ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27375, 14 June 1954, Page 7

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL

HURLEY SHIELD GAMES

TECHNICAL BEATS NOMADS After Saturday’s games nine senior teams of the Canterbury Football Association have decided their chances of either going through to the second round of the championship or being relegated to the newly-formed second division. Of the nine Technical, Western, Nomads, and Shamrock are sure of first division status. University, Rangers, Wigram, Sydenham Rovers, and St. Vincent's will start a new round in the second division. There are three teams. Thistle and Atlantis with 12 points and City with 9 points, which are all possibilities for the remaining two positions in the first division. Their fate will be decided on Saturday, when City and University play their postponed game.

The outstanding game on Saturday was between Technical and Nomads, listed as the main attraction at English Park. Technical won 3-2 on Nomads’ mistakes. In the early match University beat Rangers 3-0. Results:—

Technical 3, Nomads 2. University 3, Rangers O'. Western 12, St. Vincent’s 0. Shamrock 2, Atlantis 0. Thistle 6, Sydenham Rovers 1. City 8, Wigram 1. Championship points are: Technical 20, Western 18, Nomads 18, Shamrock 14, Thistle 12, Atlantis 12, City 11, University 7, Rangers 6, Wigram 6, Sydenham Rovers 4, St. Vincent’s 0. TECHNICAL v. NOMADS Both Technical and Nomads gave a good display of their strength and weaknesses in the main game at English Park. Technical won because it more successfully exploited the weakness of Nomads. This was exemplified when a Nomads full-back and half-back made bad errors of judgment in passing to allow Technical in for two goals. Territorially Technical held the initiative in the first spell and Nomads in the second. During the first half Technical gave a fine exhibition of combined football. Links between goalkeeper and spearhead were kept with perfect positional play and ball control, and the ball was kept on the move with such speed and accuracy that the Nomads defence had little time to recover once a breach had been gained. Excellent goal-kicking by Boterman and some near misses in marksmanship by the Technical forwards kept the score down. On defence the Nomads backs persisted in attempting to clear through short passes, and this led to Gardenbrock’s first goal, and a little later V. Smith netted with a penalty. In midfield play R. Cullen and A. van Rooyen- quickly found that individualism paid no dividends against the sure tackling and extremely mobile Technical half line.

Just before half-time Napier reduced the leeway for Nomads after the side’s best attacking thrust. Nomads began the second spell with considerably more sureness. The link between flank halves and inside forwards was repaired, and for the first time during the game the team looked like taking a part in the finish. In reply. Technical adopted the long centrefield pass, and Smith was again successful. Nomads, in contrast to its usual indifferent finishing bursts of the last few weeks, now took the initiative in earnest. Wright and Cullen, aided by A. van Rooyen and Shaw, took over Technical’s monopoly of midfield play, and attacking thrusts, were angled to the wings with both speed and sound discrimination. The defence, headed by the brilliant keeping of McKenzie, stood firm and gained some respite by the constant use of the touchline. Nomads’ last score came when Napier threaded his way through a ruck and shot a well-deserved goal.

Technical, after its good display in the first half, was disappointing in the second. It would be hard to differentiate between the Nomads players in the second spell, but mention must be made of the centre forward, D. Napier. Napier is a South African schoolboy representative, and up till yesterday played well at right half for Nomads. At centre forward he showed brilliant form. His ball control, clever footwork, and overhead play were all uniformly good, and it seems as though Nomads need look no further for a player to fill this position. V. Smith (2) and A. Gardenbrock scored for Technical, and D. Napier (2) for Nomads. 9 Referee: Mr T. Gottermeyer. UNIVERSITY v. RANGERS Both University and Rangers played bright football in the early game at English Park. University, by a slight superiority, won by 3 goals to 0. After an indifferent start this season, University has not been beaten in its last four matches, and the reason was shown by a good team display against Rangers. Undoubtedly the old stalwarts, Langley, in goal, Averill, left back, Duckworth, centre-half, Walsh, outside-left, and Feenstra and Mahommed, inside forwards, were outstanding performers, but the other members were not far behind in their standard of play. Kerdemilidis, at inside left, played particularly well. If Rangers had had a sure anchor like the fast-recovering Averill in defence, and two such fine penetrating players as Feenstra and Mahommed on attack, the side would have undoubtedly won. Several times excellent passing movements swept downfie' ’ only to peter out through poor marksmanship or hesitancy when in a scoring position. Friedburg, Pash, Cousens, Cleaver, and Head all played well for Rangers. S. Mahommed (2) and P. Feenstra scored for University. Referee: Mr H. Royce. WESTERN v. ST. VINCENT’S Western was in holiday mood in the match against St. Vincent's at Elmwood. As befitting the occasion of the meeting of the top and bottom teams, Western took the opportunity of giving its least worked members a run in the forwards. S. Guillen, the goalkeeper, played at centre forward in the second spell and showed no mean prowess in that position. Altogether Western was too fit, too experienced, and too clever for its young opponents. St. Vincent’s battled gamely. Skedden, O’Flaherty, Whiting, and Adam were all prominent in an outplayed combination. P. Saunderson (4), P. Cole (2), L. Wells (2), K. Olley, S. Guillen, C. Banham, and F. Haydon scored for Western. Referee: Mr S. Jones. SHAMROCK v. ATLANTIS A more constructive forward line gave Shamrock a win over Atlantis at Beckenham Park. Aided by good supporting play by Fletcher, Gray, Donnelly, and Durant, the Shamrock centre and wings had every opportunity to show their worth. As usual D. Gentry was the best, his smooth ball control and penetrating runs being always effective. The Atlantis defence, headed by Wheeler, Shuttleworth. Meisner, and Ayres, got through a tremendous amount of work with credit but the forward line was disappointing. Good movements petered out in handy positions, and marksmanship was erratic. D. Gentry (2) scored for Shamrock.

