.
After some honest conversations, a few tactical tweaks and plenty of jet planes, Tahuna emerged looking much more like themselves. The second half was a proper contest. Credit has to go to an experienced Rangers defence who defended their box well and repeatedly snuffed out attacks just as they threatened to become something meaningful. Seth, Nick and Ethan all went close, but the final touch just wouldn’t fall.
With time running out and the game slipping away, Tahuna naturally threw a few more bodies forward in search of a miracle. As football often does, it punished that ambition. Rangers broke quickly and, in one of the more bizarre moments of the afternoon, their winger chopped onto his left foot as IT closed him down, somehow managed to kick himself, stagger a few more steps, then hit the deck in a delayed collapse that would’ve earned admiring nods from Robert Pires circa 2004.
The assistant referee was convinced enough to wave the flag, the penalty was awarded, and Rangers converted to put the game beyond doubt.
A late counterattack added further gloss to the scoreline, leaving the final result a fair reflection of Tahuna’s nightmare opening half-hour, but perhaps a little harsh on the hour of football that followed. Football’s a funny old game sometimes.
No time for feeling sorry for ourselves, though. We dust ourselves off, go again, and welcome league champions FC Nelson to Tahuna next weekend for the final game of the season, with one last job to do—protect the unbeaten home record.
Match report by Jepo
2nd XI 1 - 4 FC Nelson Reserves
Location: Tahunanui S1
Goals: Munday
Match MVP: Fletcher
Tahunanui started the match brightly, applying pressure from the opening whistle. Strong pressing and winning both the first and second balls created an early opportunity, which Munday finished clinically to give the home side a deserved lead.
FC Nelson Reserves responded well, finding an equaliser before building sustained attacking pressure that forced Tahunanui to dig deep defensively. Two more goals before the halftime break gave the visitors a 3–1 advantage and took the wind out of Tahunanui's sails.
The halftime team talk sparked renewed energy, and Tahunanui came out determined to fight their way back into the contest. They created several promising chances but were unable to convert them.
As they committed more players forward in search of goals, they became vulnerable at the back, and FC Nelson Reserves capitalised late in the match, scoring a fourth to seal the result.
Man of the Match: Fletcher, he continued to impress on the left wing, working tirelessly in both defence and attack while showing great intent throughout the game.
Match report by Blessings
3rd XI 1 - 7 Suburbs Seals
Location: Tahunanui S2 Goals: Binh
Match MVP: Binh
1-0 up in the first 5 minutes! Could this be a day to remember for the Tahuna thirds...
Unfortunately it would not be. The next and last 7 goals of the game were scored by the away side, be they were just getting our hopes up.
We can only put the loss down to the absence of superstar coach Stu and star man Rhys, next week will be our week!
Match report by Joe
4th XI 3 - 0 Default
Location: Sprig & Fern Tahuna
Goals: Joe (3)
Match MVP: Joe
The 4ths secured their easiest 3 points of the season on Tuesday after The Wannabies defaulted early. We figure they were so worried about their goal difference that a 3-0 loss via default was more favourable. Big ups to Brad, Gabe and Jed for stepping up into 2nd div to help out the 3rds. See you all at training
Match report by Zach
TFC Womens XI 6 - 0 Motueka
Location: Memorial Park
Goals: Ana (2) Bailey, Becs, Roxy, Grace
Match MVP: Grace Ruby stepping up to the managers spot.
Off to Mot, sunny or not.
Eleven players behind the wheel.
Eager to hear the pre match spiel.
Onto the pitch looking tidy in blue.
Oh, no watch out or the mud will get you!
Mud butt Becs charges up top.
Slips to the ground unable to stop.
Brown becoming the new kit colour.
The whole team crowd in to help each other.
Jenna comes in to have a shot.
Motueka do their best to make her stop.
No one could have predicted what happened next.
A water mine explodes leaving three players wondering what the heck?!
Cries follow of "watch out for the hole!"
But the ball keeps going in like it's some vortexed bowl.
Corners practically impossible on the right.
Roxy stepped up and unfortunately took flight.
