MELVILLE MAGIC 18 - E-NEWSLETTER

Chairman's Welcome

As this is our final home programme for the season I should startwithalistofthankyous

It has been a long and at times demanding season for our quite small volunteer administrative base so thanks to our management committee of Phil Wheatley (club captain), Rory Noorland (treasurer), Steve Williams, Bruce Holloway, Antonia Timings, Seamus Marten, Wytse Bouma, Scott Clark, Ian Richards and especially our new hard working secretary Pete Lawrence, who has come on board at the deep end Also to commercial manager at large Steve Owens, and to patron JamieStrange.

Beyon the inp

Collins,RobDolandIanMcGrath

AlsotoAndreaTimingsforherworkinbringingthe50thjubileecelebrationstogether.

Sam Wilkinson will be stepping down as first team coach and technical director at the conclusion of the season and we need to acknowledge that he has now become the second longest serving Melville coach in our history and a character of great respect withinthefootballworld

Thanks also to assistant first team coach and academy manager Harry Trethowan, who will soon be leaving for Christchurch, where his wife Morgan now has employment. There is no finer tribute than to say Harry has made us think differently aboutPlymouthArgyle

Reserve team coach Zeya Hussaini has also signaled work commitments will prevent himfromcoachingnextseasonandwethankhimforhisinput

Regardless of what happens in our final two national league matches, this has been a season to remember I recall at the start of the season, some committee members expressing concern that we stood in danger of northern premier league relegation in relying on so many U20 players and a dearth of experience in our first team squad. Instead we have seen player growth, team spirit and astute coaching take us not only back into national league ranks, but also to the cusp of sitting in the top four nationally, and largely with players from our own backyard That is quite an achievementandatributetoallthoseinvolved.

Finally we have our AGM at 2pm on Sunday in the clubrooms and with several changes to the constitution being proposed I would encourage all club members and intendingmemberstoattend.

Sam Says

Welcometothefinalhomegameofwhathasbeenalongand tiring season We started our first pre season session on 25 January, after 40 odd games and well over 100 training sessions we finally enter the home straight The player's energy, enthusiasm and work ethic has been exemplary throughout the year. It is really important that we finish off the last two games with maximum effort and drive, if we can achieve that, I’m sure we will all look back on this season as a tremendouslysuccessfulone

I need to personally take this opportunity to thank all of the support staff and club membersthathavehelpedoutthisseason

I think the skipper said it best after the Birkenhead United game when he spoke about the selfless work people put into the club to ensure that the players and myself can focus all of our attention on the football itself. It doesn’t go unnoticed and we are allverygrateful. We come into today's game off the back of a really positive run of form.

It’s amazing how quickly momentum can turn in this game and we are defiantly riding a good wave of it at present However, we are equally aware of how quickly it can turn back against us if we lose focus. Every game requires us to re earn the right to play and today’swillbenodifferent!

Welcome to Bill and his Napier City Rovers side. City Rovers is a club that holds a special place in my own family’s history My football journey has many parallels with dad’s and to be hosting the club he invested so much in as a young coach is a really special opportunity.Wewillbeexpectingatoughchallengetodayandwhileunfortunatelythere isnotrophyupforgrabs,hopefully,afewofuscanexorcisesomedemonsfrom2019!

Enjoythegame!

MaxTOMMY(GK)

BraedenQUILTER-PHIPPS

AaronSCOTT(c) LukeSEARLE CampbellBROWN JoeyOMOTANI

HarryCHRISTENSEN-ROSE LiamHAYES

RyenLAWRENCE JersonLAGOS QuintonKIPARA

OliverCOLLOTY

Three on the trot for Melville

Melville will face Napier City Rovers in their final home fixture in the 2022 national leaguechampionship(onGowerParkNo6)onthebackofanexcellentrunofwinning form.

