PlaceMakers PNBHS 1st XI Football v Whanganui City Report
In the penultimate round of the Horizons Premiership, the PlaceMakers PNBHS 1st XI ventured back to Whanganui, this time to play the City team. Trying to keep title dreams alive, Whanganui City were hoping to get another win over PNBHS. This was not to be, with PNBHS running away in the second half to take the points; 5-1.
A blustery crosswind and heavy pitch greeted PNBHS at Wembley Park. PNBHS wasted no time to get on the ball early in the game and build attacking opportunities. Alex King attempted to go over the top of the defence, sending a 30-meter cross-field ball to the feet of Thomas Bell. Beating the keeper, Thomas’s last touch was cleaned up by a desperate City center-back. It wasn’t long after that Bay Shi found himself with space in the midfield to break the defensive line, teeing Jaiden Meyer up, who finished into the side net, leaving the keeper with little chance. Another PNBHS defensive corner blunder allowed City to level the game, while at the attacking end, Thomas Bell and Riley Maclean had shots on target snapped up by the City keeper. Halftime: 1-1.
The second half started with PNBHS having more intent to hold possession and work the ball quickly into open channels. Driving deep towards goal, a pass directed across the box by Ben Mori to three PNBHS shirts ended with Riley Maclean tangling with the keeper and the ball, unhindered, rolling across the paint – the goal awarded to Ben Mori. Possession was stolen quickly at the restart and Jaiden Meyer drove a mid-range shot past the keeper, notching up his second for the game and 25th for the season. Whanganui’s frustrations began to take toll on their morale and PNBHS ankles – City giving away penalties through lazy tackles. Catching the City keeper and most others off guard, Ben Mori launched his free-kick over the top of a readying defensive wall. City, caught with their pants down, could do nothing to stop it; Ben scoring his 60th goal for the PNBHS 1st XI. Not settling there, Bay Shi cut through the defence again, this time to Adarsh Dutt, creating a one on one with the keeper – Adarsh prevailing.
Defensively, the PlaceMakers PNBHS 1st XI were solid. Matthew Draper, Jayden Simpson, Keiran Giddens, and Alex King made work easy for Brooklyn Browne, setting and directing the defensive block to good effect and dispossessing and shutting down much of the City attack. Tidy glove work from Brooklyn kept a late-headed attempt out of net and left the score 5-1 to end the game.
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