Evans Inspires Hurley Shield Win By City

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30497, 20 July 1964, Page 13

Evans Inspires Hurley Shield Win By City

Christchurch City is the new holder of soccer’s Hurley Shield. -Seeding to win its final game on Saturday, City put the issue beyond doubt by scoring five goals in the first half-hour on the way to beating Rangers, 6-1.

To come from near the bottom last season to top this season was a magnificent effort,” said the City club president, Mr W. Weir.

“We have only one man to thank our professional coach, Gwyn Evans. He has been an inspiration to the team.” Western moved into second place, one point behind City, but can still be overtaken on goal average if Nomads win their final game, against Technical Old Boys. This match was put back as Nomads were playing in the tone final of the Chatham Cup at Nelson. Results: — City a. Rangers 1. Shamrock 4, University 2. Western 5, New Brighton 4.

Leading 5-0 At Half-Time If City decided, leading 5-0, to stage an early celebration in the dressing room between halves, it would explain the way the team played in the second half against Rangers. But as City needed only a win, and a five-goal lead was beyond Rangers to retrieve, not even G. Evans's constant urgings could do more than get one more goal for his team. City put the match out of dispute in the first 15 minutes while D. Watson cracked home a loose ball, R. Bruce moved through the centre to give A. Westwood a goal, and J. le Poidevin, from a difficult angle, beat the Rangers’ goal-keeper, H Henderson, with a hard shot. City scored twice more in the first half, through Bruce. Rangers came into the game with greater fortune after halftime, and the centre-forward, J. Ansell, scored from long range. Late In the game W. Shannon completed the scoring. In the first half City showed the reason why it has won the Hurley Shield this season. While there was still something to play for every member of the team was looking for the ball and trying to use it when in possession. A few passes were wasted, but far more were not, and the Rangers defence, already below full strength, was overwhelmed.

Evans's coaching and coaxing ensured that his forwards and halves knitted together into a pattern that Rangers could not unravel. Its hallmark is simplicity—something every team In Canterbury can emulate, even without an Evans to back it up.

Western Wins By Odd Goal In a scrappy match of fluctuating fortunes Western was lucky to gain a 5-4. win over New Brighton at English Park. Although play was generally not of high standard the game was interspersed wtlh many bright patches of excellent football and the closeness of the score maintained the Interest throughout. New Brighton was unfortunate to lose one of its best attack-

ing players when the Inside right, R. Foley, was forced to leave the field with a serious shoulder Injury after only 15 minutes. It was Foley who’ had opened the scoring following a very neat piece of combination with N. Robinson and E. Taylor. His absence was a serious blow to his team. Taylor and Robinson remained to harry the Western defence in spasmodic bursts, and in the final stages of play the diminutive outside-right, D. Moller, twice set up goals for his inside men.

Apart from Taylor’s efforts, New Brighton’s midfield play was too hesitant, although J. Dohmen, at right-half, gained confidence as the match progressed. New Brighton’s best defenders were W. Down and W. Brown. Down was fully extended to mark Western’s roving centre-forward, M. Clements, but Brown was almost always capable of stopping D. Torkington. It was D. Bussey, at insideleft, who was the schemer behind many of the Western attacks, and he had excellent support from the experienced wing-halves, P. Frost and W. Rodger.

At left-back, I. Laby played his usual sound defensive game for Western, but in goal D. Smith, had an unhappy match, and was largely responsible for Brighton's third goal when he fumbled and finally kneed Taylor’s shot into the back of the net.

At centre-forward for Western, Clements made the most of his scoring ability and his final goal was the result of a particularly fine piece of football by B. Smith, at inside-right.

Goal-scorers for Western were A. Treadwell, A. Clements (3) and Bussey. Foley, Robinson (2) and Taylor—scored for New Brighton.

Referee: Mr J. Warner (Dunedin). Shamrock Not Impressive Shamrock gained the points with a 4-2 win over the University at Ham road, but the standard of soccer was far below that -expected from a team only four points from Hurley shield honours. Both sides were guilty of indiscriminate kicking, brightened only by flashes of individual brilliance. Some players made concerted efforts to keep the standard of the football from dropping to an all-time low. W. Yates, the experienced Shamrock forward, continued throughout the 90 minutes to hold some form of cohesion in his forwards, while J. Killlck, and J. Rea were more content to make individual—and quite often promising—excursion into the student’s goal. The Shamrock half-back, H. Taylor, stood alone as the best of a suspect defence. Had his co-defenders followed his example of constructive play, the score in his team's favour would have been much more convincing. The University half-back line— C. McNaught, J. Rayner and C. Davidson —was also a solid foundation on which the University forwards should have built their play. On many occasions passes from these half-backs made a goal a near certainty, but with monotonous regularity the movements failed, due mainly to poor shooting or attempts to “walk” the ball into the net. Kiilick, J. Rea (2) and J. Barrett scored for University, and C. Davidson (2), for Shamrock. Referee: Mr M. Littlewood.

P. w. Goals D. L. F. A.Pts. Citv .. 14 11 0 3 46 13 22 Western 14 10 1 3 42 25 21 Nomads 13 8 3 2 41 12 19 Sham. . 14 8 2 4 38 31 18 Brigh. . 14 5 2 7 30 41 »11 Tech. .. 13 4 1 8 32 45 9 Rangers 14 2 2 10 18 39 6 t’nivers. 14 1 1 12 20 61 3 *Point deducted for tered player unregis-