Soccer Rations Goals: Five In Four Games

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 11

Soccer Rations Goals: Five In Four Games

Goals were strictly rationed in the second round of the Hurley Shield soccer competition on Saturday. In the four senior matches only a total of five goals were scored. High School Old Boys and Christchurch City are now the only unbeaten teams, the Old Boys heading the table with a superior goal average.

Both won by the only goals scored in their games, H. 5.0.8. from a penalty and City from a goalmouth deflection.

Another 1-0 winner was Shamrock over Shirley-No-mads in the main game at English Park, while Western only just escaped suffering defeat by the same margin with an equalising goal four minutes from the end against

Rangers. In all the long hours of pre-season practice put in by Canterbury’s footbal’ers one essential soccer drill must have been overlooked—firsttime, hard shooting from any and every angle. The finishing of all eight senior teams on Saturday was pathetic, to put it in the kindest term. Results: City 1, Technical 0. H. 5.0.8. 1, Waterside 0. Shamrock 1, Shirley 0. Rangers 1, Western 1.

Open Goals Missed Long before the Hurley Shield competition runs its course Technical will bemoan the lamentable shooting which cost it match-saving goals in the final 30 minutes against Christchurch City at Spreydon Domain. It was like the mental disease known to specialist® as masochism—the deliberate infliction of selfinjury. During these 30 exciting minutes Technical should have 5 scored at least twice. The City goalkeeper. O. Nuttridge, brought off two magnificent saves, but these were no more than to be expected from the New Zealand under-23 goal keeper. What became gifts from the heavens for the hard-pressed Nuttridge and City defenders were three Technical forwards stubbing their feet with the goal wide open. Nor was the City finishing any more alluring, and even dvrjng the final half-an-hour when Tech meal did everything but score. J. le Poldevin, from an easy position, threw away his chance to take off all the pressure on his overworked defenders. The only goal came within seconds of the half-time whistle, a weak shot-cum-centre by le Poidevin being deflected wide of I. Marshall by Canterbury's new In-side-forward, K. Taylor. The match was dominated to a huge extent by the two professional coaches —G. Evans (City) and J. Chalmers (Technical). Evans, as so often, did his greatest work deep in defence. marshalling his co-defen-ders and driving the Technical forwards out to the wings to make any progress. Chalmers was the driving force behind his forwards, tackling ferociously in midfield and farming the ball to those in front. Between them, Evans and Chalmers, reinforced by Taylor •nd A. Gowans for City. L. Sayers and A. Cameron for Technical. were responsible for some good build-up play, that was to some extent spoilt by an inability to put thought into action but more largely wasted by forwards who would not shoot when they could and lacked any power and penetration when they did

Movements broke down time after time by players doing everything in a terrible rush. Controlling the ball quickly and urgently was one thing: moving the ball at the same speed without having a proper appreciation of what was going on around them was a dish of another kind.

It caused the wrong pass to be made at the wrong time, a lunge at the ball instead of a measured pass, a mental blockage among the forwards who shot with their heads in the air and their minds closed. It caused spectators to hold their heads in bewilderment. Referee: Mr A. Coulson.

Last-Minute Equaliser Only a “do-or-die” rush in the closing minutes of the game gave Western the necessary equaliser against Rangers. Two minutes of desperation saved it from the ignominy of a defeat at the hands of a team which, for the majority of the game, had been inferior in most departments of play. In the end Rangers were unlucky not to gain two points for their determination and perseverance. that almost proved too much for all the skill Western could muster.

Apart from sporadic periods when the pace slowed to walking speed, the game was fast and furious. Western used crisp square passes which kept the ball moving with clockwork precision, and forced the Rangers defenders to use all their resources to keep goals out.

It was a vastly Improved Rangers’ defence which proved Western’s undoing. Playing better football than ever, a vintage M. Shardlow gave his side inspiration. Like good wine, he combined maturity with quality. The big, blond centre-half was the rock on which the Western attacks foundered time and time again. P. Cole gave him able assistance. and turned many crises into dangerous attacks. The first half was 30 minutes, old when Rangers were unlucky not to score. A long free-kick taken by Shardlow from inside his own half landed over the penalty spot. The centre-for-ward, B. Rumbold, was up to the ball before D. Smith, the Western keeper, could get a hand to it: his header skidded off the crossbar. The Western forwards tried everything. The centre-for-ward, M. Clements, playing a deep game, provided his other forwards with a ton of ball and opportunities. But the Rangers’ defence was flawless: every man had the measure of his opposite number and gave no quarter. Only Clements had chances to score from his position almost among his own half-backs. One shot from about 45 yards beat the goalkeeper, but the ball hit a post and went behind. P. Frost seemed determined to score another goal this week, but at the right end. He was disappointed, and his constant efforts to get into a scoring position often unsettled and hampered the efforts of his own forwards.

