Flying Kiwis – January 28
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
The moment that we’d been patiently waiting for finally arrived on Friday morning. There had been links to AC Milan, there had been links to Saudi Arabia, there had been links to Major League Soccer... but those were all mere bargaining as Chris Wood and his agent haggled over an inevitable new deal with Nottingham Forest. The club only wanted to offer a one-year contract, working in the (erroneous) assumption that a player his age is unlikely to sustain this production, figuring that they could therefore save money by going year by year with small extensions. But Chris Wood demanded two years and the longer that negotiations ensued – the first reports of contract negotiations emerged way back in October – the more goals he kept scoring. The brother never let up and in the end the club had no choice but to give him what he wanted.
Chris Wood: “I’m very excited and very happy to have it completed and done, and I’m looking forward to the next couple of years, at least. I saw the ambition when I first arrived. When I spoke to the owner and his family and saw where they want to be and where they see this Club to be - it was clear they have high ambitions and big dreams. He has backed the Club for years, even before promotion to the Premier League, which is fantastic, and the team is pushing in the right direction. I’m excited for the future. This Club has a lot of potential to continue to grow and build, and that is what I want to be a part of. I can’t thank the fans enough, they always come in voice and they’re always behind the team and myself, it’s a pleasure playing in front of them. Here’s to a few more years together."
NFFC Owner Evangelos Marinakis: “He has performed exceptionally well with us. More than just his goals, he epitomises everything that it means to wear the Garibaldi Red – hard work, a fighting and wining spirit, and the attitude to never give up. He is a winner and a role model to inspire all of us, and we reward his dedication with ours.”
Two more years of The Woodsman in “Garibaldi Red”. He’s already scored 83 goals in the Premier League so Mark Viduka’s Australasian record of 92 is very much within his sights and after that we can start thinking about triple figures (and beyond). He’s the club’s all-time top scorer in this competition and primed to extend that record. Plus, the way that Forest are tracking, this has ramifications way beyond the Premier League... these guys could be playing Champions League (or at least some form of continental footy) next season and, with his expiring contract now a thing of the past, Chris Wood will be amongst it if they do. He did play a wee bit of Europa League back in the day when it was still called the UEFA Cup whilst on loan with Birmingham City and there was one season where Burnley had Europa League qualifiers. This would be next level for him.
Wood’s contract extension came only a few days after Brazilian defender Murillo extended his and they’re apparently in negotiations with fullback Ola Aina as well. This is a team that recognises what they’ve got and they’re seeking to reinforce it with the future in mind. Despite their sizzling recent form, they’re on course to make it through the transfer window without any key players getting poached and, Forest being Forest, they’ll probably find an undercover gem or two on Deadline Day. Another aspect of this is that Marko Stamenic is of course on the books at the club so keeping Woodsy around means that there’s now the possibility they’re able to play together someday. We’ve never had kiwi teammates in a Premier League game before.
With that all on the table, let’s just breeze over the weekend’s game. Forest travelled to face Bournemouth and were trailing within nine minutes on account of a Justin Kluivert goal. As good as NFFC have been when scoring first, chasing games hasn’t really been their forte and they had huge trouble all evening against the speed and movement of Bournemouth. They kept it at 1-0 into the break... then a Dango Outtara hat-trick and an Antoine Semenyo effort in stoppage time saw Forest capitulate to a 5-0 defeat.
Bournemouth are also having a superb season so this was a battle between the EPL’s two seasonal upstarts and Forest just got dealt a serious slap in the face. Ninety minutes for Wood but no goal to celebrate his new contract – nor his 250th Premier League appearance. Didn’t even attempt a shot. Forest remain third on the ladder. Mark the milestone but scratch the result and move on.
Up Next: Nottingham Forest vs Brighton at 1.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Maggie Jenkins - Gaziantep ALG Spor (Turkish Süper Ligi)
She got absolutely clattered in the process, but Maggie Jenkins has picked up where she left off after the New Year’s hiatus in Turkey by scoring the breakthrough goal in a 2-0 win for ALG Spor away against Amed SK. This was their first game for a month. Their previous match was a harsh lesson dealt by leaders Fenerbahce in a 3-0 loss prior Christmas. They were without star striker Patricia Seteco (who has 15 goals this season... next most in the squad is Jenkins with four). Lots of reason for caution yet not a worry was to be found.
