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GOAAAL: Onehunga Sports keeper Mark Fulcher can only watch in awe as Josh Thomas’ long-range shot hits the back of the net. PHOTO: Grant Stantiall.
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Melville draw
Melville United remain eighth in the northern premier league after a 1-1 home draw with ninth-placed Eastern Suburbs.
The match followed a now predictable pattern with Melville impressing in the first half and looking pretty patchy in the second half.
Aaron Scott returned to action for Melville after a successful summer stint with Waitakere United, playing in a holding role in midfield, and turned in a solid performance. However Adam Thomas set the game out with a knee niggle.
Suburbs coach Kevin Fallon did not travel south with his team, which featured a number of seasoned performers such as Hoani Edwards, Sean Dowling, and Geoff Webber.
Melville had some excellent early chances and went ahead when Josh Thomas sidefooted home after a clever jinking run from Ryan Thomas down the left.
But, regular as clockwork, Melville conceded the now obligatory goal 10 minutes into the second half, as the lively Haidi Jobir headed home a cross from the left.
Both teams had excellent chances to win the match in the last 10 minutes.
"It was the same old problem," lamented Melville coach Declan Edge. "We were vulnerable at 1-0 and it could have gone either way in the end.
"I am not happy with the way we played. It was not good enough."
Tyler Boyd was named as Melville supporters’ player of the day.
In other matches Waitakere and Three Kings drew 2-2, Onehunga beat Manurewa 2-1, East Coast Bays beat Central 2-1 and Bay Olympic beat Wanderers 2-0.
Melville have no league game next weekend. Plans to play the postponed Melville-Wanderers game were shelved at the request of Wanderers.
No luck for Melville
28.4.2012: Melville United were without luck in losing 0-1 away to Three Kings United.
Melville turned in a solid performance, were generally solid in defence and created a number of very good chances.
But they could not score, with Josh Thomas hitting the bar from 2m, Ryan Thomas uncharacteristically screwing a shot just wide, and drawing a fine save from TKU keeper Max Tommy, Gavin Douglas going just wide with a header he would normally bury, and substitute Pedro dragging a shot wide in the final minutes.
As well, Tommy saved well from Jesse Edge when he was burst through the TKU defence.
Three Kings scored 10 minutes into the second half when he ran onto a huge punt forward from the keeper which caught out the Melville defence.
Three Kings also had a good chance in stoppage time but generally keeper Neil Mouncher had little to do.
For Melville, Tyler Boyd and Ryan Thomas were always dangerous on the ball, Tyler lissette turned in a tidy performance, and Adam thomas had some super touches in midfield.
Melville are at home to Eastern Suburbs on Saturday.
Meanwhile Waitakere City succeeded in gaining a curious late postponement for their home game against Onehunga Sports – due to the ASB Premiership being played the same night.
Onehunga opposed the postponement – for which they only received notification on Thursday night – on the grounds that the date of the final had long been known, it was being played by a separate club at a separate venue four hours apart. They did however offer to bring their game forward in the afternoon.
But AFF competitions manager Martin Baucutt upheld the Waitakere request for a late postponement, noting the importance of the finals event being organised well, and the logistical challenges Waitakere City faced regarding posts, fields and grounds as part of their association with Waitakere United.
Waitakere City – bottom of the table - will be in a position to field a much stronger side when the match is now played on May 12.
At the start of the season Melville succeeded in having its opening match postponed thanks to the agreement of opponents Hamilton Wanderers.
At the time Melville was advised postponement would simply not be possible without such agreement between the clubs.
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 Josh Thomas (above) scored his maiden premier league goal - and it was a stunner - against Onehunga Sports. But it wasn't enough to earn Melville a much-needed win. Full story HERE.
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Melville dish up 6 of the best.... HERE
Melville lose again
14.4.2012: Melville United suffered their third successive northern premier league loss in going down 0-2 to previously winless Manurewa at War Memorial Park.
Melville started brightly enough, with Manurewa assistant coach Lee Root admitting his team was "chasing shadows" for the first 45 minutes.
But after a scoreless first half, in which Mohammed Awad butchered the best scoring chance in hitting over from about 5m, Melville slowly wilted in the second half. Their midfield steadily evaporated with less and less movement both when in possession and without, and it was no surprise when Manurewa grabbed two late goals.
