The wise old heads of Feltonmix Metro's Bluebird Premier League team proved too strong for Fox Tapes Mt. Wellington at Mt. Smart Stadium on May 3, ekeing out a 3-1 victory in front of one of the better crowds seen so far this winter season.
Metro began like a house on fire, Shaun O'Mara sending a sizzling forty yard volley just past the post in the sixth minute, a shot which did not rise more than two feet above ground level. Steve Nickson outsmarted both Martyn Angove and Greg Brand two minutes later, but his cross zipped across the open goal without anyone from Metro being up in support to turn it home.
A Hoani Edwards free-kick into the danger zone caused an almighty scramble seconds later. Carl Jorgensen's drive was misdirected, while Willie Thompson scuffed his shot as the visitors called the early tune.
They were rewarded with a twelfth minute strike from Danny McHenery. Stuart Mair headed the ball forward from halfway, and Nickson flicked it down into McHenery's path, as he raced into the penalty area. The striker unleashed a first time volley which flashed past Brand's outstretched hand and crossed the line just beside the far post.
The Mount, who had barely got out of their own half to this point, were level within three minutes. Robbie Clark slipped a lovely little ball through for Stu Roberts, and the former Metro man took great delight in steering the ball past Grant Schofield to level the scores.
McHenery and Thompson went close soon after - the former was denied by Brand's save at his feet. Ill luck dogged McHenery yet again, this time in the 24th minute, when his stooping header soared up before rebounding back into play off the underside of the crossbar.
Jared Medhurst had a golden chance to put The Mount in front within seconds, but chose to fire a grasscutter straight at Schofield when a lob would have left the former All White 'keeper in no man's land. Medhurst curled one past the upright soon after, while Schofield saved from Roberts before the break.
The only other chance Metro had to alter the scoreline before the interval fell to Nickson, who, in hitting the sidenetting with a fierce drive, was unable to capitalise on some excellent targetman play by McHenery, who had a fine game before his substitution late on.
There was only one team in it after the break, save for four attempts on Schofield's goal by Clark, the first of which, in the 55th minute, saw the 'keeper take the pace off the shot and then watch in relief as it spun just past the upright.
Otherwise, Metro were in full cry. While not producing the quality of football with which they had graced their encounter with Central United at this venue five days previously, they were still too good for a young team which, on this showing, perhaps lacks a couple of experienced older heads in its ranks to be considered genuine championship contenders.
John Lawler and Thompson both fell foul of Brand's antics inside the first seven minutes of the second spell, while in that same period, a superbly struck Edwards volley was cleared off the line by Michael Cox, following a corner brought about by Michael Buhagiar's clearing the danger at Nickson's expense, as he homed in on a Thompson cross.
Metro hit the front again in the 58th minute. McHenery and Jorgensen combined to exploit Jason Thompson's run from deep to the fullest, and the sweeper planted his shot past Brand from the edge of the penalty area.
After Nickson had mistimed his volley on receipt of a nicely weighted Lawler cross in the 68th minute, Geoff Gray wrapped up the points sixty seconds later, a deceptive chipped cross-shot which arced over Brand and under the angle of post and bar - 'Supersub' had struck again.
Brand denied McHenery and Nickson before the finish, with the latter also having legitimate claims for a penalty. Referee Paul Smith was having none of it, however - he allowed what was always going to be a hard-fought contest to flow fairly freely, although there were a couple of incidents which took place where the blowing of his whistle would not have been inappropriate.
A lovely flowing move ten minutes from time involved Nickson and Gray, but was started and finished by Edwards. His effort deserved better fate than to hit the sidenetting, but by then the game was up for The Mount - Metro deserved victors, 3-1.

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