That’s all thanks to Jenkins putting her head in the firing line while rushing onto a ball over the top. The keeper cleaner her out but MJ’s courage was rewarded with a goal. Jenkins then stayed down as the physio rushed on and a bunch of her teammates stood around to check on her... fortunately she was okay to carry on playing - in fact, she didn’t get subbed until stoppage time following ALG Spor’s clinching second goal. With Besiktas suffering a surprise defeat to end their long winning streak, that means ALG Spor rise back up to third place on the table. It’s ALG Spor vs Besiktas in the upcoming round so that’ll be a doozy. It’s also four goals and two assists for Jenkins in her first year at the pros. Excellent stuff.
Up Next: ALG Spor vs Besiktas, as promised, at midnight on Sunday/Mondbutay (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
What a beautiful sight.
It wasn’t a goal that made any different to the outcome but that cheeky assist for Ryan Thomas marked his first Eredivisie goal contribution since... scoring for PSV Eindhoven vs Sparta Rotterdam on 3 October 2021. Obviously he’s gotten a few in the second division since, yet even then you’ve gotta go back to an assist against Dordrect on 28 April 2023. That’s only three months shy of two years ago. He’s not there to score goals or supply assists but this’ll be a relief to him all the same. One more milestone to claim as he ramps up that match fitness.
The game itself was away to Fortuna Sittard and Thommo’s little run in behind and square cross set up Filip Krastev to put the final flourishes upon a 4-1 victory. Zwolle only had eight shots in total but they scored from four of them. They were up 2-0 at the half, leading since the 12th minute, and although Fortuna scored ten mins into the second stanza they very quickly won a penalty to push the lead back out. A second yellow for Mitchell Dijks of Fortuna with quarter of an hour to go pretty much ended the chances of a home team comeback and Ryan Thomas was subbed on soon after that. To great effect.
This was Thomas’ fifth Eredivisie game of the season. It was a pity he didn’t get to take the pitch against his old club PSV last week because that was an even bigger result: PEC Zwolle shocked the league leaders with a 3-1 win. Happily, this sudden burst of goals and victories has lifted PEC Zwolle clear of the relegation stuff. Just gotta make sure they stay there.
As for Matthew Garbett, there may not have been any rumours since he was iced out of the NAC Breda squad and told to look for a transfer. But that only means that nothing’s being leaked. According to one of the Dutch journos, “there is a lot of interest in the New Zealand international” and he specifically mentioned “Central Europe” as an area of interest – Germany perhaps? We shall see... in the meantime, Garbs is being very selective about where he goes, taking his time to find the best fit. Despite only having six months left on his contract, NAC Breda are expecting a transfer fee of several hundred euros.
Up Next: PEC Zwolle vs Utrecht at 6.45am on Sunday (NZT)
James McGarry - Aberdeen (Scottish Premiership)
It’s been an odd season for James McGarry. Hardly got a mention in these yarns for several months as he got stuck on the bench behind the in-form Jack MacKenzie... then when MacKenzie got injured for a few games in December, McGarry didn’t exactly take his opportunity. Hard to blame him given the rustiness. He’s been much better in recent weeks as MacKenzie has had another stint on the sideline... but alas the Dons then brought in Danish fullback Alexander Jensen who has started the last couple of games ahead of McGarry. Now MacKenzie’s back fit again too. MacKenzie’s contract does end after this season but clearly Jensen is the bloke who’s primed to replace him if he leaves. Writing’s on the wall. Hence this news...
Aberdeen Live: “Aberdeen defender James McGarry looks set to make his Pittodrie exit after a Greek Super League side Kallithea made their move for the New Zealand international. Reports in Greece claim Kallithea have launched their bid to secure the left-back in a bid to maintain the Athens-based side's hopes of top flight survival.”
