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Another half dozen for Melville
13.9.2008: Matt Williams potted a late four-minute hat trick to ensure Enterprise Cars Melville United finished their northern prenmier league season on a high note.
Melville beat Lynn Avon 6-3 in a roller-coaster match, falling behind to an Andrew Campbell goal in the sixth minute, only to enjoy a 3-1 half time lead and then find themselves locked at 3-3 before a stirring late finish.
It was an inventive Melville performance, inn which they showed character and determination to extend their unbeaten record to nine matches.
Steve Holloway drew Melville level when played through by Williams in the 21st minute. He kept a cool head to sell a dummy to keeper triss Clark and net. Holloway then put Melville ahead from the penalty spot, after Aaron Scott had been shoved by Dene McKay in seeking to head home a cross.
Melville went 3-1 ahead in the 40th minute, when Holloway crossed from the left for Phil Stables to bundle the ball home at the second attempt.
But Lynn Avon fought back early in the second spell. Chad Coombes scored from close range, and Campbell made it 3-3 from the penalty spot after David Samson fouled Yogi Tanabe in the 56th minute.
However fears of the second half blues returning for Melville were ill-founded. While Scott squandered a glorious chance to put Melville back in front when put clean through by a clever flick from Holloway, the home team still had plently of bullets left.
The match, between the third and fourth placed teams, was hard fought, despite the pre-match hilarity, in which the Lynn Avon arrived in magnificent fancy dress, to draw smiles from the Melville team having their season team photo taken.
In the 70th minute Mckay was sent off for his second bookable foul, taking out Holloway with a mistimed tackle. McKay was one of three Lynn Avon players to announce his retirement after the match. Triss Clark, Mark Harrison were the others, while coach Shane Knowles has now finished a very successful coaching stint with the club.
A feature of the game was the robust contest down Lynn Avon's right flank between Coombes and Che Bunce. Both players were booked, with Combes perhaps lucky not to also be sent off after appearign to floor Bunce with an elbow.
But Bunce had the loudest say when he streaked down the left, and chopped inside Coombes to set Melville on the path to victory. His left-footed cross was a pin-point job, which allowed Williams to apply a crisp diving header at the far post in the 80th minute.
While everyone was stil digesting that , Williams chased down a long ball and beat the defence to make it 5-3 in the 82nd minute. Then a minute later he made it 6-3, captialising on a cross from the right which had been originally aimed at Matt Hastings.
It was great reward for Williams, after missing out in the two earlier goal-fests against Mt Albert Ponsonby. Williams might be 30, but he runs about like a colt in springtime, and few are faster than him.
If there was a consolation for Lynn Avon, it was that they arguably shaded Melville in a spirited post-match karaoke sing-off between the two clubs.
Melville do it in style
6.9.2008: Melville United have assured themselves of fourth place in their first season back in the northern premier league, meeting the club’s minimum expectations for 2008.
Melville hammered a hapless Mt Albert Ponsonby team 7-1, in what is believed to be the club’s biggest away win in the premier league. It has moved Melville three points clear of Bay Olympic in fourth place, with a home match against third placed Lynn Avon still to come on Saturday.
After last year’s 8-1 win over South Auckland Rangers was expunged from the record books when that club failed to complete the northern league season, the Anderson Park victory will go down as Melville’s best winning margin in the northern premier league since the 7-0 tanking of Fencibles United at Gower Park in 2003.
This was a very good Melville performance, full of enterprise and creativity.
Steven Holloway scored a hat trick, to take his tally to nine goals in Melville’s last eight games. And centre back Wayne Bates popped up with two goals, while Aaron Scott, and substitute Michael Kim completed the scoring.
Scott, again cast in the left midfield role, began the rout in the 10th minute when he popped home a free header at the far post from a right wing cross from Ryan Harden.
Eight minutes later Paul Stewart slipped Holloway straight through the middle for a well taken goal. In the 24th minute Holloway found himself in space again, and the ball took a cruel deflection off Mt Albert’s Tim Brown, though the officials still credited Holloway with the goal. It was reward however for Holloway, who also hit the insdie of the post with a smart curling chip, with the keeper beaten.
