Nomads And Western Meet In English Cup Final

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30854, 13 September 1965, Page 16

Nomads And Western Meet In English Cup Final

Nomads and Western will meet next Saturday in the final of the English Cup—the last of this season's inter-club soccer competitions.

In the semi-finals on Saturday, Nomads went to extra time to beat Technical Old Boys, 5-3, while Western accounted for a weakened City, 2-1.

City, which had five players with the Canterbury team at Auckland, took the lead in the seventh minute and held it until sax minutes after the start of the second half. The winning goal came with only a few minutes remaining, but although it left victory late. Western thorough deserved to win. There was greater variety, more certainty in its movements. while, quite out of character. City tried to make progress with long, hopeful punts upfield.

Four-man Affair

All three goals were neatly taken. City’s was a four-man affair, and one of the very’ few occasions when the team developed a man-to-man movement. D. Niven set it in motion by challenging for and winning the ball on the right flank. He pushed it forward to R Bruce, whose centre was headed down by K. Pahi, and R. Taylor hooked the ball at the last moment and when it had seemed to escape him. Untfl the equalising goal came earlv in the second halt Western did everything but jcore. During this period City

had only two more chances of scoring. F. Madrussen shooting inches too high and then dropping a centre on to the bar. At the other end the City goal bore a charmed life, and there was one desperate moment when the ball had appeared to cross the line before it was violently hooked away.

It came as no surprise when Western eventually scored, and this was the pick of *ne goals. M. Clements took a pass from D. Bussey and from a very acute angle scored off the post. Made the Running

For the rest of the second half Western continued to make the running, and twice golden chances were missed before Bussey, assisted by G. Hall and Clements, scored the winner, once more the ball going in off a post.

City’s forwards worked hard, and the half-backs joined in, but their play lacked real bite. Passes went astray, too often the ball was held, and the few worthwhile movements were jerky and badly finished.

Western, on the other hand, with Clements lying deep, and the wing-halves, C. Davidson and T. Langan, solid foragers, moved with more cohesion and purpose. Throughout there was more danger in Western's play —the same could not be said for City's.

Western brought in a new centre-half the 17-year-old D Almond, who had a highly successful debut. There were a few times early on when he looked a little lost, but this did not affect his play or composure, and he did his part well in keeping the City inside trio under control.

Referee: Mr P. Donnelly 'KEEPER'S ERRORS

The Technical goal keeper, R Storer, who did many things ' well, and others badly, was : .argely responsible for Techni cal losing to Nomads. Three ol Nomads' goals came from mistakes made by Storer, the most serious being his miskick w.th three minutes of normal time remaining that brought Nomads level at 3-3 and made extra time necessary. Storer, too. with a foul on R. Muirson after he had himself been challenged vigorously, conceded a penalty, which G. Donaldson converted to open the Nomad's scoring, and then in the first half of extra time his weak clearance only sent the ball straight to McLean’s head for Nomads to go ahead. These mistakes apart. Technical did not deserve to lose, for it had twice come back from a goal behind and played some good midfield soccer. However. any mistake can be costly, and a goal-keeper’s invariably is, and Nomads needed only the slightest encouragement to get on top. The match only came to life in the second half when three first-class goals followed soon after one another. Muirson sped through a gap to put Nomads 2-1 ahead. W. Blows scored the equaliser from 30 yards, and then the national under 23 representative. W. Price, slipped

through a brilliant pass for A. Verham to put Technical ahead. This last effort should have been the winning thrust, for Nomads was beginning to tire, but then Storer sent his goal kick straight to Muirson on the edge of the penalty area. The bail was quickly moved to McLean who took his chance without any hesitation. In extra time Nomads found renewed strength, and it was Technical that wilted badly as McLean and Muirson put the issue beyond any doubt.

Referee: Mr R. W. Cullen