Top Soccer Clubs Win, No Change In Table

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30479, 29 June 1964, Page 15

Top Soccer Clubs Win, No Change In Table

, . , .he Hurley Shield first division soccer championship, which is developing into the tightest finish in recent years, was unchanged after the eleventh round on Saturday. The four top teams met clubs below them in the competition table, and all won convincingly.

City, leading the Way on goal overage from Western, topped the goal-scoring with • six against Technical Old Boys.

Two vital matches will be

played next Saturday, when City meets Nomads at English Park and Western plays Shamrock at McFarlane Park. The outcome of these games will have a direct bearing on the championship. Results:—

Nomads 5, University 0. City 6, Technical 0.8. 1. Western 4, Rangers 0. Shamrock 4, New Brighton

Luck Is Against

Rangers are likely to return to the second division next season (if clubs agree on a two up, two-down system) unconvinced that they failed to make the grade in the top section. Although heavily beaten by Western in the early game at English Park the score of 0-4 does not tell the whole story But luck seldom goes hand in hand with a struggling team. Western, toppled off the first division leadership last week, had put its house in better order for this game, but although it deserved to win, it v as not four goals better. Yet, there is little doubt had the game gone on for another 20 minutes Western would have added at least another two goals and Rangers still would have been struggling to open their account. There was always something desperate about the way Rangers played, as if they could never quite believe their luck when a goal-scoring chance presented itself and it had to be rushed before it disappeared into thin air. Their play suggested that they could not, as Western could, convince themselves that a solidly-built movement would bring them an opening. Western did not score every time it looked like doing so, but the team played as if it should have scored, and would next time. Twice, at least, in the first half Rangers were inches from scoring. The centre-forward, M Hall, stuck out a lunging foot that another time would Lave diverted the ball home, and the right-wing, M. Shard low, from 40 yards, beat Western’s substitute goal-keeper, H Langley, only to see the ball hit the bar. Shardlow relied too much on his long dropping ball into the goal-mouth producing a goal, even after it became obvious that the West-

ern defenders, W. Rodger and - " *. rost - we re not to be beaten in the air.

c Torkington scored the only first-half goal from a penalty after he had been unceremoniously upturned, and M. Clements (2) and B. Smith added more goals in the second half, smith s was the pick of the bunch. He short-passed with D - Bussey, then raced into the middle to take Bussey’s final pass and drive hard into the net from short range. It was Hiis kind of movement that Western kept trying to produce and that Rangers lacked the confidence and the quick-think-mg to attempt. It was, also, the big difference between the two sides. Referee: Mr A. Coulson. Might Have Been Cricket Score New Brighton, which surprised by drawing 2-2 with Nomads last week, looked only the same side for the first 20 minutes against Shamrock in the main game at English Park. For the rest, Brighton’s play was so riddled with mistakes that it was lucky not to lose by a cricket score. Only Shamrock’s weak finishing, a glaring habit of getting offside (12 times) and two inspired one-handed saves by the Brighton goal-keeper, I. Hunter, saved Brighton from a greater humiliation.

A sad, forlorn sight was that of E. Taylor hanging his head when time and again his forwards frittered away the chances he made for them and the many more times the rest of his team gave the ball to the opposition. On a countback the number of bad Brighton passes would have outnumbered the good ones 20 to one: the ratio would have been higher had Taylor, alone, not boosted the good passes to a reasonable score.

Shamrock moved P. McParland from the right-wing to centre-forward, but the change was largely wasted because it was McParland who was responsible for the number of tim'es his team was offside.

Brighton scored first when R. Foley beat the goal-keeper, W. Lapsley, to a back pass from H. Taylor, and D. Moller missed an open goal in the next minute after K. Smythe had centred across the goal. At this point Brighton was playing some good football, but (and It has happened to Brighton so many times this, season) its play sadly deteriorated. P Barrett pushed through an immaculate pass for McParland to equalise, and Killick went on to complete his hat-trick, to give Shamrock an even more comfortable victory than the 4-1 score indicated. Brighton was never completely out of the game, while Taylor had the ball, but his two wingmen, Moller and Smythe, were guilty of elementary errors—attempting to chip the ball over an opponent’s head when a short low pass was needed, or blazing at goal from impossible angles when someone was waiting for the ball to be pulled back. It was not only heart-breaking to Taylor. Referee: Mr M. Littlewood. Technical Team

Disorganised

Four goals ahead in the first half hour, City was untroubled to beat an energetic but disorganised Technical team in a fast and interesting match at Ensors road. The final score of 6-1 was a fair indication of the ability of the respective teams and had City kept on the pressure it exerted to such telling effect tn the first 30 minutes, the margin could have been considerably greater. Particularly strong in midfield, City dictated play for most of the match. In the early part there was some excellent co-ordination between the wing-halves and inside-forwards, the right flank functioning with smooth precision. It was here that A. Gowans, D. Watson and R. Bruce formed a major threat, and whenever this trio had possession the Technical goal was in danger. A rising star, Gowans, showed top form throughout but Watson’s play deteriorated as the game progressed. As a consequence Bruce’s chances diminished but he scored the final and best goal of the match when he picked his spot in the net to best R. Storer with apparent ease from 30 yards At centre-half, G. Evans formed an effective block through the centre and Tech nical’s only chance of scoring seemed to be on the left flank where W. Logan, with able backing from C. Chee, was in good formLogan scored with a powerful drive early in the second spell to prove that, given the opportunities. he is still one of the most able attackers In local football.

I. Drewitt was the most cap able of the Technical defensive group and good support was given by the right-half, B Chee, who was one of the few members of the team to play determlndely throughout. City’s coals were scored by Watson (2), F Madrussen, Bruce (2). and A. Westwood. Referee: Mr R. W. Cullen.

Nomads Too Good For Students

University, threatened with relegation, did little to improve its hopes .ef remaining in the first division when. It was humbled by Nomads at Ham. With the possible exclusion of the first five minutes the students never looked like a winning combination. The brilliant Nomads’ halfback line of G. Donaldson, D. Simmonds and D. Ennis, proved more than a match for an exuberent but unconstructlve University forward line. The tactics employed by Donaldson and Simmonds were astute and most successful. Donaldson played well upfield, setting many attacks in motion, while Simmonds was content to play level with, or behind his full-backs to carry out the mopping-up operations A. Ross, as is expected of him, broke up many goal-scoring movements by Nomads, while C. Davidson again impressed as a versatile and competent halfback. C. Whitehead covered a lot of ground for the students, but none showed the ball centred and shooting skills to give University a winning chance. Goals for Nomads were scored by C. Martin (2), van Rooyen (2), and a defender. Referee: Mr J. Donnelly.

Rangers

P W Goals D L F A Pts. City 11 B 0 3 34 10 16 Western 10 8 0 2 32 15 16 Nomads 10 6 3 1 32 8 15 Shamrk. 11 7 1 3 30 24 15 Brighton 11 5 1 5 22 29 11 Tech. 11 3 1 7 28 42 7 Rangers 11 1 2 8 13 26 4 Um ver. 11 1 0 10 15 52 2