Match Report: Round 16 vs Tauranga City
Northern League Round 16 Match Report: East Coast Bays vs Tauranga City FC, Bay City Park, Saturday 20th July 2024.
Slow start but great finish leads to another crucial Bays win
Bays were back at home for the first time in ages after a couple of byes and some away matches. Billy moved back into the backline alongside Jack which meant James was on the bench. Nick was brought back into the centre of midfield to partner Moses and there was a rare sighting of a very brown Liam training with the team after returning from his European holiday.
Tauranga started off brightly and Brennan was a constant nuisance down the right wing with his extreme pace. Tauranga also used the strong breeze well in the first half with a number of long balls over the top of the Bays defence for their wingers to run on to. From one of these Brennan had a crossed blocked by Jack for a corner. Molloy’s corner was cleared by Nathan. Moses played a great through ball, but it was just out of reach for Guy. Tauranga took a deserved lead in the 10th minute when Rostron played a ball over the defence. Nathan was out of position and this gave Brennan plenty of time to get to the by-line and cross into the middle for Molloy to step on the ball before planting a left footer into the opposite corner to make the score EC Bays 0 Tauranga City 1.
Bays hit back with a long ball of their own from Malcolm to Moses, but his shot went wide. Another Brennan run saw a cross in that Wellsbury got to, turned, and shot way over. Brennan then should have scored the second when he went on a mazy run and toe poked a shot past the post. Wellsbury then had a left foot shot that Louie did well to punch away for a corner. A defensive mistake then led to Tauranga’s second goal when the ball was given away and a pass ricocheted into the path of Wellsbury. He collected the ball & in a flash a left footed drive was in the bottom corner to make it EC Bays 0 Tauranga City 2.
Bays had been guilty of not holding on to the ball and not looking after possession in the first twenty-five minutes. Once this was sorted out, they looked a far better side. Only five minutes after going two down Bays scored their first when a great through ball right down the middle found Guy on the charge. Guy strode forward and slid the ball past the oncoming goalkeeper to get Bays back in the game. After half an hour the score was EC Bays 1 Tauranga City 2. Minutes later Guy was shown a yellow card for leaving his foot in after being fouled himself. Bays equalised in the 41st minute when Guy intercepted a poor pass out of defence. He played it forward to Malcolm and he shot under the keeper into the far corner to make the score EC Bays 2 Tauranga City 2.
Thomson then played a ball into the middle where a shot was blocked and Nick hit the rebound high & wide. Malcolm then played in Ryusei and his shot was straight at the keeper. Nick then went on a great run leaving three defenders in his wake before his shot sailed over the goal. The half time whistle went and after a dreadful start Bays had brought things level by half time. The score at half time read EC Bays 2 Tauranga City 2.
Tauranga were straight on the attack at the start of the second half and Jack put in a great block to stop a shot from Wellsbury. Toy had a run down the left wing and his cross to the back post saw Tauranga skipper Higgins crash his left foot shot on to the crossbar & over. Bays were guilty again of losing the ball in midfield which led to Maddox setting up Brennan for shot that Louie did well to save with his feet. Ryusei was then shown a yellow card for a foul on Toy when Tauranga were on the counterattack. A foul on Guy saw Malcolm’s free kick taken by the keeper under pressure from Jack.
Bays were first to make changes when Will & Orlando came on for Moses & Nathan in the 61st minute. Orlando’s first action was to be flattened by Maddox which earned Maddox a yellow card. Guy won the ball just inside the Tauranga half and went on a run to just outside the box. Unfortunately, the great run was not matched by a great shot that went well wide. Maddox then went on a run before shooting wide. Nick played in Guy, but he scuffed his shot and the follow up from Ryusei went over the bar. Tauranga made their first change in the 70th minute with Allen coming on for Toy.
Nick was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when he was played in by Malcolm, but his deflected shot came back off the base of the post. Jack was making good use of the strong breeze. One of his corners was sailing under the crossbar before being palmed over by the keeper. The second corner saw a deflected shot go out for another corner. Tauranga weren’t so lucky with the third corner when Jack rose above the Tauranga defence to head home with the slight aid of a deflection off a Tauranga defender. Bays had taken the lead in the 77th minute to see the score now reading EC Bays 3 Tauranga City 2. Only two minutes later Bays increased their lead when another poor clearance by Tauranga saw Malcom pick up the ball outside the box. Malcolm set off on a run inside from his wing before his left foot shot took another deflection, before nestling in the back of the net. Bays now led 4-2 in the 80th minute.
Tauranga reacted to this by bringing on Kemp for Barr, who was injured. Ryusei then went on a run across field before his right foot shot went wide. Malcolm got into his dance routine with a run & shimmy before his shot hit the outside of the post. Tauranga made a third change with Fitzharris coming on for Crawford, who was also injured (they were not having much luck with injuries). Orlando played a great through ball through to Nick and his shot was blocked for a Bays throw in. With the strong breeze it gave the Bays big men chances to get forward with the long throw ins.
Bays made another change in the 87th minute when Peter came on for Guy, who had run himself into the ground. Will tried his luck with a long range left footed rocket that went just wide of the goal. Higgins was then booked for a holding foul on Callum. Bays made one more change in the 90th minute when Mikey K (who was returning from injury) came on for Malcolm, who had also put in a great shift up front. Molloy let some frustrations finally get to him when he was shown a yellow card for a late tackle on Nick. One last piece of drama saw Thomson break down the left and cut in along the by-line. Thomson put in a great cross into the middle that was missed by Peter. It reached the back post and everyone held their breath as Mikey K took aim for what would have been a very rare goal. But the Tauranga keeper made a great point blank save to stop Mikey getting that elusive goal.
Shortly after, the referee blew the whistle for full time and Bays had come from behind to win 4-2 against a very good Tauranga side. A very poor, slow start was matched by a battling rest of the game. Both sides contributed to a very good, attacking, entertaining match. This result was a crucial win for Bays and with the other results going Bays way Bays moved above both West Coast Rangers & Manurewa in the table. Thomson was named Bays Player of the Day. This Saturday will see Bays travel down to Hamilton to take on Hamilton Wanderers at Porritt Stadium in yet another must win game. See you all there.
Final Score: East Coast Bays 4 vs Tauranga City 2
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, N Maisey (W Stephen 61), R Ishibashi, C Simmonds, M Akimana (O Thorpe 61), N Gaze, T Nkoy, M Young (M Kolston 90), J Caunter, B Jones, G-F E Penda (P Harrison 87)
Tauranga City: T Pamment, C Higgins, N Rostron, X Maddox, L Molloy, B Fisher-Vanderveen, C Brennan, R Barr (H Kemp 79), J Toy (B Allen 70), T Crawford (V Fitzharris 82), M Wellsbury
Goals: EC Bays: G-F E Penda 30, M Young 41 & 79, J Caunter 77
Tauranga City: L Molloy 10, M Wellsbury 25
Unofficial Attendance: 54,886