The first went to Marvin Eakins in the 72nd minute when Melville coughed up possession cheaply in the back third, with defenders unable to find a path forward for the ball with their high-risk approach. The second fell to an acrobatic finish to Justin Horan after Melville failed to clear a corner.
Manurewa cold have had a third but that would of been hard on the central defensive pairing of Tyler Lissette and Dan Looker, who were generally secure, with Melville's defensive frailties more centred on fullback and a tired midfield.
Melville were without suspended skipper Adam Thomas, and the injured Mike Kramer, Josh Billman, and Josh Greene. Johnny Konings made his Melville debut when he came on as substitute at left back in the second half.
Melville coach Declan Edge acknowledged his teenage team was low on confidence.
"We are developing young players," he said. "Everyone likes that idea, but when you lose a couple of games everyone questions it.
"We controlled the match for 60 minutes but are struggling. We will keep working hard, results are quite temporary."
Melville are away to Waitakere - equal with Melville at the bottom of the table - at Fred Taylor Park on Saturday.
Easter slump
The Easter resurrection failed to arrive for Melville when they were crucified 4-0 by Central United in their first home match of the premier league season.
Melville made an enterprising start, stringing together 20-odd passes only for Tyler Boyd to have his angles shot saved. But flashpoint came in the sixth minute when Melville skipper Adam Thomas was sent off. Thomas, sitting deep, received a pass which really should have gone forward. His subsequently misdirected square pass was collected by a Central attacker, and in his efforts to atone, he grabbed at the player. After consulting the his assistant, referee Cory Mills determined he was the last man and pulled out a red card.
It was a body blow for Melville, who quickly conceded goals to Stuart Hogg and Byron Paulus, while Paul Urlovic added a tidy third at the start of the second half. Fullback Tane Gent completed the scoring in the 75th minute.
Melville had their chances, with Boyd creating, then failing to convert, three great chances, while Harry Edge his the bar from the edge of the area. But Central also had a heap of chances, and it would have been no surrpise if they had scored more in the circumstances.
Melville played some nice stuff when in possession, but even allowing for being a man down, defended poorly. After conceding seven goals in two matches, it is clear they are badly in need of defenders who can actually defend.
While Central coach Chris Zoricich was delighted with a 6-point weekend, Melville coach Declan Edge was left rueing "the butterfly effect".
"Suddenly it was 4-0. We will keep working away. The players have had a big telling off. Melville don't lose 4-0 at home."
Melville are now away to Manurewa, then to Waitakere the following Saturday, with the next home game against Onehunga Sports on Anzac Day.
Melville beaten
6.4.2012: A new-look Melville United have been beaten 3-1 by defending champions Bay Olympic in their opening match of the Northern Premier league season.
There were Melville first team debuts for eight players - Danyon Drake, Adam Wallis, Harry Edge, Dan Looker, Mohammed Awad, Mohammed Aidad, and subs Josh Thomas and Le Bon Bulamba - at Olympic Park, while Jesse Edge also had his first start.
Melville created some good openings, but their shooting was largely awry until sub Bulamba found the net to make it 2-1 in the 85th minute.
Olympic went ahead in the 32nd minute through a Robbie Greenhalgh penalty after he was clumsily bumped over by Jesse Edge wioth both players - and the ball - running away from goal. It was a totally unnecessary penalty.
Olympic then made it 2-0 with Greenhalgh potting a good shot on the turn five minutes into the second half.
Melville stuck to a very deliberate approach but failed to capitalise on some good passing movements, the worst example coming 10 minutes from time when they failed with five shots within a minute from right in front of goal. Tyler Boyd also went close with a couple of right foot shots, while Jesse Edge and Ryan Thomas went close with free kicks.
Olympic punsished Melville when they capitalised on a sloppy pass, with sub Yoji Tanabe setting up Colin Gardyne for a good finish in the last couple of minutes.
Melville coach Declan Edge said it was a game he had enjoyed watching, and expected his team would win more than it lost.
For Melville, Ryan and Adam Thomas had strong games, Boyd made his presence felt in the second half, and Aidad made a reasonable fist of his role down the right.
But too much of the passing from the back was messy and erratic.
Bay Olympic coach Shane Knowles said he thought his side deserved their win. It was the ninth win for Olympic in 14 league meetings between the teams. In the corresponding fixture last year Melville lost 4-1.