CITY v. WIGRAM | City had little trouble in beating wigram at Wigram. During the first half, the home side, aided by good work by. Flynn, Calderwood, and Hodson, put up a sound defence against the attentions of Anderson, Carey, Chorlton, and Irving.) On attack, Clegg, at outside right, was always formidable in possession. In the. second spell, however. City displayed im-. proved cohesion and practically maintained possession, gradually wearing down the resistance of the Wigram defence. D. Charlton (4), D. Carey, J. Quicken-, den, M Pickworth, and W. Anderson scored for City, and R. Robinson for. Wigram. | Referee: Mr L. Tointon. THISTLE V. SYDENHAM ROVERS Thistle was too good for Sydenham. Rovers at Spreydon, and won comfortably by 6 goals to 1. Sydenham Rovers was the outstanding second division side last season,* but apart. from the first few, matches this year has failed to live up, to its early promise. The side has some good material, but poor passing and slow ball control, and at times questionable fitness, are bad faults. Thistle, as could be expected with seven former Canterbury representatives included, gave a good exhibition of the short passing game in conjunction with sound positional play.. In view of its recent form it would be a pity if it fails to retain senior status, when the elimination round is finally de-.i cided. A. McAnulty (2), R. Wilson (2), G. McAnulty and T. Shearer scored for Thistle, and J Hooper for Sydenham Rovers. Referee: Mr W. Dick. LOWER GRADES ! ' Senior Reserve.—Section I: Teachers’) College 1, Western 0: Nomads 7, City 2. Section II: Rangers 4, Wigram 3; Thistle 4, Neerlandia 3; Technical 3, University 0; i Shamrock 3, St. Vincent’s 1. Junior Grade.—Thistle 5, Celtic A 3; Neerlandia 2, Sydenham Rovers 0. I Fifth Grade.—St. Joseph’s 6, Shamrock R 1; Shamrock A 8, Celtic 2; City A 19., Technical B 0: Western 13, Nomads 0; | Technical A 4, Western B 1. Sixth Grade.—Rangers 1, Western 0: Celtic 9, Technical B 2: City 3, Technical A 1: Shamrock A 2, St. Joseph’s 0.

Seventh Grade.—Shamrock R 4. Western 0: Nomads 1, City 0: Shamrock A 6, Rangers 2. Eighth Grade.—Section I: City 4, Nomads 0; Celtic 9, Rangers 0: Atlantis 4, Western B 1; Western A 6, Shamrock A 0. Section' II: City 4, Western B 1; Shamrock B 3, Nomads 0: Western A 0. Celtic 0.

Ninth Grade.—City 6, Western B 0; Western A 1, Nomads (/; Celtic 1, Shamrock 0.

RESULTS IN OTHER CENTRES

Auckland.—Onehunga 6, Thistle 1; Ponsonby 3, Eden 1; Eastern Suburbs 2, Mount Albert 0.

Wellington.—Marist 1, Seatoun 1; Hospital 0, Petone 0; Stop Out 2, Railways 0; University 3, Diamond 0. Dunedin.—Chatham Cup semi-finals: Roxburgh Hydro 4, Technical Old Boys 3; Northern 6, Roslyn-Wakari 1. Fletcher Cup: Mornington 4, Green Island 3; Maori Hili 5, Caversham 3.