Rangers Set Clock Back As New Soccer Leader

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31346, 17 April 1967, Page 15

Rangers Set Clock Back As New Soccer Leader

For the first time since the mid-19305, when they last won the Hurley Shield, Rangers have established a clear points lead in the inter-club soccer competition. Against all expectations they took both points in the top-of-the-table clash with High School Old Boys at Rangers Park on Saturday.

“I’ve been connected with Rangers for nearly 30 years and I cannot remember another time when we have won three successive matches,” said the jubilant club secretary, Mr E. Adam, yesterday.

Rangers are a point ahead of the Hurley Shield holder, Christchurch City, which frit tered away a 2-0 lead and was held to a draw by Western. City and Rangers meet next Saturday, when Rangers will want to blot out their 0-9 defeat to City in the pre-season floodlit competition. New Brighton maintained its challenge to the leaders with a hard-fought victory over Technical, while Shamrock and Shirley-Nomads each collected its first point of the season in a drawn game at McFarlane Park. Western overcame the twin handicap of losing its playercoach. A. Marshall, with badly torn ligaments after 10 minutes, and a two-goal deficit, to win its first point Results: Western 2. City 2. Brighton 2. Technical 1. Rangers 2, H. 5.0.8. 1. Shamrock 2, Shirley-Nomads

In Wonderland Alice found less to confuse and bewilder her in Wonderland than did spectators at English Park for the main match of the day. between City and Western. The absurdities of the Cheshire cat and the Queen of Hearts were as nothing compared to the frantic antics of City to preserve a 2-0 lead against moderate opposition. City failed to do so, and two goals were presented to Western on one of the plates that night have been used at the Had Hatter's tea party. A* 11 bemused City players left the field with 11 vastlyrelieved Western men, the scoreboard showed that the match had been drawn, 2-2. How and why were the questions the board could not answer, and probably neither could the player* nor the spectators. From a commanding position, when all that was required to hold and expand it, was consolidations and team-work. City became reduced to rag* and tatters. and produced a performance that cannot be recalled from the club, at least in the last three years. The initiative was not wrested from City by a Western team successfully fighting back; it was given away. There came a time in the game when only one City pass in 10 found its

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target; when defender* almost queued up to give the ball away to a Western forward; when City found it safer to go backwards because nine time* out of 10 a pas* went behind a player and he was facing his own goal when he finally managed to get control of the ball. There was, also, the rarest sight of all, of the under-23 representative, A. Gowans, not really wanting the ball because he could not use it when it it was given to him. Possibly, City became overconfident without real cause. The goal* they scored were speculative shots that might just have easily missed—T. Haydon's 25-yard drive that went in like a rocket and M. Clements's 15-yard volley that crashed through the Western defence. It might have been better for City had they both gone wide. Just before Haydon scored, City's forward* and link-up men had begun to settle into a pattern. After Clements's goal they eased off without having gained mastery, became too casual, then grew anxious and finally disintegrated. Had the goals been the result of teamwork and slick movement, the team might have gone on in the same groove, even if in a lower tempo. Apart from one or two more long shots and a hectic goalmouth scramble at the tailend of the match, City never went close to increasing the score. Instead, the normally solid W. McKenna was twice involved in defensive error* that gave Western goals. The first was thrust upon him by O. Nuttridge making a careless clearance, the second McKenna brought on himself by fiddling In the danger zone. Both times he was robbed of the ball by C. Rennie, who scored himself and then laid on the second for D. Torkington. The return of B. Gowans to the defence and a more restrained approach by the midfield pair ensured that City did not leave the huge gap between defenders and attackers that had been there in its games against Technical and Brighton. But there was little else in City's play on Saturday that looked championship material. Western played with more purpose and determination than in its first two games and it was unlucky to lose A. Marshall early in the game. However, it got excellent service from D. Smith in goal and P. Frost and T. Mann, the full-backs. But, as Alice said about the Cheshire Cat and might have said about City’s play: “It’s the most curious thing I ever saw in my life.’’ Referee: Mr N. de Meyer. Two Penalties A very workmanlike New Brighton side, with a goal in each half, took both points from Technical in the early game at English Park. It was just about the measure of Brighton’s superiority, although typical of

