CANTERBURY IN FINAL

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

CANTERBURY IN FINAL

Under IS Beat Otago, 3-1 For the second successive year the Canterbury undor--18 soccer team has reached the New Zealand final of the Junior Nationel Cup. It won the South Island final, 3-1, against Otago on Saturday, and Its opponent at English Park, on August 15. will be Wellington which overwhelmed Auckland, 8-1, at the Basin Reserve.

It was not a truly impressive Canterbury performance, and its third goal, scored in the 26th minute of the second half which clinched the game, came from a disputed penalty. It was harsh on Otago, and not even the fact that Canterbury in the past has suffered from similar refereeing indiscretions in the same competition made It any easier to accept. However, although Canterbury played the second half more concerned with using the wind to boot , the ball over the stand, the win was not without merit.

Whereas Otago had the use of the strong wind in the first half it was Canterbury which scored the only goal before half-time. For seven minutes of this half Canterbury buzzed round the Otago goal like a swarm of angry bees, but the forwards were not cool enough to take their chances, although the new right-wing, C. Jones, was inches out with a shot that hit a post. Apart from an Isolated attack, from one of which A. Cameron fed a perfect pass through the middle for K. Smythe to drive home. Otago was in full flight. Prompted by two very capable wing-halves. E Groves and P. Lawson. Otago peppered the Canterbury goal with shots from all angles and ranges, and it was a mystery the home team survived. Otago was particularly dangerous from a series of corner kicks which floated into the goalmouth and took all Canterburv’s might and main to clear. G. Griffiths used his height to clear time and again, A. Gowans was in the thick of every exchange, but less use was made of the goalkeeper, P. Wallace. who stayed too close to his line while the ball was within his reach. Having weathered so much without bowing, it was an anticlimax to Canterbury’s struggle when the team came out to play with the wind in the second half and conceded a goal inside a minute. Hesitant defence allowed the ball to run loose to G. McLean who drove through a crowd of flat-footed defenders. But now the boot was on the other foot, and Canterbury put the Otago goal under almost constant pressure. A long ball into the middle by F. Maprussen was beaded in by Smythe, and three minutes later Lawson handled—more accidentally than anything else—a bouncing ball, and Madrussen scored from the penalty spot.