Melville are at home to Central United on Monday at Gower Park at 2.45pm on Easter Monday.
# It was a horror afternoon for Melville Federation team as it lost 0-3 away to Claudelands Rovers. Melville failed to convert a penalty, and had keeper Stu Campbell sent off late in the second half for handling outside the area.
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White Ribbon Cup:
Wrong result for Waikato, but a good hosting effort by Melville
1.4.2012: Melville United aquitted itself well in hosting the White Ribbon Cup final between Waikato FC and Team Wellington.
Team Wellington enjoyed a comprehensive 6-1 win at Gower Park, with Waikato's only goal coming from the penalty spot with Adam Thomas converting the 55th minute kick after Harry Edge had been brought down with Waikato trailing 3-0.
It was the first cup final in Hamilton since 1988, and both clubs later commended Melville on their matchday hosting organisation.
Waikato were just finding their feet in the match when Jesse Edge blazed over from close range after a flowing move five minutes before halftime, then Waikato keeper Mark Fulcher came for , but failed to collect, a cross early in the second half allowing Henry Fa’arodo to head into an empty net.
"The chance we missed just before halftime and Mark’s mistake missing that cross for the third goal – they were the two key turning points in the game, no doubt about it," said Wakato coach Declan Edge.
But Edge was gracious in defeat praising the visitor’s high pressure approach. "Team Wellington came here today and pressured us and pressed us and some of our players weren’t quite good enough to deal with that type of pressure.
"We’ve got some players who aren’t quite ready yet."
"We keep passing it short and to play that type of game you have to be a reasonably good player, and even Brisbane Roar get caught out at times as well.
"All credit to Wellington. They played how I would have played against my team. We’ve just got to get better at what we do and we will do."
The next big matchday at Gower Park is on Easter Monday, when Melville host Central United in their first home northern league match of the season, at 2.45pm. Melville are away to Bay Olympic on Good Friday.
Feds continue to win
Harry Noorland's revamped Melville federation team continued their 100 per cent pre-season form with a first up 3-0 league win over a strong Rotorua United team at Gower Park on Saturday. Rotorua botched an early penalty and there were chances galore at both ends in a scoreless first half.
But Melville took control in the final quarter with fleet-footed Josh Nooyen opening the scoring after collecting a fine ball from Jamil, and Mike Cosgrave added an excellent second, before sub Thiery Blunt added a late third with a strong shot.
Noorland was delighted with another victory over the team Melville beat in the Preseason Cup final, saying Rotorua were expected to emerge as one of the better teams this winter. Best for Melville was centreback Gavin Douglas, while Shaun Kipara also had some nice touches in midfield before retiring with injury.
Melville are away to Claudelands Rovers on Saturday.
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BELOW: White Ribbon Cup Final at Gower Park - Fans on the new pathway and the Gower Park terraces.
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NEW FOOTBALL PATHWAY: Melville club members Michael McMillan, Danyon Drake and Phil Wheatley working on the construction of a new paved pathway between the clubrooms and terraced seating at Gower Park. Over 3000 pavers will be layed when work is complete.
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| ELECTRIC PERFORMANCE: Melville Golf Classic winning team (Menzies Electrical) of Paul Smith, Stu Timings and Jack Steeghs.
Melville Golf Classic
Not for the first time, Paul "Tubby" Smith has ended up on the wining team in the annual Melville United Golf Classic at the Narrows Golf Club.
But for once there was no lingering controversy about the bloke who calculates the handicaps for the Brian Coe Memorial Trophy somehow mysteriously ending up with the silverware at the conclusion of dark mathematical equations, as his Menzies Electrical team scorched around the course to win by eight shots under the ambrose format.
"No fancy maths this time, no clever accounting, we just thrashed them on the course," Tubby said. The Menzies team included Stu Timings, who recorded one of the plays of the day, with one of his tee shots hitting a retaining wall and bouncing back further than its starting position, and Jack Steeghs. Menzies Electrical changed their name from Putt Electrical in search of a more suitable name for a golf team.
Runners up (58.7) were Insign Out, 0.3 ahead of the "Disciples of Raj", a team named in honour of club member Kieran Lomas.
Most amazing shot of the day came from Rangi from the Insign Out team. From the 10th tee he hit into the carpark and broke a car windscreen. But what was really amazing was that the car was facing him, but it was the rear windscreen he managed to ruin. Some golfer.