Bates made it 4-0 from close range after Che Bunce – playing at left back this week in his ongoing tour of possible positions other than his specialist one – won a header from a corner.
But Melville received a wake-up call just before half time when Jarrad Colligan netted a header from a Mt Albert attack down the right.
At the start of the second half there was a small patch where Melville again threatened to revert to their "second half rubbish" syndrome of just booting the ball, with some awful defensive clearances and balls forward.
But they again settled down to passing the ball to each other, and 10 minutes into the second half Melville executed one of their slicker moves. Crisp short passing and movement from Matt Williams, Scott and Holloway resulted in Holloway scoring from about 8m.
Bates then added a header from a Williams cross after Mt Albert had failed to clear a corner. Six minutes from time Kim scored his second goal of the season after Scott took a quick free kick outside the box.
"You are a fair decent team," Alberts coach John Lipscombe said in his speech afterwards. "We would have liked to have given you a better game than we did today."
Melville coach Steve Williams wished relegated Mt Albert Ponsonby well, though said he personally hoped Wanderers beat them when the two teams meet on September 20.
Williams named Bates as his man of the match. Bates had little to do at the back, but enjoyed the freedom to get forward and burgle a couple of goals.
Elswhere, Wanderers chances of avoiding the relegation playoffs stumbled when they wre again held to a draw by Papatoetoe. They must now beat Mt Albert and Metro to escape the playoffs.
And Central United wrapped up the title with a 2-0 win over Bay Olympic.
Results HERE. Table HERE.
A game of one half
 30.8.2008: Aaron Scott potted two goals on his return to Melville United duty after captaining the New Zealand Olympic team in China.
Melville beat Mt Albert Ponsonby 5-1 at Gower Park with striker Steven Holloway also scoring two.
Both players were subbed midway through the second spell, denying them the chance of chasing Melville’s first hat trick of the season, though as it happened, Melville followed their usual practice of going completely off the boil in the second spell, which they effectively lost 0-1 after leading 5-0 at half time.
Paul Stewart was the other goalscorer for Melville.
The win moved Melville into fifth place, and gave them a good shot at moving into fourth place next week, when they again meet Mt Albert Ponsonby in Auckland.
Even with Che Bunce out with a hamstring injury, and Matt Friel remaining on the bench, Melville were simply too good for Mt Albert Ponsonby in all departments in the first half, and completely bossed the match.
Holloway put Melville ahead in the eighth minute, heading home at the far post after Wayne Bates had flicked on a David Samson ball into the area.
Two minutes later Stewart burst into the box and slid home a low shot for his second goal of the season.
Scott made it 3-0 from a Holloway cross in the 22nd minute, and seven minutes later applied the best finish of the day. Holloway charged down a Mt Albert clearance and the ball fell to Scott, who chipped the keeper with a curling shot from outside the area.
Scott might have returned from marking the likes of Ronaldhino in China, but it was another Under 23, the pacy and athletic Samson, who was preferred at right back. Scott was shunted to the less familiar territory of left back, where he was slightly hindered after suffering in an ugly tackle from Lyle Eason early on. Samson also had a typically strong game, dominating his flank and supplying a barrage of crosses.
Holloway made it 5-0, after a brilliant right wing run and cross from Matt Williams. His ball was perfect for Holloway to meet inside the 6 yard box, though keeper Zane Green made a fine point blank save, and Holloway had to settle for tapping home the rebound.
The game was effectively over at half time, which is lucky, because Melville again played a load of rubbish in the second half.
Watching former All White Paul Nixon, who has become the unofficial barometer of these things, said it the deterioration was acceptable in this instance, seeing as Melville had already well and truly won the game.
Leo Shin scored a consolation goal from close range for the Alberts, 10 minutes from time. It was a low key affair. Referee Glen House didn’t even appear to blow his whistle for it, and Melville were more interested in an injury to a prostrate Wayne Bates, but a goal it was.
