Match Report: Round 21 vs West Coast Rangers
Dettol Northern League Round 21 Match Report: East Coast Bays vs West Coast Rangers, Bay City Park, Saturday 23rd August 2025.
East Coast Beats West Coast in Feisty Battle
Bays returned home for their last home league game of this season after the big away win against Manurewa the previous week. Jack Young came into the centre of defence, Billy was pushed up into central midfield, and James Elder started up front alongside Guy. Chase & Damion were on the substitutes bench. It was great to see a number of former Bays players at the game and nice to see Thomson back in NZ on holiday from Australia. It was also a welcome back to the club for former Bays players Josh Jones and former skipper Nick Forrester.
Under the lights for a 6pm kick off on a balmy night, West Coast used the tactics of launching long throws into the Bays box. Forrester launched one from the right side it was headed away by Jack Young & volleyed clear by Nathan. A long ball forward saw Gallagher away, but he managed to drag his right foot shot wide of the post. Bays first attack saw a ball in from Jack C that was put behind for a corner. Orlando’s corner to the back post was eventually cleared away. Jack Young sent a long ball down the right wing. Adam P beat the left back and crossed to the back post. Nathan couldn’t control the ball fully and it went out for a goal kick.
Gallagher managed to get his head in the way of a high boot and won a free kick. McDowell’s free kick was allowed to run through right to the by-line before it was crossed into the middle and eventually cleared away. A switch ball from right to left found Pearce. He steadied himself and tried to chip Louie only to see the ball come off the crossbar and go out for a goal kick. A West Coast counterattack out to the right wing saw a cross ricochet off Nathan but Louie was out smartly to intercept. Cam managed to get in the way of a cross and Forrester launched another long throw into the box.
Bays almost took the lead midway through the first half when Orlando played the ball out to the right wing. Alex P cut inside his defender and his left foot shot was pushed away by Hirst in goal. Jack C sent Nathan away down the left wing before he crossed past the back post where the ball was collected by Cam. He played the ball into Guy who laid it off to Orlando to have a left foot shot go wide. Jack C launched a long throw into the box that was comfortably taken by Hirst. Not long after the half time whistle went, and the score read East Coast Bays 0 West Coast Rangers 0.
The first half was a cagey battle with both sides trying to work each other out and it ended up being a half with not that many clear cut goal chances. Quite a number of niggly fouls as West Coast Rangers were battling to stay up in the Northern Premier League.
The second half started off with a free kick for a pull back foul on James Elder when he was away. Yet again the referee failed to produce a card. Jack C’s free kick was too low and cannoned into the wall before being cleared away. Finally, the first yellow card of the match arrived for Hansell for a late tackle on Cam. A long-range shot was dropped by the West Coast keeper, but he was quick to reclaim the loose ball. A ball over the top saw Cam away and he was dragged back by Hansell. After consultation with the assistant referee (the first of many in the second half) Hansell was shown a second yellow card which meant he was also shown a red card & was sent off.
Orlando’s free kick was eventually cleared. Bays made two changes in the 60th minute with Nicolai and Damion coming on for James Elder & Adam P. A minute later West Coast made their first change with Durkin coming on for Gallagher. Damion was straight into the action. After receiving a ball from Orlando, he tried a through ball right down the middle that was just a little bit too far for Guy to get to. Just as the game was meandering along the opening goal came out of nowhere. A switch ball from left to right saw Nicolai send away Cam on the overlap. He crossed into the centre and the pass was dispatched with aplomb by Guy in the middle. After 66 minutes gone the score now read East Coast Bays 1 West Coast Rangers 0.
Jorgensen was then shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Orlando. West Coast Rangers made two more changes in the 71st minute with Armitt & Butterfill coming on for McDonald & Machuca. Bays used the long ball on the counterattack very well in the last fifteen minutes of the game. One of these found Guy and he sent the ball to Nicolai on the right wing. Nicolai was one on one with Hirst but couldn’t beat him as Hirst saved Nicolai’s shot with his feet and from the rebound Damion shot over the top. West Coast Rangers should have equalised when a cross went right across the face of goal but no takers at the back post. Defensive headers helped clear the danger from consecutive corners. West Coast brought on two more substitutes with Alama & J Turner coming on in the 77th minute.
Lots of back & forward in the next ten minutes with both sides creating a few chances. Bays made three changes in the 90th minute to close out the game with Chase, James Edgeler, & Matt coming on for Cam, Jack Young (who had a great battle with Pearce), and Orlando. Little did we know that there would be close to 15-20 minutes of injury time still to play. West Coast Rangers had a corner that was punched away by Louie and Jorgensen sent a volley over the top.
The first piece of controversy came when a long ball over the West Coast Rangers defence saw Matt away and bearing down on goal. Forrester dragged him back by his shirt and down to the ground. Being the last line of defence, it was pretty obvious to the many supporters at the game what colour card Forrester should have seen for being the last line of defence. But after the long consultation with his assistant referee, the main referee made the decision to only show Forrester a yellow card. Another poor free kick, this time from Damion, went low into the wall and was cleared.
With the numerical advantage of one-man Bays kept launching the long balls forward over the West Coast Rangers defence for quick counter attacks. One of these saw Nicolai away and he set up Matt to burst away. His low shot beat the advancing Hirst but also ran agonising wide of the far post. Another quick break saw Nathan away on the left wing. He squared the ball to the right, Nicolai set up Damion, and he also should have scored instead of shooting wide of the post. There was still time for a small skirmish between Guy & Hirst in the penalty box and after another consultation with the assistant referee both players were shown yellow cards. Bays should have been three up by then.
West Coast Rangers were now desperate to get the equaliser to get something out of the game and this led to Hirst being up for a couple of corners right at the end of the game. Lucky for him Bays couldn’t clear up field quick enough to take advantage of no keeper in the WCR goal. After what seemed a very long second half the referee finally blew the whistle for full time and the final score was East Coast Bays 1 West Coast Rangers 0. It had been a very feisty battle and tensions heated up with handbags at ten paces after the final whistle.
Bays had won a very close game by a slim margin which means there is still a slight chance of qualifying for the National League whereas other results went against West Coast Rangers in their battle to stay up. Billy was named player of the day for Bays in doing a great anchoring job in midfield and Louie was given his tankard to mark his century of games for the Bays 1st team. Next Saturday is the last game of the Northern League season with a trip to Sandringham to take on Auckland City at Kiwitea Street with a 3pm kick off. See you all there.
Final Score: East Coast Bays 1 vs West Coast Rangers 0
East Coast Bays: L Caunter, N Maisey, J Young (J Edgeler 90), A Huskic, J Elder (N Berry 60), O Thorpe (C Taylor 90), GFE Penda, B Jones, A Paulsen (D Kim 60), C Brown (M Matanyayire 90), J Caunter
West Coast Rangers: D Hirst, K Hansell, J Jones, R Dymond (J Turner 77), Z Newman (J Alama 77), D McDowell (J Armitt 71), L Jorgensen, Gallagher (T Durkin 61), A Pearce, I Machuca (J Butterfill 71), N Forrester
Goal: GFE Penda 66
Red Card: K Hansell