MATCH REPORT: Round 09 vs Onehunga Mangere AFC

23 May

NRFL Men's First Team Round 08 Match Report: Onehunga Mangere vs East Coast Bays, Mangere Domain, Saturday 20th May 2023.

Ugly Game in Horrible conditions leads to shock loss for Bays 

It was a return to league action after the big win in the Chatham Cup last Saturday with a trip to South Auckland to play Onehunga Mangere, at Mangere Domain. Many changes to the starting line-up saw some first team players returning to the starting line-up and young Nathan Pepper on the bench. Raining lashing down and gale force winds made the conditions to play very tricky. This will be a shortened match report as the conditions made it hard to make notes with a very soggy notebook.

Bays started off well playing into the wind. Jack played a long ball out to the right where Nicolai brought the ball down & had his shot blocked. Thomson played the ball out to Nicolai who played it back into Thomson who had his shot cleared away. The same two players linked up again with Nicolai having a left footer going just wide. Jack then played in Thomson who turned and had his shot blocked. From the corner, the ball was cleared out to Nick who had his shot blocked with the rebound ending up in the keepers arms. At the other end a shot by Manko was blocked & then saved by Louie. Mohebbie then had a shot blocked out for a corner. Bays were then lucky not to be a goal behind when a deflected shot was headed home by S Lewis but the flag went up for offside.

Bailey then had a shot pushed away by the Connolly. Bays then had a free kick that Callum played to the back post but Bailey was flagged offside. Nicolai broke again down the right and had his shot saved low down. Most of Bays play was down the right flank and Nicolai had a cross turned behind for a corner. Meanwhile, Onehunga Mangere used the wind to their advantage by playing a number of long balls forward. A Bays corner by Nicolai was punched clear by Nicolai and then a Mikey Gaze cross from the right found Thomson whose shot was blocked for a corner. Nicolai & Thomson then linked up again with the former seeing his shot go straight to the keeper. Van Der Heijden then made a break down the left and James cut out his cross for a corner. Nicolai then played a great through ball down the middle but it was just out of reach of David and cut out by Stevens. Callum then played in Thomson in the middle but another shot was blocked for a corner. Nothing eventuated from this and the referee blew for half time.

Half time score read Onehunga Mangere 0 East Coast Bays 0 in very wet & windy conditions. Bays created a number of first half chances but desperate defending kept the score line to Nil. Bays passing game was scuppered by a very wet & sodden ground with the ball travelling very slowly on the soggy surface. Early in the second half, Nicolai played in David but he was flagged offside. Khalil was then booked for a late tackle on Bailey. Bays were cut open big time in the 59th minute when S Lewis played a ball straight down the middle of the Bays defence and Manko toe poked the ball first time from a reasonable distance out and the ball sailed into the bottom corner past Louie. Against the run of play, Onehunga Mangere had taken the lead to lead 1-0. Bays were lucky not to be two down when a `ball across the middle found Khalil, who was completely unmarked. Instead of slotting home, he sent his shot way over the crossbar.

In the 63rd minute Bays made three changes with Dylan, Declan & Sam coming on for Nick, Nicolai & Mikey Gaze. From a Jack long throw, Dylan turned & shot but his shot was blocked for a corner. Callum then played in Dylan and his right foot shot from just outside the box went straight along the ground to the keeper. Bays made another change in the 71st minute when Liam came on for Mikey K. Dylan was well into the action and next had a left foot shot saved low down by the keeper. OM then made a change with Marsden coming on for Van Der Heijden. Liam then made a great run down the right and his cross into the middle was cleared. From a Callum corner, Sam headed home at the back post but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the keeper. Jack played the ball into the centre and Dylan had another shot blocked at close range. Dylan then chipped a ball over to David on the right and his dink over the keeper did not find any Bays player at the back post. Liam was then played through on the right and as he moved into the box, he shot & the keeper did well to save with his outstretched leg. Khalil then had a long range shot saved by Louie. In a rare Onehunga break, Mank broke down the right. His cross to the back post found S Lewis completely unmarked. Instead of scoring, Lewis headed over from close range. S Lewis went off shortly after, injured, and was replaced by Zulaika in the 87th minute.

Bays then had a free kick on the left and David had his header blocked for a corner. From Callum’s corner, the keeper saved in the centre of goal. Thomson was then clean through on the left side of the box and his left foot shot saved. Onehunga were still just lumping the ball forward. From one of these Marsden went shoulder to shoulder with James before crossing for Knight to head over. Bays then had a free kick just outside the box for a foul on Liam. Instead of a shot from the free kick, Dylan crossed to the back post but the cross drifted out for a goal kick. A couple of minutes later the referee blew the whistle for full time and Bays had slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat. Bays had not played that well and the slowness of the boggy pitch certainly did not help with the passing game.

Full time and the score read Onehunga Mangere 1 East Coast Bays 0. Next week it’s back to Bay City Park for a home game against Mt Albert Ponsonby. If Mikey Kolston plays, he will bring up his century of games for the Bays first team.               

Final Score: Onehunga Mangere 1 vs East Coast Bays 0

Onehunga Mangere: F Connolly, M Stevens, V Hakim, L Van Der Heijden, H Muller, G Lewis, S Lewis, M Manko, A Khalil, K Vollebregt, M Mohebbie

Subs: D Marsden 76, D Knight 78, K Zulaika 87

East Coast Bays : L Caunter, M Gaze (S Wilson 63), J Edgeler, B Stevenson, C Simmonds, N Berry (D Stansfield 63), N Gaze (D Sweeney 63), M Kolston (L Andersen 71), T Nkoy, D Brown, J Caunter

Onehunga Mangere Goal: M Manko 59

Offical Attendance: 122 plus 15 broken umbrellas

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