Thommo nabs a beauty as Melville win on the road

It was a reprise of 2022 as Melville trousered their first points of the season at Taharoto Park. It was not a game for the purist, but was much-needed after heartbreakingfirst-up94thminutelossathometoEasternSuburbssevendaysearlier

It was also a great tonic ahead of a tricky home Good Friday derby with a Wanderers teamstillhuntingitsfirstpointsoftheseason

Flashpoint in the match came in the 16th minute when diminutive midfielder Keagan Thompson drove home a shot hard and low from the edge of the area with his right foot. The keeper got a hand to it but on a very skiddy wet surface it found is way homejustinsidethepost.

It was the 18-year-old’s first goal for Melville at northern premier level after potting about18forthereserveslastseason.

And in a contest which was generally competitively dour, it was the stand-out piece of individualbrilliance.

Thompson was later named Melville’s player of the day, despite being subbed off in the 60th minute. He was nursing a very tender left foot, though advised it was from having stood on a blade at his workplace rather than being a match injury If the ultimate outcome is to be three points for Melville, they should make him stand on a

Feature of the Melville line-up was the debut of the widely-travelled Erik Panzer, who took over the role of the suspended Aaron Scott in midfield. The tall 29-year-old has played national league with Canterbury United and Southern United and for various clubs in the United States, Northern Ireland, England and Scandanavia, having first left New Zealand as a 19-year-old to play and study at Quinnipiac University inConnecticut.

Late in the second half Braedan Qui to have added a second with a head Quilter-Phippshadastronggamein

Melville were captained by Liam Hayes, who returned from having been suspended for the first game of the season for the second successive season. Melville’s only bookings went to Sean Liddicoat and Quinton Kipara, who was yellow carded about 15secondsaftercomingoffthebench.

CoachJarrodYounghadmixedfeelingsonMelville’sperformance

“I think we were pretty good up till the goal – great goal by Keagan – but were dogshit afterthatandTakapunadictated,”hesaid

HecalleditrolereversalfromMelville’sopeninggame.

“We thought we played pretty well against Suburbs but they scored the goal This is a hardplacetocomeandgetthreepointssoweareverypleased.”

TakapunacoachChrisMilicichsaidhisteamhadachangedstylethisseason

“We are transitioning from last year when we were fairly direct, fairly tough and ran veryhardtoateamwhichnowutilisestheballandcreatesopportunities,”hesaid

“It’s a massive step for the boys – just disappointed we didn’t get a goal, but in saying thatthereareenoughteamsinthiscompetitionthataregoingtostruggle

And he was generous enough to suggest Melville would be battling for a top four spot

Melville United: 1-Max Tommy (GK), 4-Braedan Quilter-Phipps, 5-Campbell Brown, 6-Ethan Richards (13-Dylan Williams 66'), 7-Ry McLeod, 8-Liam Hayes (c), 9-Jack Connor (12-Jakob England 66'), 14-Sean Liddicoat, 15-Erik Panzer, 17-Keagan Thompson(11-QuintonKipara66'),18-JohnOakman

Subsnotused:10-LuccaLim,16-AlecBowden