Kallithea, as the people said, are battling to avoid relegation. They are second to last right now with 15 points from 20 games. Only got promoted back to the top flight last year and they’re in danger of that trip being a one-and-done affair. What’s more, their Czech left-back Matej Hanousek recently gapped it for Gençlerbirliği in Turkey so they need to replace him. Well, here it goes. McGarry has 18 months left on his Aberdeen deal so it’s expected this’ll be a loan with an option to buy. Seems like a decent move if they’re going to give him good minutes (although he has proven injury-prone during his time in Scotland). We’ll find out if/when the deal gets announced.
By the way, it was Kallithea that Marko Stamenic’s Olympiacos beat in the Greek Cup round of sixteen back in December. Unfortunately, they’ve already met twice in the league so there’ll be no Stamenic vs McGarry meeting, given that they’ll be on opposite sides when the championship/relegation rounds begin.
Up Next: Kallithea vs Aris on Monday at 4am, if he can get the paperwork done in time (NZT)
Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)
Speaking of Marko Stamenic, check it out he got a quick little runaround in the Europa League this week. Subbed on in the 89th minute of a 1-0 Olympiacos win away against Porto. They’d scored against the run of play about ten minutes earlier and Stamenic was summoned to help keep the door closed. Which he did. That’s a very useful win for Olympiacos who are now almost certain to be progressing to the next stage of the competition and could even do so in the top eight, skipping out of the first knockout round, if they win their last league phase game (home vs Qarabag).
He didn’t get any minutes in the 1-1 draw against Panathinaikos that came afterwards though. Olympiacos were winning as half-time approached and in a good position until Costinha’s red card altered the trajectory. They ended up conceding a penalty kick equaliser and settling for a point. Still four points clear after 20 matches. It’s a stumble but not a bad one. These two teams drew by the same scoreline when they met in the first leg of the Greek Cup quarters a fortnight ago.
Stamenic has only gotten ten minutes across the last six Super League games for the Red and Whites, making this his least prominent spell of the whole season. That first leg cup game against Panathinaikos is his only start since December 1 across all competitions. He hasn’t started any of the Europa League games. Not great preparation for a further step up to the Premier League but that’s how it goes sometimes. Olympiacos are a very competitive team with an established and experienced midfield cohort... plus an 18yo local phenom, Christos Mouzakitis, whose emergence is the main reason that Stamenic hasn’t had the role he’d have envisaged when he signed. Just gotta wait for his turn then take advantage when it comes.
Up Next: Olympiacos vs Qarabag at 9am on Friday; Levadiakos vs Olympiacos at 3.30am on Monday (NZT)
Hannah Blake & Michaela Foster – Durham FC (English Championship)
Durham were the only Championship team to make it to the knockouts of the League Cup and the draw was as rude as could be: serving up Chelsea away. But on the other hand, as Blakey says there, this was an amazing opportunity for Durham to test themselves against one of the strongest clubs in the world and to get a taste of what life could be like if they manage to get promoted. Both Hannah Blake and Mickey Foster were picked to start the match against Chelsea... and there was a familiar face on the bench too: Rylee Foster. The Canadian goalie being, of course, a former Wellington Phoenix teammate (and roommate and namesake) of Mickey Foster. She’s been hovering around Everton as an injury replacement backup since leaving the Nix but that deal has ended she’s now turned up at Durham.
Predictably... Durham got thrashed. In fairness, it was 1-0 with an hour gone so it was only those last thirty minutes when things got away from them. Pretty spirited showing from the underdogs, albeit an awkward one for Rylee Foster given that she was subbed on for her Durham debut at half-time and therefore ended up conceding four of the goals. Mickey Foster played 65 minutes and ducked out at 2-0. Blake played 74 minutes and ducked out at 3-0. Durham didn’t attempt a shot all game but they did defend quite well for much of the way.
After that match they dusted themselves off and beat Southampton 1-0 in the Championship. Mollie Lambert’s 14th minute goal was the difference in a close battle. Blake played 76 minutes on the left wing while Foster did the whole thing in defensive midfield. R.Foster also started this match. Durham had suffered an annoying defeat to Charlton a week prior so this was a big three-pointer to get their title challenge pointing in the right direction again... especially with Birmingham losing this week. Incredibly, there are six teams separated by two points at the top of the Champo right now. Three of them have kiwi players.
