MELVILLE MAGIC 2 APRIL 2022
2022 | 01
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Chairman's Welcome A warm welcome to visitors Bay Olympic and just as importantly, the Melville faithful for what is our first home game of the season. While potential COVID issues have made planning quite an uncertain business for the third successive start to a northern league season, the so-called “offseason” has been a time for a huge amount of behindthe-scenes administrative work at Melville. Much energy has been expended on laying the groundwork for planning the biggest facility developments in the club’s history.
And while we are not yet in a position to make too many announcements, it is no secret that floodlighting of the No 1 pitch is timed to start in September (this work is being done in conjunction with Gower being a training venue for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup) while we are also in the throes of purchasing LED lighting with will transform the night-time set-up on Gower 6 and 7. Further facility development announcements can be expected within the next two months. Meanwhile on the personnel front, this year we have appointed Luke Searle to the new position of community development coach (while Harry Trethowan continues in the role of youth development coach). On the playing front Luke is still on the comeback trail with his left knee and may play for the reserves today. We have also appointed Tarena Ranui as Melville director of women’s football, a role which also includes her coaching the women’s premier team. Tarena is widely seen as the most influential female coach in the Waikato with her contribution to the code over recent years having been quite remarkable on the junior front. This season we have also re-instituted a WaiBOP federation league team, being marshalled by Ian Richards, who has also joined the committee. The club also has a new secretary this season in Pete Lawrence, who has shown a lot of energy in helping sort out the club’s administrative affairs. The full committee is: Pete Lawrence (secretary), Rory Noorland (treasurer), Steve Williams, Shane Knowles, Bruce Holloway, Antonia Timings, Seamus Marten, Ian Richards, Phil Wheatley, Scott Clark and Wytse Bouma.
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Front Cover: Liam Hayes in action against North Shore United in 2021 PHOTO: Marc McMullan
Chairman's Welcome We should also acknowledge the input of Jamie Strange, who has become the most active patron in the history of the club, and as a serving Hamilton Labour MP, also perhaps be most well connected. Jamie has done some very important work behind the scenes with sponsors and funding agencies and I have appreciated being able to work alongside him on facility development. Jamie will also be facilitating a further “Stakeholder Day” for sponsors on Friday April 29 This season we have 12s and 13s teams competing in WaiBOP competition and our 14s, 15s and 17s competing in the northern regional leagues on Sunday. We also have 14s and 16s girls teams, who will be playing on Saturdays. Turing to on-field matters, Melville beat Bay Olympic 6-2 in a pre-season match at Gower, though Bay were noticeably understrength on the day and it was a reminder that COVID issues can still play a major role in match outcomes. Our competitive meetings with Bay Olympic have tended to be momentous affairs in recent times. Few will forget the Chatham Cup round of 16 win against Bay last year at Gower Park, if only because it was also the day when we celebrated Aaron Scott’s 300 first team appearances for Melville.
And of course in 2019, we beat them 2-0 in the Chatham Cup semifinal. This time around they are coached by Liam Mulrooney, and assisted by Jamie Pritchett, two players from my era. A welcome also to matchday partner, Advance Joinery. Principal Kris Allen is Melville through and through, as you might expect from a former club president, and has been a pillar of the club in recent years. Finally, there will be no formal aftermatch function and meal in the clubrooms today because of COVID precautions but the bar will be open for suitably distanced patrons. Wayne Bates
Sam Says
Welcome back to Gower Park for the start of our 2022 home campaign. After a disrupted pre-season we are excited to be back home in-front of our own supporters. Like most clubs, the last month has become a daily battle against COVID related absences. It has definitely been a challenge at times but the way the players have gone about their work has been outstanding. While we haven’t seen the last of the COVID cases amongst our squad, hopefully we can get back into a settled routine now the season has started.
We couldn’t have asked for a more challenging start last weekend. With or without a full squad, Auckland City are the strongest club in the league and playing against them is still the bench mark we all measure ourselves against. The work rate of our lads in a high tempo first half was excellent, we would have liked to have had more control of the ball at times but it was hard to fault the application of the players. We were possibly a bit hard done by with the first goal but football is a game of fine margins, particularly against the top teams. I felt we came on strong in the second half and the fact we had City wobbling near the end of the match showed the character in the squad. However, we’ve still come away empty handed from the game and the message to the players postmatch was to not be happy with valiant efforts. There were plenty of positives to take from the game but we must carry the mindset that “winning” is the only outcome we are satisfied with. As we prepare for the first home game of the season we would like to welcome some new and returning faces. Braeden Quilter-Phipps, Olly Colloty, John Oakman and Aston Hurd have all joined the club, the boys have fitted in seamlessly and already added great value to the team. Sean Liddicoat made his official return from injury last weekend, his presence on the pitch was immediately felt and it will be a huge boost having him fully fit. We are also expecting Luke Searle to make a full return in the next month, Luke will be a massive re-addition to the team. Harry Rose and Stafford Dowling have re-joined the club and it is great to have them back on board. Added to this, we have a number of Academy graduates who have now progressed to the first team and the balance between exciting young players and more battle-hardened seniors is starting to take shape. A big thank-you to all the people that gave up their time last Sunday at the club working bee. Special mention to the Skipper - Aaron Scott who backed up 90 minutes on Saturday with a solid stint of net repairs on the Sunday! Welcome to today’s visitors Bay Olympic. Bay O had a flying start last week and will no doubt be full of confidence coming into today’s game. With two bright, young(ish) coaches in Liam and James and some excellent recruitment over the summer they will an tough challenge for our lads, but one I am sure we will be up for. Enjoy the game and hopefully, we get off the mark with three points!