Rangers lost the game up front. Too often, a well-placed long ball would find a Rangers forward in a dangerous position but frustrated by lack cf support. It was the diminutive left-winger, W. Penman, who provided the only thrust in the Rangers attack. His speed and anticipation kept his opposite number, P. Frost, guessing all day. Five minutes from fulltime, he was rewarded with a goal. Play moved up the right wing, and Penman was perfectly positioned to take a low pass from 20 yards out. From the kick-off, Western threw everything into attack, and the Rangers defence prepared for a last-ditch stand. The ball moved up to the left wing, and when it came across, T. Haydon, who had not been allowed an inch of room all day, tapped the ball past Henderson from amongst a tangle of players. Western’s goal, scored seconds before the final whistle, demonstrated that aid the skill in the world expended in midfield is no substitute for a ball in the back of the net. Flattering Position Based solely on their performance against Waterside in the early game at Englcsh Park, H.S.O B. hold a most flattering position at the head of the first division table. A strong wind did its worst to upset the smooth flow of the game, but the humans far outclassed nature by their bumbling attempts to entertain either the crowd or themselves.

In the long run the Old Boys were infinitely more to blame than Waterside for the poor display. There is in this young Slide considerable ability, speed and agility, so much so that it was a crime they should so blatantly waste their talents. For long stretches their short passing was downright sloppy and their finishing in front of goal almost farcical. Long before the finish Waterside was playing on five or six fulCy active cylinders, yet even this depleted efficiency was enough to prevent the Old Boys scoring more than one g:ft goal from a penalty. The of fence was committed by the Waterside centre-half. J. Price, on the edge of the penalty area, and looked far more like ob struction than a deliberate foul. | But the penalty was awarded, land the one bright s«p6t in the I match was the ca.lm, accurate, j sensible manner B. Wilkinson ! placed the ball into the corner iof the net. ' Wilkinson and to a lesser extent R. Thomas were the only iO d Boys who lifted the’r playabove the mediocrity that engulfed their colleagues and apponents. It was another sad commentary on the match that W. Rodger, the Waterside winghalf. who “retired” from first division soccer with Western three vears ago. was the only other phayer who knew what it was al«l about. Referee; Mr C. van Oudheusden. Reshuffle Was Effective A reshuffled forward line 1n the second half produced that little extra efficiency enabling Shamrock to score the only goal against Sh'.r'ev-Nomad- in the m»'n match at English Park. The scorer was R. Kerr, who had been moved from wing-half to ins-de-forward. It was a game that prov ded few thrills but at t'mes brought: «nme clever football. Shamrock showed vast improvement on'

Its play of the previous week, making better 01 the bait, and reta.ning possession for .onger periods. But Shamrock was assisted to some extent by -Sh .rley-Nomads payers who gave away possession as soon as it was won.

There was a brief period in the second half when Nomads hammered at the Shamrock goal without reward. It was then the efficient Shamrock defence stood out clearest, ably led by the wing-half, B. Clark, and the centre-half J. Reliiy. The Nomads' defence, although not looking quite as safe as Shamrock’s, restricted the number of scoring shots to a premium, the full-backs, J. Kissack and A. Hawthorne being a sound and reliable last line of defence.

The game was probably lost for Nomads in the midfield where a large gap between the forwards and defenders was rarely filled. Although the Nomads forwards had their chances for that short time in the second half it was really their lack of experience that prevented them from penetrating more often. At the other end it was Shamrock's weak finishing that restricted its scoring to one, plus the form of the Nomads goalkeeper. H. Westenberg, who made good saves from the few shots that tested him. Referee: Mr P. Donnelly.

p. W. D. L. F. A. Pts H.S.O.B. .. 2 2 0 0 4 0 4 City 2 2 0 0 2 0 4 Waterside 2 1 0 1 2 2 2 Technical 2 1 0 1 3 3 2 Shamrock 2 1 0 1 1 3 2 Bangers .. 0 1 1 1 2 1 Western .. 0 1 1 1 2 1 Shirley .. 2 0 0 2 1 3 0