One of those clubs is obviously Durham. Another is London City Lionesses who had a bye this week, so no Grace Neville (though she’s mostly been a bench player for them). Curious to see that Sophia Poor has joined LCL on loan recently – she was the third-string at Aston Villa while Anna Leat was there. Now both Leat and Poor have left (albeit only temporarily for Poor). Dunno if that paints Leat’s move in any fresh light or not... probably not. Anyway, the other NZ-linked title challenger is Sunderland who drew 1-1 with Blackburn Rovers. Katie Kitching played an hour of that match. It was her looping corner kick that created Sunderland’s goal, dipping to Jessie Stapleton at the far post...
The keeper did flap at it, and possibly got a glove on that ball, so depending on where you look it may or may not be credited as a Kitching assist. We’re counting it though. One more for the tally (five goals, three assists in the league this season... and a few more in the cup on top of that). But Blackburn Rovers did equalise early in the second half for a share of the points.
Elsewhere, Sheffield United lost 3-0 to Charlton with Jacqui Hand and Olivia Page both starting again. Not a very good team performance, with the kiwis unable to drag it upwards. At least Portsmouth also lost so no damage done in the relegation scrap.
Up Next: Brighton vs Durham in the FA Cup at 8am on Thursday (NZT)
Nik Tzanev – Northampton Town (English League One)
They’re not kidding when they hype up the saves. Tzanev had probably his best performance in a Northampton Town jersey as the Cobblers travelled to face title-challenging Wycombe Wanderers and returned with a very impressive point from a 0-0 draw. They were even a bit unlucky to have a goal of their own disallowed early on for a contentious foul on the keeper. Nevertheless, they had old mate Tanz there to bring in the clean sheet.
Pretty handy timing too, because regular number one Lee Burge is now back from injury... however with manager Kevin Nolan arriving during that time and Tzanev having excelled during his window of games it seems that there’s been a flip in the number one status at the club...
Kevin Nolan: “Nik has been fantastic since I've come in with his kicking and everything else. He takes a lot in and I've been really impressed with him. Burgey is obviously back fit now and he’ll be waiting for his chance. I expect them to be pushing each other and I want to have those headaches. Nik made two fantastic saves at critical times and we know Wycombe were going to have those moments so you need your goalkeeper to step up and your defenders to make blocks and they did that.”
In other League One goalkeeping news, Max Crocombe didn’t have the same glorious role as Tzanev but he’ll be equally as stoked with his last seven days after Burton Albion beat Wigan 2-1 and then Rotherham 4-2. No clean sheet, hardly any saves, low passing percentages... but who cares because they won... twice. To put that into context, Burton had only won 2/25 games prior to this week - they just doubled their season win tally in January. While that’s not quite enough to get them out of the relegation zone, it does get them out of last place at a time when they were getting worried about drifting away down there. The bottom four teams are separated by one point. Northampton Town are six points ahead in the lowest place of safety.
Beyond that, there was a 3-2 defeat for Mansfield Town away to Cambridge. Ben Waine got 25 minutes off the bench which is the most he’s played in a game since November... and he made it count by winning the stoppage time penalty that Lee Gregory converted to give Mansfield a slight chance of a late recovery. They didn’t find another goal to equalise but at least Waineo brought something substantial to the table after a run of small cameos that passed without event. He’d put a tricky header on target prior to winning the spot kick too. He’s always got big energy, just gotta show a little productivity as well in order to win over the English crowd.
Nothing particularly exciting happened in Reading’s game as they were beaten 2-0 away to Leyton Orient. Tyler Bindon did have another excellent defensive display though. 14 clearances, two blocked shots, 61 touches with 84% pass accuracy. Pity about the result but it was at least a typically eye-catching performance in what was his last game of football as a teenager. Every game he’s played this month has held the shadow of potentially being his last for the club, if an anticipated transfer eventuates, and none more than the next one because it’ll be the last match before the window closes. Either he leaves in the next few days or he sees out the rest of the season (and the rest of his contract). That next game is a midweeker against Max Crocombe’s Burton Albion (Weds 8.45am NZT).