Melville have now won three matches on the trot an achievement matched only by leaders Wellington Olympic this season and will be looking to extend that record againstaclubwelastplayedinthefinaloftheChathamCupin2019

Melville’s winning form continued with a 3 2 away win over Miramar Rangers at David FarringtonPark

It means Melville now fifth with two rounds to play are at a minimum assured of avoiding the wooden spoon and could even crack the top four something that was unthinkable a month ago. The three consecutive wins represented Melville’s best ever effortatnationalleaguelevel.

However at the conclusion of the Miramar match coach Sam Wilkinson said he could not lie, and Melville’s overall performance had been “a bit shit”. Having said that, Wilkinson also commended his troops for their formidable spirit and determination in twicecomingfrombehindtowinawayfromhome.

By contrast, a frustrated Miramar coach Scott Hales described his team as “f*cking naive”inhisaftermatchspeech

Rangers went ahead in the 32nd minute when they won a direct free kick just outside the area Max Tommy saved the shot but the ball cannoned into Liam Hayes who had conceded the free kick and been booked in an otherwise strong display and then into thenet.

Melville bounced back when Campbell Brown rocketed into the area and was sandwiched by two defenders Oli Colloty buried the penalty against former Melville custodian Joe Knowles

Miramar again went ahead six minutes into the second spell, with Sam Mason Smith aidedsignificantlybyLukeSearlelosinghisfootingontheedgeofthearea.

But Melville again equalised with Ryen Lawrence nabbing his fourth goal of the national league championship after a Stafford Dowling cross was palmed into his path by Knowlesandheturnedandplacedashotjustinsidethepost.

Then in the 71st minute Rangers failed to deal with a corner and the ball fell to Colloty who kept the ball down with a brilliant snap volley for his fifth goal in his last five matches

For Melville, Dowling was always a threat, Lawrence continued to impress, Aaron Scott and Raheem Hunter were cool under pressure, John Oakman again made his mark, whileDylanWilliamsgaveagreatlittlecameowhenhecameonattheend.

After the Napier match, Melville’s final outing is away to Auckland City at Kiwitea Street onSaturday26Novemberat3pm.

MiramarRangers2(OwnGoal32';Mason Smith51')

MelvilleUnited3(Colloty38'PEN,71';Lawrence64')

MelvilleUnited: 1 Max Tommy (GK), 3 Aaron SCOTT (c), 4 Luke SEARLE, 5 Campbell BROWN, 8. Liam HAYES, 9. Ryen LAWRENCE (2. Braedan QUILTER PHIPPS 84'), 12. Oliver COLLOTY (16. Jakob ENGLAND 84'), 15. Stafford DOWLING,, 17. Josh GALLETLY, 18 John OAKMAN (13 Dylan WILLIAMS 61', 19 Raheem HUNTER (14 Sean LIDDICOAT 80')

Subnotused:20ConorJamieson(GK)

Oh what a night, oh what a weekend

It was an action packed 50th Celebration at Melville United AFC from Friday, 4 NovembertoSunday,6November.

It was an action packed 50th Celebration at Melville United AFC from Friday, 4 November to Sunday,6November.

Friday night was a casual meet and greet at the clubrooms where we met up with players that representedtheclubfromthe80's Manystories wassharedandlotsoflaughswerehad.

On Saturday Gower Park #2 was full of action with a series of celebration games. Kicking off with a women's game that included girls from the Melville United Academy Girls from as young as 13 and the eldest in their match in her mid 50's LatertheOver50'sBlackbeattheOver50's Red in an entertaining match 4 3. It was great to see so many over 50 players enjoying themselves

The feature match saw the 2003 Chatham Cup Final team reunite to take on the Melville Mighty A's. While the 03's worked hard, the younger team was the winner on the day with a 4 1 victory Thanks to all those who organised the teams, players and referees who participated during the day. Especially those who had travelled from outsideoftheWaikatotoattend.

Saturday night was an event that everyone enjoyed with us sharing our clubs past, presentandfuture

A remembrance candle was lit by Lee Tatler and Phil Owns in honour of our past life members Steve Owens via MC Seamus Marten recalled the origins of the club, before Andrea Timings reflected on women’s football over the years, Bruce Holloway chartedtheprogressfromsocialclubtonationalleague

After dinner Aaron Scott entertained the crowd with a Q&A session before Chairman Wayne Bates wrapped up the formalities outlining the future aspirations for the club ThenweallrockedthenightawaytothelivebandDecibel,whowerefantastic.

