Team Taranaki's chances of winning this season's Western Premiership football league took a dive yesterday when they went down 3-2 to top-of-the-table Palmerston North Boys' High School at New Plymouth's Western Park.
Heading to the halftime break 2-1 up, Team Taranaki came out in the second half and played some of their worst football of the season.
It resulted in the home side coming away empty handed and a chance to apply pressure on the league leader not taken.
Team Taranaki too often were guilty of coughing up possession and poor defence in and around the opposition's goal.
The school side were the better side on the park for the majority of the game and seized three of the opportunities they created.
Had numerous other strikes found their mark, the scoreline could have been much wider.
Things didn't start well for the home side when captain Ryan Munro squandered a good scoring opportunity inside the first five minutes, misjudging his strike with only the Palmerston North goalie Andrew Drake to beat.
Team Taranaki opened the scoring when the PNBHS keeper tried to clear the ball from inside the penalty back box and it hit Munro on the foot and ballooned straight back into the top of the net.
That seemed to momentarily unsettle the visitors, but their defence held. In the 34th minute PNBHS forward Shameus Moffatt latched on to a free kick that landed in front of the goal, tapping it past Taranaki goalie Nick Walker who was off his line to level the score.
A minute from halftime, Team Taranaki striker James Graham scored from close range to put his team 2-1.
After the re-start the school side stepped up a gear. They increased the tempo and were rewarded when Anu Gangpath caught the Taranaki defence napping with his first of two goals in the game.
His second and match winner was 15 minutes from fulltime from close in after the Team Taranaki failed to clear.
Team Taranaki coach Ian McGrath couldn't hide his disappointment after the match.
"It was an error-ridden performance from start to finish," he said, adding he thought his team was lucky to be 2-1 up at halftime.
"In the second half it was bordering on ridiculous," McGrath said.
"We gifted them possession when in a dangerous position time and time again and as a result of that we've given them the three goals they have scored through our mistakes and errors."
McGrath conceded the school side was a talented young team and deserving of being table toppers.
"It's really disappointing today that we wanted to beat them to keep ourselves in contention at the top of the league.
"And today we squandered the opportunity."
Team Taranaki are at home again in the next round, playing Feilding on Saturday.
- Taranaki Daily News
Heading to the halftime break 2-1 up, Team Taranaki came out in the second half and played some of their worst football of the season.
It resulted in the home side coming away empty handed and a chance to apply pressure on the league leader not taken.
Team Taranaki too often were guilty of coughing up possession and poor defence in and around the opposition's goal.
The school side were the better side on the park for the majority of the game and seized three of the opportunities they created.
Had numerous other strikes found their mark, the scoreline could have been much wider.
Things didn't start well for the home side when captain Ryan Munro squandered a good scoring opportunity inside the first five minutes, misjudging his strike with only the Palmerston North goalie Andrew Drake to beat.
Team Taranaki opened the scoring when the PNBHS keeper tried to clear the ball from inside the penalty back box and it hit Munro on the foot and ballooned straight back into the top of the net.
That seemed to momentarily unsettle the visitors, but their defence held. In the 34th minute PNBHS forward Shameus Moffatt latched on to a free kick that landed in front of the goal, tapping it past Taranaki goalie Nick Walker who was off his line to level the score.
A minute from halftime, Team Taranaki striker James Graham scored from close range to put his team 2-1.
After the re-start the school side stepped up a gear. They increased the tempo and were rewarded when Anu Gangpath caught the Taranaki defence napping with his first of two goals in the game.
His second and match winner was 15 minutes from fulltime from close in after the Team Taranaki failed to clear.
Team Taranaki coach Ian McGrath couldn't hide his disappointment after the match.
"It was an error-ridden performance from start to finish," he said, adding he thought his team was lucky to be 2-1 up at halftime.
"In the second half it was bordering on ridiculous," McGrath said.
"We gifted them possession when in a dangerous position time and time again and as a result of that we've given them the three goals they have scored through our mistakes and errors."
McGrath conceded the school side was a talented young team and deserving of being table toppers.
"It's really disappointing today that we wanted to beat them to keep ourselves in contention at the top of the league.
"And today we squandered the opportunity."
Team Taranaki are at home again in the next round, playing Feilding on Saturday.
- Taranaki Daily News
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