MATCH REPORT: Round 15 vs Metro FC
NRFL Men's First Team Round 15 Match Report: East Coast Bays vs Metro FC, North Harbour Stadium # 4, Saturday 15th July 2023.
Metro Park the Bus to try and thwart Bays but Bays eventually break through and win comfortably
After a week off league action after no game the previous week Bays returned to action with a home game against Metro at North Harbour Stadium Outer field Number4. With a number of injuries as well as players away through illness & on holiday, Bays made changes to the line-up that faced Fencibles. Bailey was in the starting line-up and Logan started a league game for the first time this season. It was also a welcome to new signing from Metro, Nathan Maisey, who was on the bench.
Metro started brightly when a shot by Maclou was partially blocked by Logan with the rebound safely collected by Louie. At the other end Nick was played through and his left foot shot was saved for a corner. From that corner, Dylan and Bailey had shots saved. Thomson made a break down the right wing and his cross was blocked for another corner. From Callum’s corner Logan flicked the ball on and Dylan looked like he was brought down as he was about to shoot. No penalty given. Logan played Thomson through and his cross was cleared before Dylan could pull the trigger. Bailey was making inroads on the left side and after cutting in his right foot shot went straight to the keeper. Metro were well under pressure and resorted to putting nine men behind the ball to stop the waves of Bays attacks. Thomson had another cross blocked and from the resulting Callum corner Dylan though he had scored before being penalised for a foul on the keeper.
An accidental through ball by Moses almost played Dylan in but the keeper was smartly out to take the ball off Dyl’s feet. The breakthrough came in the 26th minute when Logan chipped a ball over the Metro defence. Dylan only needed one touch to bring the ball down and the second touch saw the ball in the bottom right hand corner for 1-0 to Bays. Thomson then played in Leo down the right. His cross into the middle saw shots by Moses & Bailey saved. Metro were playing the counter attack with just Coghlan & Maclou up front. Maclou went straight down the middle but a great blocking tackle from James stopped him getting any closer to Louie’s goal. One of the Metro defenders then played a dreadful back pass that went out for a corner. Callum’s corner cleared everyone in the middle but just sailed past the back post. Mikey K played Dylan through. He went around the keeper but ended up a fraction wide of the goal. Nick then found a way through but his shot went along the ground to a grateful Metro keeper.
Bays second goal was a little bit fortuitous but it was good following up by Leo. Nick tried his luck but his shot spun up off a Metro defender and behind their line of defence. Leo chased through and hit a left foot shot under the keeper for 2-0 to Bays. Bailey then linked up with Thomson & Dylan. A sharp turn by Dylan and his left footer went just past the post. The half time whistle went and the score read EC Bays 2 Metro 0. Bays had created many chances in the first half but a combination of a stoic defence and some fine saves by the Metro keeper kept the score down to just the two strikes. Bays had toiled hard and were very patient in trying to get unlock a packed defence.
Bays had a lucky escape just after half time when Squires flicked a Metro free kick on and his header only just cleared the crossbar. Mikey K chipped over the top to Moses who was unmarked on the far side but Moses shot went high & wide. The next Metro free kick was headed clear by James. Moses then played in Nick who was caught in a Metro defensive sandwich between two defenders. Nick stumbled through that and was then brought down as he tried to go around the keeper. The play was brought back to a free kick just outside the box for the first foul but surely, if advantage was being played it should have been a penalty. Dylan’s free kick went high & wide.
Bays continued their barrage on the Metro goal. Callum’s corner to the back post found Logan but he did not control the ball well enough and it was cleared. Moses played in Dylan and his shot was saved down by the keeper’s legs. Mikey K had a go from long range for a rare goal but that shot went well over. Metro made a change in the 60th minute with M Sheikh coming on. Metro almost scored from a corner when a header by Squires was heading for the top corner before Louie made an acrobatic save to palm the ball away for a corner. Bays then made two changes with Nathan coming on for his Bays debut and Liam also coming on for Thomson & Bailey.
A cross from the right by Moses saw Liam shoot against the base of the post before rebounding away to safety. Metro made their second change in the 70th minute with Viggiano coming on. Maclou was then shown a yellow card for fouling Mikey K. James played in Nathan but his left foot shot also went high & wide. Liam then played in Moses and his cross was met at the back post by an attempted bicycle kick from Nick. From another Metro free kick, Smith had a shot blocked by Callum before being cleared away to safety. Leo then went on a jinking run down the right hand side before cutting across the face of goal and having a right foot shot saved low down by the busy Metro keeper. Bays then made two more changes as JS Chang and Orlando replaced Nick and Dylan.
There was still time for Liam to have a ball smashed into his face from close range. Liam was down but after a wee while he was back on the field but possibly not entirely sure where he was. A ball down the right side found Chang and his shot went just wide. Bays scored again when another break down the right was crossed to the back post. Not sure if Orlando meant it but the ball hit his head and went back across the goal for Moses to tap home from close range. EC Bays three Metro 0. Orlando then had a right foot shot go just wide. Liam was then through on the left but dragged his hot along the ground straight to the keeper. Bays scored their final score in the 89th minute when Orlando went through. The keeper saved his initial shot but Liam followed up to smash the rebound into the roof of the net from close range. Liam then retreated to the sidelines again as it was clear he was not 100% well.
The final whistle went and Bays had beaten Metro 4-0. It looks a very one sided scoreline but Bays were made to work hard for their win by Metro who defended very well and their keeper made a lot of fine stops. With the other results going Bays way they managed to extend their lead at the top to 5 Points. Next up is a trip over to Waiheke to play the bottom side and then a tricky trip down to Tauranga. See you all there.
Final Score: East Coast Bays 4 vs Metro FC 0
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, J Edgeler, B Stevenson (N Maisey 66), C Simmonds, M Akimana, T Kim, N Gaze (Y S Chang 81), M Kolston, T Nkoy (L Andersen 66), D Stansfield (O Thorpe 81), L Archer
Metro FC: Z Rahbarian, M Martin, R Coghlan, L Furmenger, M Stoddard, A Smith, M Kelly, K Maclou, M Graham, C Squires, H Hong
Subs: M Sheikh 60, P Viggiano 70
Goals: EC Bays: D Stansfield 26, T Kim 42, M Akimana 85, L Andersen 89 (not that he knew much about it!)
Official Attendance: 42,601