Best play of the day came on the 17th from Arborline, who chipped in from 40m with their third shot.
Award for the longest drive (2nd hole) was claimed by 12-year-old Josh Roberts. Unfortunately Josh actually wasn’t in the tournament, but mistakenly added his name and moved the pin in thwarting the previous best efforts of Crazy Mexicans team leader Gary Monaghan. The Mexicans later awarded themselves the prize for the best dressed team.
Harry Noorland, previously considered a good golfer, won a toaster for "Most Slices" in the tournament.
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FLUSHED WITH PRIDE: Melville United’s new men’s urinal is open for business. The club has renovated its toilets during the summer, resulting in a bigger, more modern urinal, perhaps reflecting the growth of the club. Club members such as Harry Noorland, Steve Williams, Graeme Wilson, and Stu Timings were instrumental in completing the upgrade. The new facilities were given a test run by our mystery urinator, above, and received good feedback, with no sign of any boots being splashed.
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Melville players eye international duty
 
Two Melville United players have been called into the New Zealand’s U-23 final pre-selection camp, with another two on stand-by.
Adam Thomas and Mike Kramer – who were members of the New Zealand Under 20 squad to Colombia last year – have been named for the 24-strong camp in Auckland this week, while Tyler Lissette and Tyler Boyd have been named as stand-by players.
New Zealand coach Neil Emblen must select a final squad of 18 for the March 16-25 tournament, with the news that the Oceania qualifiers have been moved from Fiji to Taupo. MORE HERE
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Edge apppointed as Melville coach 
Declan Edge will coach Melville United’s northern premier league team in the 2012 season.
Edge will manage the transition from being Waikato FC coach in the summer ASB Premiership, to taking the helm at Melville for a premier league winter season which is due to start on March 31.
Melville life member Steve Williams, who has coached the club’s first team for the past six seasons was unavailable this winter, though has since taken up a post on Melville’s management committee.
Melville president Bruce Holloway said he was delighted to have somebody of Edge’s calibre take over from Williams.
"Declan first came to the Waikato in 1990 as an established player with international and professional pedigree, and since then has become part of the fabric of the game here," he said.
"As a player he made more appearances for the All Whites than anyone who has ever worked in the game in the Waikato.
"But more importantly, after his playing career ended he sought to achieve the same sort of excellence as a coach that he achieved as a player, and has since emerged as one of our most qualified and experienced coaches.
"He has been a valuable club member for the past four years and achieved excellent results from his academy work in youth development and with the reserve team last season. Appointing him northern league coach was a natural progression."
Edge will be assisted by Neil Mouncher, a goalkeeper with well over 100 first team appearances for Melville, and Wayne Bates, a veteran of over 170 first team appearances for Melville. Edge made 38 first team appearances in Melville colours, between 1997 and 2003 and 44 appearances for New Zealand up until 1991.
He was an apprentice with Shrewsbury Town FC in the UK, and later secured a professional contract at Notts County in the English Second Division, having made his full New Zealand debut at 19. He also played in the Australian National League with Adelaide City, before injury cut his professional career short.
He has worked with some of the big names in professional football, including Zoran Matic (Adelaide City), Jimmy Sirrell (Notts County) and former England manager Bobby Robson (as a schoolboy at Ipswich).
As a coach he led Melville United to the Chatham Cup final in his first season at senior level, in conjunction with Paul Nixon. From 2004-06 he coached Waikato FC in the New Zealand Football Championship before turning his attention to youth coaching, where his academy has developed many of Melville and Waikato’s current players.
Edge holds a New Zealand Football International Team Coaching Licence, the highest coaching qualification of anybody at Melville.
Edge is holding his first Melville session of the season at Gower Park on Monday (February 6) at 6pm.
"There is an open invitation for anyone who thinks they are good enough to attend," he said.
General Melville muster from 6pm Thursday, February 9, Gower Park
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Yo ho ho… Melville Pirates win
Melville Pirates have pillaged and plundered their way to the plate title at the Mt Maunganui women’s tournament.
The Melville team ransacked Western Spings team, The All Shites, 1-0 with a swashbuckling performance in the final to bring home the booty.
The winning goal came from Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland, who Captain Hook-ed a ball into the net that many suspected was meant as a cross.