Up Next: Bolton vs Northampton at 8.45am Wednesday, then Northampton vs Huddersfield at 4am Sunday (NZT)
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
Well, that’s no so good for Internazionale’s title challenge. They popped defending champs Roma a few weeks ago, who themselves then inflicted Juventus with a first defeat of the Serie A campaign, but Inter weren’t able to do the same in their own meeting with Juve so we’ve got a rock-paper-scissors situation between the top three where they’ve each recently won and lost to the others.
Inter started quite promisingly and it might have been a different story had Tessa Wullaert not smacked one over the bar from about twelve yards out. Martina Tomaselli had a good chance too. As did Katie Bowen, who intercepted a pass just outside her own penalty area, sprinted beyond halfway on the dribble, hit Wullaert on the overlap, dashed into the middle, and only barely missed getting a toe on the cross. Could have been something amazing. Instead, Juventus scored twice within the next ten minutes and were in control from there on out.
With Juve sitting deep and protecting what they had, Inter did manage to continue creating chances. They just couldn’t put that pesky ball in the pesky net. Bowen probably should have gotten an assist with ten to go when she carried the ball central and picked out Elisa Polli in the area... who fired over. Bowen also went over the advertising hoardings after stinging a cross from the byline at one stage, needing a moment to recompose herself after that assisted cartwheel (4:30 in the highlights vid). She was okay. But her team lost 2-0.
So with two rounds to go before the league splits in half, Juventus have moved seven points clear at the top. Inter are holding onto second place with a three point advantage over Roma, who were beaten 3-2 by AC Milan this week. Convenient for Inter. Onwards we go.
Up Next: Second leg of the Italian Cup quarter-final, currently 1-1 on aggregate, away to Sassuolo at 6am on Wednesday; then it’s home vs Fiorentina in Serie A at 12.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Kiara Bercelli - Sampdoria (Italian Serie A)
This week also brought a return to action for Kiara Bercelli with Sampdoria. She got five minutes off the bench away to Napoli, brought on after Nicole Arcangeli had given Sampdoria the lead on 72’ from the penalty spot. Bercelli didn’t complete a pass in that time but she did what she needed to do, buckling up in defence to protect the clean sheet and earn her team a rare 1-0 victory – their first win of the entire league season. Took them until the 16th attempt to finally get there... and with that they rise out of last-place, ahead of Napoli.
This was Bercelli’s fifth match in Serie A and the first as a substitute, having had a run of four starts late last year. She wasn’t in the squad for the first game back in the New Year, then sat on the bench last week. This time it was a five-minute cameo so obviously they’re ramping her back up. Hopefully also they can remain above Napoli and keep themselves in the division next season.
Up Next: Roma vs Sampdoria at 3.45am on Sunday (NZT)
CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)
Last week, Leicester City lost 1-0 to Spurs after their keeper Janina Leitzig had a howler that caused the only goal. This week they faced Liverpool and were 1-0 down early after Leitzig kicked a clearance into a striker and the ball ricocheted into the net. Not even three minutes on the clock. Very much not what the Foxes wanted to see... but guess what? This time it wasn’t a fatal blow. This time they got goals through Janice Cayman (17’) and Missy Goodwin (40’) and walked away with a very helpful 2-1 victory. Only LCFC’s second win of the term, putting some distance between themselves and Crystal Palace.
Hugely valuable win there in CJ Bott’s 51st WSL appearance. She wasn’t involved in either goal at all but she did plenty of good defensive work in that second half as they held on. Five more tackles. Blocked a couple of crosses. Chuck in a few clearances too, why not. CJB doing what CJB does.
As for last-placed Crystal Palace, they fought back from 2-0 down at half-time against Tottenham only to concede in the 90+5th minute and lose 3-2. Devastating for them, the Eagles are now four points adrift in last. Problem was there was no Indi Riley in the squad. She’s not been in a matchday squad since before the holiday break - we’re working off the assumption that she’s injured, since she has been pictured at training.
