ENGLISH TROPHY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29621, 18 September 1961, Page 15

ENGLISH TROPHY

Auckland Beats Otago, 2-0

. tuz. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept 17. The Auckland soccer team retained the English Trophy at Blandford Park on Saturday by beating Otago, 2-0, in a game which seldom reached the sparkle of a good club game, and was far removed from the excitement produced in previous games this season for the trophy.

Players of both sides who have contended with heavy grounds and heavy balls found the hard surface and an extremely lively ball most disconcerting. A move at half-time to soak the ball was fruitless; it was plastic coated. Auckland nearly brought off an early goal, but the bouncing ball and a solid defence combined to nullify the movement. The interval came without score. In the first half-hour of the second spell there was some excitement when goals looked certain (one was in the Auckland net), but offside nullified the shots. The crowd of neatly 3000 appeared to be resigned to Auckland holding the trophy in a scoreless challenge but Armstrong changed his role from defence to attack. He made a perfect opening for Oden who crossed for Middleton to head Stephenson’s partial save into the net, and Auckland was one up. The next few minutes brought the brightest moves of the game and Otago nearly equalised. Then came Auckland’s second goal, a controversial one. Lowndes broke away, was tripped in the penalty area, punched the ball as he hit the ground. The referee raised the whistle to blow for a penalty kick, lowered it as the ball sped goalwards and entered the net, and then blew for a goal, apparently following the international ruling on “advantage.” The teams were:—-

Auckland.—A. Cozens; G. McCormack, B. Wallace; K. Armstrong, W. Ward, D. Easto; G. Eccles, L. Polyansky, A. Middleton, A. Lowndes, P. Oden. Otago.—J. Stephenson; A. Young, K. Watkins; J. Rae, E. Smith, P. McFarlane; W. Berry, D. Downie, A. van Schraa, D. McVie, G. Little. Referee: Mr G. Baxter (Hawke’s Bay).