The Melville team could later be heard all talking like pirates.
"Rrrrrrrr, shiver me timbers, that was a good result," said team spokeswoman Andrea Timings. "Yo ho ho and a battle of rum."
The team had been drinking at the time.
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Former Melville lads show character… A football team boasting a host of past and present Melville United players - Characters United (see above) blitzed the field at the Mt Maunganui Tournament at Labour Weekend. Read the full tournament report and see pics from our special correspondent embedded with a team featuring Ceri James, Gavin Douglas, Steven Holloway, Michael Mayne, Stu Watene, Matt Parkin and Nathan Holten HERE
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Prizegiving: the night the stars came out
17.9.2011: Gavin Douglas has won Melville United’s premier league player of the year title for the third time in 10 years.
While the evening’s honours focused largely on the treble-winning efforts of the women’s first team at Melville United’s prizegiving at SkyCity Casino, veteran defender Douglas showed that sometimes it is the old trees that put out the best fruit in lurching ahead of his younger team mates in the race for individual recognition.
While Douglas seldom figured in player of the day awards during the season, his great strength was his consistency, and he was one of just two players to start in every match for Melville.
"There is life in the old dog," said assistant coach Kit Fagan, who did the honours in the absence of Steve Williams - despatched on an urgent scouting mission to Liverpool.
Ceri James, who has become something of a BBC media celebrity during these Rugby World Cup days, was a popular Players’ Player, breaking the recent tradition of both these awards being nabbed by the same person. Tyler Boyd was named Young Player – while Jesse Smith was Most Improved.
Thos who know best – the fans – voted Mike Thompson as Supporters Player of the Year, with Neil Mouncher runner-up.
Fagan said Melville’s third place finish in the league was credible in the light of a season in which a lot of players were coming and going.
"We never put out the same team twice," he noted.
27-goal striker Jackie Pretswell and young defender Kendal Gaby-Sutherland shared the women’s Player of the Year.
Coach Ray Mackintosh hailed both as great assets to the team, whilke Anne Ormrod secured the team and club Golden Boot award with 33 goals in 10 games.
Kendal also won the Best Dressed Woman award – by popular acclaim from the 120 guests -- with her black off-the-shoulder number, while the men’s was a no-contest, with Mackintosh walking away with it in his $1600 Mackintosh kilt.
MC Kris Allen praised the women for their presentation, but scolded the men.
"Too many of you have come looking like Billy Ray Cyrus," he said.
Groundsman and committee member Blair Cowley was named club person of the year, while committee member and federation team player Raj Naidu was Personality of the Year.
It was a special night for the Melville women’s first team as they celebrated winning the league, the Cup and the federation plate, with a 100 per cent record in which they scored 134 goals and conceded just 12.
"What a season," coach Mackintosh said. "It was an astonishing performance, absolutely outstanding."
He said he had coaxed and challenged the girls to reach new heights and they had responded.
"You won because you deserved it," he said.
There were possible "taste" issues as Harry Noorland won Quote of the Year for his throw-away line about KFC’s Double Down Burger.
But it seemed to go down well with the audience and he pipped Stu Timings’ acute observation on the unusual walking gait of some referees.
Knights striker Avneet Raju won the men’s club golden boot with 27 goals.
In his opening address club chairman Bruce Holloway acknowledged the efforts of the women’s first team, and the Old Boys as well as the Northern Reserve team – which he described as the most entertaining team in the division - and said Melville had recorded another worthy showing in the northern premier league in finishing third.
"But beyond our on-field endeavours, most of all 2011 will be remembered as the year we completed our floodlights project," he said in hailing the installation of a further 56 1500-watt lights which were previously beaming at Eden Park.
"This is the biggest project the club has ever undertaken and arguably the most significant of its type in the history of Waikato football.
"Its scale means we have grappled with challenges that very few other football clubs in New Zealand have done, and are well on the way to building an asset base for the game which will stand us in good stead in the years ahead.
"The challenge for us now is to do justice to our facilities. How can we best use them to make a difference?
"My view is we should try to be in the vanguard of all that is positive about football in the Waikato. Our club needs to reflect the heartbeat of the football community. Otherwise we risk becoming irrelevant.
"Facilities are a means towards an end, not an aesthetic thing in themselves."
Full list of Melville united prize winners HERE.
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