MATCH REPORT: Round 18 vs North Shore United AFC
NRFL Men's First Team Round 18 Match Report: East Coast Bays vs North Shore Utd, North Harbour Stadium # 4, Saturday 5th August 2023.
Combination of Questionable Refereeing and Below Par Form Cost Bays Dearly in narrow loss to Shore
Bays returned home after back-to-back away games at Waiheke and Tauranga. Not quite at our real home but up at North Harbour Outer field # 4 to take on local rivals North Shore. A couple of changes saw Nick Gaze return to the starting line-up and David Brown also starting after returning from injury recently.
To be honest with you, there was not much to report from the opening ten minutes as both sides were getting into the game slowly. It was like watching a chess match with both sides trying to find and edge over the other. Some good link up play was developing between Leo & David down the left. The first real chance was when Liam lost the ball and Penda burst forward before being crowded out just outside the box. A Shore free kick saw a flicked on header by Lissington go straight to Louie. A mistake in the Bays midfield saw a square ball cut out and Cowell had a shot blocked. Bays then had a free kick that Callum played into the middle before it was headed away. Thomson broke down the right and his cross was blocked for a corner. From the corner, James saw his half volley blocked.
Shore tried a different routine from a corner with Petherick getting a shot away from outside the Bays box. Bays lost the ball in midfield and Penda had a shot saved low down by Louie. For most of the first half Shore played a very physical game with late tackles & tackles from behind where the Shore players did not attempt to play the ball. Bays players started getting frustrated with this and were not helped by very inept refereeing. The referee did not attempt to book any of the Shore players for numerous fouls so they just carried on in the same manner. Liam made a break and threaded the ball through to Dylan. His shot was saved low down by the keepers’ legs. Shore had to make a change in the 33rd minute with Kelly going off injured and being replaced by Andrew Abba.
Shore made a few fast breaks forward. Page had a right foot shot go just wide and Page then set up Abba for a shot that went way over Louie’s goal. Good teamwork down the left saw David pass to Leo. He chipped into the centre but it was just out of reach of Dylan. Leo then linked up with Thomson and his cross was cleared away from Liam as he was about to take aim. Callum’s corner cleared everyone in the middle and was cleared away. The half time whistle went and it was all square at half time. The score read EC Bays 0 North Shore 0. A very frustrating half for Bays with no action taken over the many fouls but on the other hand Shore probably should have been leading as they had the better chances in a very competitive, combative first half.
Shore were on the attack again early in the second half with former Bays player Ryan Singh playing Page through. His left foot shot was just wide of the goal. Page was then provider as he played in Petherick. He beat Moses but luckily Logan was there to clear the danger as last line of defence. The decisive point of the match came when Penda crossed the ball into the Bays penalty box. The ball hit James shoulder and rolled against his arm. A clear-cut penalty that was awarded. Page stepped up and belted a low left footer into the bottom corner past Louie for Shore to take the lead in the 50th minute. The score now read EC Bays 0 North Shore 1.
Taylor made a great run down the Bays right flank and crossed into the centre. Page reached the cross but put his header straight into the ground & wide of goal. Bays then had a couple of shots that were blocked for corners. Petherick then had a shot blocked before being cleared away. Good link up play Thomson, David, Liam & Dylan lead to a shot blocked for yet another corner. Logan got his head to this but it went straight to the Shore keeper. Bays made their first change in the 62nd minute with JS Chang replacing Thomson. Shore also made a change with Marowa coming on. A combination of errors then took place in the Bays defence. A cross was blocked at the far post but then Logan headed the ball back over Louie into the centre of the goal. Luckily Moses was there to clear otherwise it could have been a calamitous own goal. Shore carried on with their physical assaults on the Bays players and still the referee could not work out where his yellow card was. At least two Shore players could have been sent off by now.
The action continued with a left wing cross by Leo being met by a far post shot by JS Chang going straight to the keeper. North Shore then had a corner that was headed over by Streamer. Another through ball found out the Bays defence and Page had a snap shot saved by the shoulder of Louie as he was diving low. Bays made their second change with Orlando coming on for David. At the same time, Shore replaced Petherick with Rotimi. Dylan then had back-to-back shots saved by the keeper. Singh tried an out swinging corner that was met with a sweet volley by Abba that was saved by Louie.
Bays made two more changes in the 82nd minute with Mikey K & Nathan replacing Leo & Logan. JS Chang made a break down the right and Nathan mishit his cross wide at the back post. Page was through but luckily for Bays his lob over Louie also went over the bar. Things were now getting a bit feisty and nasty on the field. Singh was booked for kicking the ball away as Shore started the time wasting tactics. Marowa was clean through but a great covering tackle by Nick saved the day.
The Bays midfield were guilty yet again for a misplaced cross-field ball that was picked off by Page. He played Marowa through but with the goal at his mercy, he put the shot past the far post. Marowa was then booked for time wasting as the game heated up even more in intensity. Bays had another free kick just outside the box but Callum’s cross to the back post was headed away. Shortly after, the referee blew the final whistle and Shore had done the double of smash & grab wins against Bays this season. Final score EC Bays 0 North Shore 1. Tensions boiled over just after the final whistle and in a bit of a melee Moses was shown a red card for violent conduct.
In all honesty, Bays did not deserve much from this game, as they were unusually inaccurate with some of their passing and at time very pedestrian in attack. The poor refereeing did not help matters but that was not the only reason leading to the unfavourable result. Next week Bays finally return to Bay City Park for a game under lights on the new number two field with a 5.30pm kick off against Onehunga Mangere. See you all there.
Final Score: East Coast Bays 0 vs North Shore United 1
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, J Edgeler, C Simmons, M Akimana, T Kim (N Maisey 81), N Gaze, T Nkoy (J S Chang 62), D Brown (O Thorpe 74), D Stansfield, L Andersen, L Archer (M Kolston 81)
North Shore Utd: F Dockerty, R Singh, A Cowell, H Lissington, G Escome Penda, B Kelly (A Abba 33), N Petherick (O Rotimi 74), J Taylor, J Moore (J Marowa 62), T Page, A Streamer
Goal: North Shore: T Page 50 penalty
Red Card: M Akimana 93
Official Attendance: 43,001 plus the Gordy & Jeff show on tour