Recap
Grey United and Westport Cos kicked off in the early men’s game. Grey United were looking to get their season off to a great start after plenty of hard work in the pre-season, but also had the incentive of competing for the inaugural Dory Perchig memorial trophy. Dory was a long-time friend and teammate of Grey United, and he will be long remembered in the West Coast football community.
The game started well for Grey United, with some good possession and pressure in attack. They finally got themselves off the mark after James McLean won the ball outside the Westport penalty box and thumped it past the outstretched arm of Jake Neaves in the Westport goal. Grey United’s second and third goals were almost identical, with two corners swung in by McLean both headed home by Scott Honey. Grey United knew that a fightback was always on the cards, after Westport came back from 4-0 the week previous to draw. Pete Te Rakau was brought on as a sub by Westport and had a definite impact on the game, playing a through ball to Josh Roche to score his second of the season. The second half was a bit more scrappy and stretched, with few real clear chances for either side. McLean had a deflected shot hit the upright, but otherwise Grey United were content to see the game out. Caleb Anderson in the Grey United attack kept the Westport defence busy and on their toes the whole game, in a constant battle with Krishnal Reddy. Anderson and Reddy were awarded their respective player of the days. The Dory Perchig memorial trophy will stay in Greymouth for the next year, and will be played for again between these two sides the first time they meet at Arthur Fong.