Boys’ High scored first, but King’s fought their way into a 24-16 halftime lead. It was 24-16 with eight minutes to go and King’s scored two more tries. King’s took advantage of some Boys’ High communication breakdowns and scored three tries through their dangerous midfield. King’s also ruled the breakdown and stole ball. Coach Dan Turnock said they had a few chances in the second half, but weren’t clinical enough. He said they were being competitive in games, but not when it came to the big moments. Midfielder Leo Gordon was strong again and openside flanker Tom Illston-Park, in his cap game for eight white jersey starts, grabbed a few turnovers.
Havelock’s Luca Barclay (left) and Melvin Rumere of Marist chase the ball in Saturday s clash. Coach Juliano Schmeling said his message at halftime was simple and direct: keep fighting or give up the season. So Marist battled, gave Wanderers much less room to operate, and the goals came, first (inevitably, it seemed) to Nick Carrick, followed by Melvin Rumere and finally Taylor Monk, about 10 minutes from the end when he lashed the winner through a crowded goalmouth and past the keeper. Wanderers responded by forcing a series of corners, but this time Marist didn’t crumble under the set piece pressure, such was their desperation for the win.
Wanderers’ defeat was a shock because not only was it their first loss of the season, but they went down against a side which until Saturday had a meagre four points after 12 games. Palmerston North Marist still have a mathematical chance of winning the league title if they beat Wanderers at home next weekend – but Havelock North will have to also lose another game to enable the locals to nab the title ahead of them. Time is also running out for Palmerston North Marist, who after Wanderers only have two more games. Marist and Thistle were locked at 2-2 at halftime, with goals for the Palmerston North side coming from Melvin Rumere and Nick Carrick.
Second-placed Marist face long trip to keep top-spot hopes alive stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Everyone was available for the game except midfielder Dave McCorkindale, said Piper. Massey squeezed past North End 2-1 in their first game of the season in April and the students are third on the league ladder. North End co-coach Michael Sheridan said his team would be missing the suspended Shamus Moffat and veteran defender Crispin Moore, who is away, but on the bright side, prolific goalscorer Nathan Cooksley would be back after his red card was overturned. “Massey are a better side than some give them credit for, but they’re beatable though,” he said. “We let them get away from us a bit last time, but I’d like to see us use our experience and play a high-pressing game against them to put some pressure on their defence.”