Technical this and last season, the club came back strongly to score in the final stages and might have added the equaliser but tor the unfortunate accident to Its left-wing, R. Proven. With 15 minutes left Proven fractured a wrist trying to break his fall and had to leave the field. However, Technical bad to blame Itself for not taking Its chances, for It had as many, if not more, than Brighton. There were times when Technical threatened to go off with a roar and only managed to produce a pop, because Its forwards, In sight of goal, could not put any explosive power into their shots. There was a penalty for either side, comfortably converted by the teams’ respective playercoaches, K. France and J Chalmers, and there was a mix-up of a goal when the Technical goal-keeper, A. Mar®usll, and Brighton's newcomer, W. Costigan, collided, and B. Foley strode on to the loose ball and drova it Into the empty There were, from both sides, some excellent mid-field football, movements built on slick, snort passes and quick running Into the open spaces. And there w as another fine performance by Brighton’s young goalkeeper, D. Phillips, who moved like lightning to snatch a header from A. Wardle that looked a certain equalising goal for Technical. Outstanding among the Brighton forwards was W. Quirks, who came into the side for the opening game of the season after the injury to K. Morgans, and is playing far too well to be dropped when Morgans is fit to regain bis place. Quirk's long stride and his eye for a shot ar ® • dan «®r to every defence. K. France, J. le Poidevln and G. Davis constitute as sound a defensive trio as Is playing in Christchurch football and they dovetailed well to stifle much of Technical's mid-field play. The one sore spot In the game was the niggling, badtempered outbursts from players who should know better. Most of It was petty and spiteful rather than dangerous, but all of It was unnecessary and crude. Referee Mr J. Sheffield. Chances Wasted Although having far more of the play and producing most of the dangerous attacking movements, Shamrock had to scramble and sweat for a point from its match against ShirleyNomads. Down 1-2 at half-time, Shamrock got the only goal in the second half to share the spoils. And it was an equalising goal that was almost ridiculously easy in contrast to the desperate efforts that had gone before and came afterwards. M. Woods collected the ball midway Inside Shirley’s half and as the defence opened up, Woods strode through to place the ball calmly Into the net. For most of the game Shamrock had been hammering at Shirley’s goal and getting nowhere, primarily because its efforts were undisciplined and became more and more desperate as the equaliser, and later the winning goal, eluded the team. Shirley's forwards adopted breakaway attacks, using long passes through the middle to catch Shamrock unawares. They brought two goals In the first half, through K. Held and R. Mulrson, and a few near things in the second half when Shamrock threw everything into attack. M. Bills also scored for Shamrock. Referee: Mr L. Tototon. Close Struggle Play in th* Rangers-H.5.0.8. match wa* not becoming to joint leaders in a senior competition, but Interest was maintained right to the final whistle by the closeness of the game. Skill and intelligence appeared to be lacking a* both teams seemed to be intent on getting rid of the ball to the opposition a* fast a* it was gained. However, the Rangers full-backs and centre-half could be excluded from this category. This trio of C. Fullbrook, M. Shardlow and R. Binns turned in sterling games for Rangers and time after time repelled Old Boy*' attack*. It wa* fitting that Shardlow should be rewarded by scoring a goal from a first-time shot after a corner had been forced. It wa* against the run of play when C. Hicks scored the opening goal for Old Boy*. In the first 20 minute* hi* side wa* struggling on the defensive. This goal seemed to give Old Boys new heart and they lifted their game slightly to hold on to the lead until into the second half. However, their forwards could not build up their attacks sufficiently enough to split open the opposition, due mainly to the lack of support from the halfback lane. R. Thomas wa* perhaps the pick of the Old Boys defenders if only for his control of’ the ball and his effort* to set his team in motion. The scorers wer* Hicks (H. 5.0.8. and Shardlow and A. Smythe (Rangers). Referee: Mr A. Coulson.

p W. D. Goals L. F. A. Pts. Rang. ... 3 3 0 0 8 4 « City .. 3 2 1 0 8 6 5 H.S.O.B. N 3 2 0 1 6 4 A. Bright. -- 3 2 0 1 6 5 4 Tech. 4 1 0 2 6 6 2 Sham. 3 0 1 2 6 9 1 West >. 3 0 1 2 4 7 1 Shir. .. 3 0 1 2 3 6 1