PNBHS ‘plays well’ to secure fifth place in national tournament

FOOTBALL: Palmerston North Boys’ High’s fifth-place finish in the annual secondary schools national tournament won high praise from teacher in charge William Hodge.

The competition brings together the country’s 32 best footballing schools – and 2015 was the last time Palmerston North finished in the top 16, recalls Hodge.

“I was very pleased with how we went,” he added. “They played well.”

Palmerston North’s 2-0 quarterfinal loss against Scots College showed how narrow football margins could be, Hodge said.

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His side had the momentum in the first half but didn’t capitalise and Scots scored twice after the break to win it.

Palmerston North’s only other defeat of the tournament was in their second game, when they went down 2-1 to Auckland’s Sacred Heart College, winners in 2019, the last time the competition was played before Covid-19 struck.

Sacred Heart finished in 13th spot this year.

All up, Palmerston North won five of the seven games they played, beating Rathkeale College, Shirley Boys’ High, Macleans College, Auckland, St Kentigern’s, Auckland, and Mt Albert Grammar, also from Auckland, in the playoff for fifth and sixth place.

They scored 19 goals and conceded six, with three clean sheets.

Frontrunner Darren Juru (4) and defender Matthew Rowe (3) were among the leading goalscorers, Juru off to a flying start with a hat-trick in the side’s first game, a 6-1 drubbing of Rathkeale.

Captain and midfielder Aadesh Ganugapati was chosen as Palmerston North’s most valuable player of the tournament.

He was one of 11 year 13 students in the squad.

Tauranga Boys’ College won the tournament after also winning the Super 8 competition in July, in which Palmerston North finished third.

Hutt International Boys School were runners-up, and Scots came third.

♦ There was some revenge for Palmerston North when at the junior national tournament they beat Tauranga Boys’ 2-1 in the semi-final.

Palmerston North lost 2-1 in the final against Westlake Boys’ of Auckland in the competition of 20 teams for year 9 and 10 schoolboys.

♦ North End lost on penalties at Gisborne United in the final of the men’s Federation Cup.

The score was locked at 3-3, with North End’s goals coming from Tom Bell, Olly Ceci and Patrick Smither.

North End had a 2-0 lead at halftime before the home side began scoring.