The weekend was rounded out on Sunday with a great turnout at Gower Park #6 whereMelvilleUnitedcappedoffthe50thcelebrationswitha2 0winoverBirkenhead United.

Once again thanks to everyone who was involved in the weekend celebrations and thanks to our 50th sponsors, Research Motors, 1st Class Decorators, Billman Painters &Decorators,TimingsFamily,NoorlandFamilyandWheatleyFamily

RECAP: Highly satisfying win for Melville

Melville registered their very first national league win at Gower Park, with a 2 0 victory over a well performed Birkenhead United team, on a weekend when the club wascelebratingits50thanniversary

It was an occasion of some note, against opposition that would have moved to second on the table had it won, even without the wider context of Melville’s previous homewinsatnationalleaguelevelhavingallcomeatPorrittStadium(1997 98)

It moved coach Sam Wilkinson to reflect that it was supremely fitting that that his teamshouldproduce “areally‘Melville’performance”

“We have a group of lads where as a team we are greater than the sum of our individualparts,”hesaid

But this was a hard fought victory in a close tussle, ultimately decided in Melville’s favourby71stminutepenaltyandthenajoyousrunwaygoalinstoppagetime

It was a match played at a good clip but with relatively few chances at either end, so itwasofhugesignificancewhenLukeSearleearnedapenaltyinthe70thminute

Oli Colloty calmly slotted his 17th goal of the season and third of the national league campaigntothegreatreliefoftheMelvillecamp

And the win was finally sealed in the 94th minute as Birkenhead pressed furiously foranequaliser

Birkenhead coach Paul Hobson paid tribute to his Melville counterpart Sam Wilkinson.

“You’ve got a great bunch of lads who fight for you,” he said “And you will be missed asacoachinthisleague.

“We’re disappointed, but heads up because we have had a great run at this and I’m superproud Wewereprobablynotatourbesttodaybutthatisacredittoyou”

InreplyWilkinsonsaidthewinhadcappedagreatcelebratoryweekendfortheclub

“I see so many similarities between us and Birkenhead, albeit for the last few years we’vebeenchasingwheretheyareat”

“I watched the two U17s teams needling at each other for the second half of their match this afternoon and think it shows the utmost respect for Birkenhead that we havetobeatourverybestwhenweplay.

“I love that almost competitive edge there is between the teams and the fact everyonestillhasabeerafterthegame.

“It (national league match) was a really tight game and was never going to be a game ofalotsofchancesandfreeflowing.

“Butasourskippersaidtousafterthegame,sometimesyou’vejustgottodiginand grind and together fight to get over the line. They are just as valuable as the ‘nice wins’whereyououtplayteams.

Wilkinson said it was hard singling out individuals because to a man the Melville playersweresuperb.

“But as a man of the match with the 50th jubilee and what has happened this weekendIcan’tgopastourskipperAaronScott.”

Elsewhere Ryen Lawrence turned in another terrific effort, while John Oakman was well worth his second successive start at right back. And Stafford Dowling returned to the starting line up with a rugged front running performance, while Raheem Hunterwascoolunderpressureattheback.

MelvilleUnited2(Colloty71';Lagos90'+4) BirkenheadUnited0

Melville United: 1 Max Tommy (GK), 3 Aaron SCOTT (c), 4 Luke SEARLE, 5 Campbell BROWN, 8. Liam HAYES, 9. Ryen LAWRENCE, 12. Oliver COLLOTY (10. Jerson LAGOS 77'), 15. Stafford DOWLING (11. Quinton KIPARA), 17. Josh GALLETLY, 18 JohnOAKMAN,19 RaheemHUNTER

Subs not used: 20 Conor Jamieson (GK), 2. Braedan QUILTER PHIPPS, 13. Dylan WILLIAMS

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