Western Scores Vital Cup Final Goal In Extra Time

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31145, 23 August 1966, Page 19

Western Scores Vital Cup Final Goal In Extra Time

After four hours of drama and action, Western overcame a gallant St Kilda team from Dunedin to win the South Island final of the Chatham Cup yesterday. It required another period of extra time in the replay at English Park, after the teams had been level, 1-1, at the end of ordinary time, for Western to score the goals that sent it through to the national final against the Wellington club, Mirimar Rangers, at the Basin Reserve on September 3.

Western won, 3-1, and deservedly so at the end, but St Kilda, last year’s beaten national finalist, will go down in the records as one of the unluckiest teams in Chatham Cup history. In their first meeting on Saturday St. Kilda was reduced to 10 men eight minutes from the end of ordinary time but then fought back magnificently after being down three corners to nil and dramatically forcing a replay with the last kick of the game. Man Short Again Yesterday, St. Kilda again was severely hit by injury and had to play the whole of extra time with 10 men when its talented wing-half, N. Cunningham, had to leave the field. Although itself desperately tired, and with a sick T. Haydon at half pace, Western somehow managed to raise its own game in the last half-an-hour to score once in each half of extra time. The two teams had played two hours on Saturday and two more yesterday, and even another five minutes would probably have been too long for at least half the players. In all respects the replay was far superior to the first game. There were still many passes that went astray, many movements that broke down prematurely, but over-all there was a flow of movement and a purpose about both teams’ play that had been missing on Saturday. As it had done in the first match, St. Kilda scored first. Its lead had lasted only five minutes on Saturday; yesterday it was wiped out after 14 minutes. Both teams had chances to score before St. Kilda finally managed it in the twentysixth minute. The most blatant miss was A. Treadwell’s header from a perfect position but later Treadwell was to make amends by scoring Western’s first and second goals. Goalie Hurt Then tragedy twice struck Western within a minute. Its brilliant goal - keeper, D. Spraggs, was bady hurt in a collision with G. McLean, and was replaced by D. Smith. Before Smith had time to settle down St. Kilda went ahead. C. Rennie fired the ball low and hard across the goal-

mouth and B. Turnhout stuck out a foot and diverted the ball into the corner of the net. There was little Smith could have done to stop this one and he proceeded to give a first-class display of handling that not even Spraggs could have bettered. Only once more was he in trouble, to a long shot that just cleared the bar; otherwise he did not put a hand wrong, while his clearances were always directed to a colleague. Western struck back with everything to neutralise St. Kilda’s lead and it came in the fortieth minute. This time Treadwell made no mistake with his header from another accurate cross by C. Martin, and from a position infinitely more difficult than the one he had missed earlier. Once more both teams had their chances to make the game safe in the second half. Twice Haydon made glorious runs: from the first Treadwell dived at the ball and headed over: from the second Haydon jinked his way into an ideal position and then shot straight at the St. Kilda goalkeeper, M. Barnes. As he had been on Saturday, C. Rennie was St. Kiilda’s most dangerous forward. He had the speed and the ball! control to beat Western’s defenders, but in the danger area his colleagues were either too slow to take their chances or too weak with their shooting. Rennie, himself, went closest to scoring with shots into the side netting and over the bar, and a header that was a foot too high. The loss of Cunningham was a harsh blow to St. Kilda, although Cunningham had not been the force he was in the first game. Western’s second goal was started by Haydon, who slid a thoughtful pass through to Martin. The winger caught it on the line and his low centre was glided into the net by. Treadwell. Great Scoring Shot Martin finally clinched the match with five minutes to go. AM day he had had the beating of J. Turnhout for speed; only his control of the ball had let him down. This time he kept the ball close, cut inside Turnhout and from just inside the penalty area fired a great shot into the corner of the net. Right to the end St. Kilda fought on, mainly through Rennie and B. Smith, who made a brave recovery from injury on Saturday to play yesterday. This time, however. Western did not allow St. Kilda the time and room to hit back as it had done in the first game. The Western defence played magnificently. Smith had an unenviable task of taking over from Spraggs. but produced the form that earlier had made him first choice for Canterbury. The young right-back, R. Miller, showed himself a great prospect for the future, always cool and resourceful and trying to use the ball. T. Mann had a difficult task holding Rennie and did a powerful job in his usual uncompromising manner.

The wing-halves, T. Langan and J. Brook, again got through a tremendous amount of work, while at centre-half D. Almond made a few mistakes, but did most things extremely well. Haydon, although not completely fit, was Western’s match winner. He filled the gap in mid-field that had been lacking on Saturday, spraying the ball to his wingmen and through the middle. He had few clear-cut chances of scoring but he made many others for his team-mates. Good Teamwork Martin was a great improvement on the right-wing, and when he used a colleague and his speed to beat a defender, he was twice the player than when he tried to do it on his own. The goal he scored was a beauty and the two he helped to make finally scuttled St. Kilda. Brooks was again tantalising, picking up the ball deep in his own half and then too often giving it back to a St. Kilda player. Treadwell scored two

goals but If he did little more, they were probably enough. D. Torkington was given little room by R. Dean and B. Smith and found little scope for his skill. Kennedy again played well for St. Kiida, but this time he was overshadowed by B. Smith, the outstanding defender of both teams who deserved greater support from his forwards. Until they reached the shooting target, St. Kiida looked a good side, fully capable of winning. In front of goal, however, its forwards lost direction and purpose. Western was the last team to bring the Chatham Cup to Christchurch, in 1955. It has the skill, the determination, and the luck to do it again, 11 years later.