Newbie Ana found her feet.
Dipping and weaving and looking rather neat.
The opening goal has the crowd of one roar.
Bailey and Becs also add to the first half score.
Rather tired from the struggle in the muck.
The team have a break and discuss the pitch like what the f@$#.
Second half on firmer ground.
Becs time up front has her having a breather on the ground.
Roxy and Vi perform some outstanding play.
And Lyshas knee decides it's had it for the day.
A memorious moment leaving the bystanders proud.
Grace carves through the opposition like she's floating on a cloud.
A well placed shot gains her her first ever goal.
Everyone smiling so good for the soul.
Roxy and Ana score two more for the team.
Leaving the pitch like it was some muddy hilarious dream.
A 6 nil win for the women in blue and brown.
Player of the day to Grace for her never ending effort and some sweet play.
Shout out to the Motueka Keeper, an absolute trooper who made some fantastic saves.
Match report by Abbi
TFC Masters 2 - 0 Richmond Masters
Location: Tahunanui S3
Goals: Diego, Paddy
Match MVP: Ed
As a team we arrived at today’s cup game knowing we’ve underperformed with results recently. We always have heart. We often have the best efforts. But despite this, we’ve been sitting on the wrong side of results time and time again. So cometh the cup, we’re keen to cometh the team we know we are….
Kev had us playing triangles repeatedly in midweek training. And honestly, it seemed to make all the difference today… Tahuna started the game playing trigonometry. We were always one X beyond them. But for all our funky isosceles, goal number one was a present from the Meadows back line.
Cunny was a tiger. The ball was in their quarter and a lost cause for us. But Cunny was having none of that. He pressed and heavy breathed on the back line. His desperate panting resulted in a hospital pass which spilled out, banana slipping to Diego. Thank you very much said the Brazilian who waxed lyrical with a crisp pass into the goal, 1-0 the Huna.
Shortly after the ball ghosted through the Meadows back line to me and I aimed away from the keeper’s reach only to find a defender blocking the shot for a certain second… Diego and Paddy shot their load from afar repeatedly. And Gaz had a free kick header effort… If he’d just puffed it down, it would have been another notch in the score column for him. But his forehead was more hardwood than softwood and spooned over the cross bar, half a metre out.
To be fair to the Meadows, despite all of our possession and territory they had a couple of breakthrough chances. One of their strikers was left six yards out but his effort was closer to the corner flag than our goal.
Second half started with a scare. Gaz + Cam + Ollie + Meadows front man = a collision of 4 with a shot that streaked just wide of our goal post. Ed and Goody worked well together to put through Diego who did a sweet curling effort, which curled towards the keeper’s hands. Ollie was exposed 1 on 1 again but our Martinez-maniac stayed brave, jumping left to snuffle out a cannon towards our goal.
Cunny kicked out and gave some back chat which scored a yellow. Whereas Thomas, perched on the edge of the 18-yard box, miles from where he wanted to be, wrote a “Messi,” using his Matrix, Neo feet to shadow through 2 Richmond attackers, as if they were playing in a different dimension.
And through the midfield the ball pursued towards Paddy who took it left, and took it hard, and smacked it on the inside of the post for a 2-0 lead. I lost count of the amount of times we broke their lines beyond then… Diego was through! Goody was in! Ed is threatening! … Even I had a shot (that was closer to Nelson golf course than the uprights). Oh man!
And then Ed was completely mullered for the photoshop definition of a stone wall penalty. 10 seconds earlier Kev had given some instructive feedback about how you shouldn’t force the ball, you need to simply side foot it. Come penalty time he dutifully skied it towards the summit of Botanical Hill.
The Meadows tried to put their big man through, but Ollie was the jolly green giant and just put that boy in the back of his pocket, each and every time. Richmond bailed over our 68-year old with a hip fracture of a tackle, but Pete H popped up like the slinky that he is. We ventured to increase our XG score to historical levels. But ultimately had to leave the game with a well deserved two to zip. Bring on the Suburbs, bring on the cup! That was great fun. Match Report by Pete B
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