For all Melville’s early creative dominance, coach Steve Williams put a higher premium on defensive play, and named centre back Jonathan Stables as his player of the day. Stables was consistent and reliable in all he did, though actually didn’t have a lot to do compared with other weeks.
Mt Albert Ponsonby coach John "Lippy" Lipscombe said he had no complaints about the result, and thanked the officials, who had done very well compared to his team’s experiences of previous weeks.
He said he had warned his team they would get completely mugged if they came to Gower Park with the wrong attitude. "Coming here is not the same as playing another Auckland club," he said, before vowing his team would give melville "an Auckland welcome" of similar magnitude next week.
Melville coach Steve Williams said he was very pleased with the first half performance, and the failings I the second half gave him plenty of ammo to prepare the team for next week’s challenge.
"We seem to be a first half team."
During the aftermatch ceremony Aaron Scott, 22, was presented with a Melville medallion recording his 100th appearance (league and cup) for Melville United, achieved earlier this season.
"He is a real gem of a player, with old fashioned values" Williams said. This was perhaps typified when, while team mates were heading for a beer, Scott helped take the nets down after the game.
"He has been our best young player since – Cole Tinkler," Williams added, in acknowledging the presence of Olympic team mate Tinkler, who played for Melville as a 16-year-old in 2003, in the clubrooms.
Scott thanked the club members who had contributed towards his costs in preparing for the Olympics.
"Wherever I might end up with my football, Melville will always be home," he said. "The people are fantastic and this will always be my club. I would never think of not returning. It is a great club, and coming back here helps me keep my feet on the ground."
Meanwhile the understaffed Melville reserves lost 3-2 away to Otorohanga, after trailing 3-0. Melville life member Stu Timings was among those to step into the fray to cover player shortages, and he popped up with one of the goals.
The Old Boys won 6-0 versus Unicol with Gary Kingi scoring four, and club stalwart Phil Wheatley getting one of the others. Results HERE. Table HERE. More photos HERE.
Game of two halves
23.8.2008: Melville United extended their premier league unbeaten run to six matches with a Jekyll-and-Hyde 3-2 away win over Tauranga City United.
Melville controlled the first half and were arguably worth way more than their three-goal lead, but were absolutely appalling in the second half, as Tauranga stormed back to almost snatch a share of the points.
Coach Steve Williams, fresh of a Los Angeles flight at 7am, quickly lost his voice in despairing at Melville’s second half ineptitude.
Melville can be thankful that striker Matt Williams was in fine form, because almost all his team mates lacked consistency or reliability in a contest where the game should have been in the bag after the first 20 minutes.
Matt Williams gave Melville the lead in the eighth minute, bundling home a Phil Stables cross from close range after a spirited start.
In the 26th minute Williams scored his second, easily going around the keeper after being put through by a deft flick-on from strike partner Steven Holloway.
In the 34th minute Holloway made the game safe when Williams repaid the favour. He played him through with a delightful ball for a goal so easy, Holloway had time to light a cigar before tapping the ball into the net.
But in the second half Melville switched off almost completely. The passing once again went out the window as Melville opted to instead just boot in the general direction, with some aimless long-ball rubbish, and lethargic movement, at best.
This was accompanied by some schoolboy defending, which allowed Hindrich Hahn to pull back two quick goals.
Melville responded by pulling Williams back into midfield and playing just one up front.
Though Melville continued to gift Tauranga further opportunites, the home team – seemingly headed for relegation playoffs - was not quite good enough to finish them.
Che Bunce played at right back, with Jonathan Stables and Wayne Bates the preferred centreback combination.
For Tauranga, Ian Stringfellow gave a good account of himself in midfield, while Hahn was always dangerous.
Melville’s walking wounded of Josh Billman, Charlie Hoyle, David Samson and Nathan Holten watched from the stands.
Melville are at home to Mt Albert Ponsonby on Saturday. Results HERE. Latest table HERE.
Also: Advance warning: Melville's annual prizegiving is set for September 27, with a venue still to be finalised.
Melville women are champions
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