Nomads, Old Boys Win Soccer Competitions

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30836, 23 August 1965, Page 15

Nomads, Old Boys Win Soccer Competitions

Aided by Western’s 3-1 defeat to Christchurch City, Nomads has won the O’Brien’s tournament first prize of £35. Nomads beat Rangers, 2-0, to head the competition.

In the C. E. Keys Cup High School Old Boys defeated their only rival. Waterside, and took the trophy although there is still one round to play.

The Nomads v. Rangers match was a double-header, counting also for the English Cup knock-out competition. Their victory has put Nomads into the second round.

Conditions at English Park again were atrocious, and players in both games there had to contend with pools of water and heavy, clinging mud through the middle. Results:—

O'BRIENS TOURNAMENT Nomads 2, Rangers 0. City 3, Western 1. Technical 3, Shamrock 1. C. E. KEYS CUP M S.O B. 4, Waterside 1. Brighton beat Wigram, by default. Costly Error Mishandling by the Canterbury goal-keeper, D. Smith, in the 70th minute contributed largely to Western’s defeat to City and its failure to win the O’Briens tournament for the second time in three years. Until that stage the result could have gone either way. City only having scrambled to 1-1 four minutes from half-time •with a fantastic goal. Out of a crop of legs and bodies three yards from the Western goalmouth the ball suddenly appeared. It rolled agonisingly slowly across the line. Western would have thoroughly deserved a half-time lead, having played far the better and more dangerous soccer through the mud in the first half. Its sole reward was a goal by C. Martin In the 21st minute after good work by D. Torkington. Before that, the City left-back, W. McKenna, had hooked away a shot that Western protested had gone over the line and M. Clements was barely beaten by the City goal-keeper, 0. Nutfridge, in a race for the ball. City began the second half in a more determined mood, and Smith saved well from R. Taylor, before the goal-keeper made his fatal mistake. He was well placed to cut off a centre from F. Madrussen, but then dropped the ball, and Taylor scored his second scrambled goal. Apart from shots by C. Davidson, who hit the bar, and Martin, Western was never again the force it was in the first half. L. Sayers, converted from right-back to right-wing, put the issue beyond doubt with a very good headed goal with 15 minutes remaining. The move was started by F. Madrussen, and K. Pahi neatly chipped the ball over Smith and on to Sayer’s head. Considering the conditions, both teams played bright, intelligent football. Unfortunately, many movements broke down m hen the ball became stuck in the mud and water, and play was never able to flow as smoothly as it might have done on a drier ground. Referee: Mr A. Coulson. Wardle’s Match Shamrock, which also had its chance of winning the O'Briens tournament, dropped out of the reckoning by its defeat to Technical Old Boys. However, this was a more clear-cut result than had been Western’s game with City. The man of the match was undoubtedly Technicals centreforward, A. Wardle. Although he did not score. Wardle did everything else, and his speed and constant probing of the Shamrock defence did more than anything else to pave the way for the two goals scored by B. Chee and the one by A. Cameron. Cameron’s was another goal that should have been saved. His centre curled over E. Brown’s head and into the far corner of the net. But Brown s attention was probably as much on Wardle as it was on the ball, for the centre-forward was again challenging hard. Technical’s second goal was the result of good football, the young right-winger, J. McLennan. pulling the ball back into an empty space for Chee to add the finishng touch. Shamrocks only goal came in the first half, and this time Chee, instead of being the scorer, was at fault. He failed to clear a corner-kick by J. Killick and W. Yates was left a wide open goal. Technical played some very good football, using the ball quickly and intelligently. Many passes failed to find their man because of the mud, others because the pass was made badly, but over all there was the intention to play the game simply and quickly. Shamrock’s players tended to take one step too many with the ball, and its attacking play suffered. Referee: Mr R. Gray. Attacking Full-back ]t was not until Nomads scored their second goal that they asserted any real superiority over Rangers at Wainoni Bark. Until then the game was notable for the number of

passes that went astray and the ’ poor shooting of both sides. < Nomads were the worst offen- < ders in this respect, but as the ■ game progressed the disease spread to the opposition. However. on two or three occasions ' a strong shot was made, test- , ing both goal-keepers. Territorially, Nomads had a slight advantage due mainly to . the fine play of A. Hawthorne, at left-back. Always in control when Rangers attacked. Haw- ' thorne’s quick and sure tackling, and his well-directed passes often turned defence : into attack. He received good support from G. Donaldson, at left-half, who again showed he is still far **om the veteran : stage. Throughout, R. Muirson’s ag- < gressive. bustling play caused I the Rangers’ defenders most > trouble and he well deserved < his one goal. R. McLean, on 1

the wing, sent across many good centres, but not enough came of them. The other goal was scored by H. Nelson. Rangers centred their play around K. Olley, and had he, in the first half, elected to shoot with only the goalkeeper to beat instead of passing, the result of the game might have been different. The effectiveness of the Rangers’ forward line was lost because of the inability of the mid-field players to link up, and A. Bolton contributed to this fault by playing too much in line with his other forwards. The Rangers’ defence at no stage looked like containing the Nomads’ forwards. The one ■exception, however, was M. Shardlow, who attempted to open up play with his long clearances. I Referee: Mr J. Sheffield.