Melville push Auckland City hard
Quinton Kipara’s late second half curling shot went just wide. PHOTO: Cordwainer Bull
Melville left their opening northern premier league of the season empty-handed, but were far from being disgraced in a 2-1 away loss to title favourites Auckland City at the Croatian Cultural Society in West Auckland. Auckland benefited from an early goal to Angus Kilkolly which seemed to most to be clearly offside, but the whistle never came. Melville struck back in the 25th minute from a corner. Liam Hayes nodded onto the bar and striker Oliver Colloty reacted first to tap the rebound over the line for his first goal in his first major appearance for Melville. A defensive error cost Melville in the 37th minute, with Dylan Manickum able to run through unopposed. Melville keeper Max Tommy brilliantly parried the shot high but the wind and backspin gave the ball enough momentum to find the net. Melville pushed hard for an equaliser, particularly in the final 20 minutes, when they put Auckland under sustained pressure. All five substitutes were used and all made a good impression, but particularly Sean Liddicoat, who played on the less favoured left flank. Pick of the Melville players was Max Tommy, who made a number of excellent saves and could not be faulted for either goal. Quinton Kipara added midfield attacking pep when he came on. Meanwhile Melville Reserves drew 2-2 with Auckland City, with goals from Sean Leadley and Legga Legz. First team squad member John Oakman looked to have scored the winner late in stoppage time but it was controversially ruled out for offside.
2022 First Team Squad
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Player sponsorships still available Contact: info@melvilleunited.co.nz
2022 First Team Squad
Player sponsorships still available Contact: info@melvilleunited.co.nz
Soccer United Football Supplies, Research Motors and RFM Rental Cars are proud to support Melville United Head of Women's Football Tarena Ranui as she continues to ensure the growth of girls football in the Waikato.
Funding Partners
Club Partners
Academy Partners
1. Max TOMMY (GK) 2. Braeden QUILTER-PHIPPS 3. Aaron SCOTT 4. Luke SEARLE 5. Campbell BROWN 6. Logan WISNEWSKI 7. Harry CHRISTENSEN-ROSE 8. Liam HAYES 9. Ryen LAWRENCE 10. Jerson LAGOS 11. Quinton KIPARA 12. Oliver COLLOTY 13. Leslie KIVOLYN 14. Sean LIDDICOAT 15. Stafford DOWLING 16. Aston HURD 17. Josh GALLETLY 18. Logan WISNEWSKI 19. Raheem HUNTER 20. Conor JAMIESON (GK) 21. Sean LEADLEY 22. Lemuel LE HANE 23. Dylan WILLIAMS 24. Ethan RICHARDS
1. Oliver POCOCK (GK) 2. Ryan ELDER 3. Jack DUNCAN 4. Callum MCNEILL 5. Godwin DARKWA 6. Tinashe MAROWA 7. Campbell MCINTYRE 8. Emmanuel DARKWA 9. Roussin NKOY 10. Tom BOSS (c) 11. Jono QUINN 12. Jarrod ROBERTS / Ryan CAIN 13. 14. Antonio BONKOVICH 15. Leon VAN DEN HOVEN 16. Patch BOWEN 17. Hamed BASIRI 18. Jayden ROLLINSON 19. Sam TUTTON 20. Adam JOHNSTON / Jake WOOLFORD 21. Connor TURTON / Darren WHITE 22. Harry BYRNE / Sam JASPER 23. Luca TAYLOR (GK) 24.
Coach: Sam WILKINSON Assistant Coach: Harry TRETHOWAN Operations: Seamus MARTEN Physio: James YOUNG Manager: Steve BETTIS Assistant Manager: Danny MILNER
Coach: Liam MULROONEY Assistant Coach: James PRITCHETT GK Coach: Jon GWIN Physio: Michelle PRAVIN Manager: Andy PHIPPS
Referee: Andy HOLDSWORTH | AR1: Nigel HATFIELD | AR2: Jacob PORTER