Glenfield Tavern Rovers missed a golden opportunity to inflict a third defeat of the season on Bluebird Premier League leaders Feltonmix Metro at McFetridge Park on August 2, spurning a 1-0 lead and a plethora of other opportunities before the visitors came back to win 3-1.
The bulk of the first half would have to rank as arguably Metro's worst display of the season so far. For the first 35 minutes or so of the game, Rovers ran the visiting defence ragged, creating a plethora of chances but, significantly, taking only one of them.
Peter Bolger had the first opportunity to punish Metro's unstable rearguard, only to be foiled by the sight of Grant Whitford saving at his feet. Whitford was deputising for the injured Grant Schofield, whose absence was possibly the reason for Metro's sloppy defensive display, which lacked its usual assuredness.
The former All White's replacement, who usually plays Over 35's soccer on Saturday afternoons, rose to the occasion on his Premier League debut, however, and was again in action in the fifteenth minute, this time smothering at the feet of Paul Fields, for mine, the most impressive player on the park throughout this 'six-pointer'.
Shaun O'Mara was caught in possession by Jason Collett soon after, the Rovers midfielder promptly slipping the ball through for Fields to pursue. John Van Dort's desperate recovering tackle was enough to spare his team-mate's blushes, although the local faithful were howling for a penalty as Fields went down in the penalty box under the defender's goal-saving challenge.
Those howls of despair turned to whoops of delight in the 23rd minute, as Fields released Bolger through a square defence. Rovers' leading marksman confidently rounded Whitford en route to slipping the ball into an empty net to give the home side a thoroughly deserved lead.
Within seconds, that lead almost doubled. Brad Scott broke down the left before cutting inside and unleashing a shot. Whitford parried the ball, and Van Dort scooped it clear to the edge of the area. The dropping sphere was met on the run by Fields, whose powerful twenty-yard header bulleted inches past the upright.
Had it gone in, Metro have struggled to come back from 2-0 down in a game Glenfield, four points behind the league leaders at the start of play, had to win to keep alive any realistic hopes of winning the championship.
These incidents seemed to spark the first signs of resolve in the Metro side, with Neil Harlock's deft chip being headed off the line in the 25th minute by - who else? - Fields. The home team continued to press, however, with Nick Hyde drilling a shot inches past the upright on the half hour, after Collett's cross had been flicked on by Bolger.
Fields headed a Hyde cross into Whitford's hands in the 34th minute, while a Bolger bicycle kick on half-time whizzed narrowly past the upright. In between times, Metro had taken the game by the scruff of the neck, and in that time, had drawn level.
A lovely right flank move featuring Van Dort, Carl Jorgensen and Willie Thompson resulted in Steve Nickson heading down a cross for Harlock to chance his arm in the 36th minute. This effort flew over the crossbar, but the All White's next effort, which came about after he had combined with Nickson and Jorgensen two minutes later, forced a fine save from Rob Read.
The goalkeeper then produced a top stop to foil Danny McHenery in a one-on-one seconds later, but the number eight gained ample compensation in the 39th minute. Jason and Willie Thompson's combined creativity on the left had seen the ball zoom across the face of goal to Harlock. He drilled in a low cross which left Read beaten, allowing McHenery to steal in and squeeze home the equaliser.
Willie Thompson shot straight at Read just before the break, having been released by a long throw-out by Whitford. Metro's 'keeper made a tremendous reflex save soon after the resumption, spectacularly keeping out Bolger's driven effort, which had 'Top corner' written all over it.
Bolger and Nigel Curties exchanged tame efforts on goal just prior to the hour mark, before Metro picked up the tempo and proceeded to grind their opponents into the ground. Willie Thompson crossed the ball to Harlock in the 68th minute, and he headed the ball down for Curties. He touched on to McHenery, whose shot was blocked on the line by Hamish McKenzie.
Read was untroubled by Nickson's effort from the rebound, but had to pick the ball out of the net twice in the next six minutes, as Metro's Nickson-and-Harlock-inspired pressure paid dividends.
The league leaders' 71st minute goal was as good a team strike as you could wish to see - even some of North Harbour soccer's diehard fans were drooling with envy-tinged pleasure as their memories of a typical North Shore United attack circa 1994 - their Superclub Championship-winning season - were revived.
Nickson is not one of this contingent's favourites, due mainly to the frequency with which he finds himself courting the referee's company during matches. But when he's in the mood, there are few better leaders of the attack in New Zealand soccer, and those that are often heard bemoaning the striker's efforts suddenly adopt a subtle code of silence, broken only by the odd comment of praise, albeit begrudging.
He played the role of receiver and distributor in this fine goal, gathering the ball just inside Rovers' half before a brief surge forward culminated in a pass to the left touchline for Harlock. His cross was an invitation to score, and Curties, who had careered forward from deep, flung himself at the sphere and sent it sailing into the top corner of Read's net - quite simply, a superb goal.
Three minutes after this stunning strike came the goal which effectively killed off Glenfield's championship hopes for 1998. Harlock - a growing influence on the game as it wore on - played the ball wide to Jason Thompson. His cross from the left cleared the defence and found Nickson, lurking unmarked on their blindside. The striker controlled the ball before slamming home an unerring volley into the top far corner, before turning to "acknowledge" his critics.
Rovers rallied, with Bolger drilling a free-kick over the top in the 81st minute. Two minutes later, McKenzie's header from a Collett cross whizzed past Whitford and hit the inside of the post. But before the ball could cross the line, the 'keeper flicked it to safety - he's not nicknamed "Fingers" for nothing!!
In stoppage time, Scott and McKenzie had chances for Glenfield, but the closest we saw to another goal came at the other end of the park. Read made a tremendous save to keep out a thunderous twenty-five yard first-time volley from Nickson, the goalkeeper crashing into the post in the aftermath of his efforts.
While Rovers can take much from their spirited performance, Fields particularly, at this stage of the season, it's the result which matters, and Metro came out on top, 3-1, this despite playing indifferently at the home of championship-chasing rivals - a sure sign of a team destined for silverware.

Rovers: Read; Kelly (Lockhead, 5), McKenzie, Ogg, Feck; Hyde, Fields (booked, 53), Collett, Scott; Bolger, Green (Raynor, 69).

Metro:  Whitford, Van Dort, O'Mara, Mair (booked, 29) (Lawler, 53); W. Thompson (Davidson, 83), Jorgensen (booked, 40), Curties, Harlock, J. Thompson (booked, 81) (Beckham, 83); McHenery, Nickson (booked, 45).    

Referee: Tony Cawte

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