Up Next: Everton vs LCFC at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Zac Jones – Haverfordwest County (Welsh/Cymru Premier)
He may have conceded twice, as opposed to his usual clean sheet habit, but every keeper loves a goal contribution so this’ll do instead. Long ball from the free kick, Benjamin Ahmun did the rest. That goal made it 3-1. Opponents Bala Town did get one back with ten to play but then a late red card followed and 3-2 was the final score. Another good win for Haverfordwest County.
The win was even more valuable because this was the first set of fixtures of the championship rounds. HC progressed in third place and they’ve just cemented that by beating one of the three teams below them. Only the league winners get direct European entry from Wales but if Haverfordwest can finish in the top three then they’ll skip straight through to the semis of the playoffs for Conference League qualifiers. If they finish third then they’ll also tie the club’s record finish (third in 2003-04).
Up Next: Penybont vs HC, Sunday at 1.15am (NZT)
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
For the fourth match in a row, Vic Esson was between the sticks for Rangers Football Club. She hadn’t made three starts in a row this season until the League Cup semi-final last week (where they beat Celtic) and now she’s made four. There’s no sign of the club’s new Icelandic goalie yet. We’re firmly in Esson territory right now. Esson played 7/11 games to begin the season. Jenna Fife got 8/9 starts after that. Now it’s 4/4 Esson as the pendulum has swung back.
And, for the seventh time in her nine SWPL starts... Victoria Esson kept a clean sheet. Nothing unusual about that. Nor about the way that Rangers were able to grind out a 3-0 win against a dogged Spartans side, who kept RFC scoreless in the first half. But a red card for Kate Fraser five mins before the break didn’t help their cause and eventually Katie Wilkinson (63’ & 70’) and Jane Ross (88’) got the goals that took Rangers to another three points. Amidst all that, Esson had to make a fingertip save to push a long distance shot over the bar as well as a low save that went straight at her. Those were the only two shots on target for Spartans though they did both happen while it was still 0-0.
There was a huge upset in one of the other fixtures with Hibernian beating leaders Glasgow City 3-1 to open things right up at the top of the ladder and lift Hibs into the mix to create a four-way scrap. Glasgow City are in the lead with 47 points. Rangers and Hibs are second equal on 45 points, though Rangers have a substantially better goal difference. Celtic are fourth with 44 points but have a game in hand. Still a decent distance to go including championship rounds where these teams will all meet again. But it’s shaping up to be another legendary title race in Scotland.
Up Next: Rangers vs Montrose in the Scottish Cup fourth round at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Ronan Wynne - Atlanta United (American Major League Soccer)
There ya go. Good way to get things going... even if Atlanta United did end up losing this game 2-1 against USL club Chattanooga FC. Atlanta United played a distinct eleven in each half with Wynne part of the second half crew. It was his cross that was deflected out for the corner that he scored from. Winning a corner isn’t like winning a penalty but hey the goal wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Wynne was drafted by Atlanta United last month, however that doesn’t come with a guaranteed contract so all these preseason activities are crucial and a goal oughta help his cause.
Up Next: More friendlies where this came from
Henry Gray - Braintree Town (English National League)
After consecutive 1-0 wins, Braintree Town are beginning to shoot up the ladder. They were averaging 0.92 points and 1.44 goals against in the 25 games prior to Henry Gray joining on loan from Ipswich Town. In the three games since (admittedly a small sample size but we can only work with what we’ve got), they’ve taken 2.33 points and allowed 0.67 goals per game. This is only their second instance of consecutive league wins this season. So far so good. Seems like Gray’s having the same immediate impact here as he did with Chelmsford City a year ago.
Up Next: 4am on Sunday at home against Hartlepool (NZT)
If you rate the yarns on TNC then consider supporting the mahi on Patreon, Substack, or Buy Me A Coffee – we couldn’t do what we do without the generous souls who chip for the cause
Also helps heaps to whack an ad, share the articles/podcasts, and tell your mates about us