Rangers And Cashmere Win Soccer Ties

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 17

Rangers And Cashmere Win Soccer Ties

. .The Rangers player-coach, T. Haydon, left the plane bringing him from Huntly at 2 p.m., 45 minutes later led his team on to the field at English Park, and in the twelfth minute of the game scored a goal that will be remembered for the rest of the season.

The goal opened the way for Rangers to over-run ShirleyNotnads for 30 minutes and clinch the team’s place in the second round of the Chatham Cup. Haydon had attended the national coaching course at Huntly over the week-end and had hardly regained his land legs when he and W Robinson combined brilliantly. in a “wall-pass” movement. Haydon collected the return, and from an acute angle smashed home an unstoppable shot through a crowd of Shirley defenders. Before, and for the rest of the match, Haydon was the game's outstanding player, even when Rangers’ play sadly deteriorated and the match lost all its early sparkle. Headed Against Bar Haydon had a header rebound off the join of the bar and post, two shots that went straight at K. Flintham, and another that Flintham made an acrobatic twist in mid-air to save. For the first half-hour Rangers played some forceful

soccer, crisp, well-executed movements keeping strong pressure on the Shirley defence. Later, Rangers lost their rhythm as their pace lost its momentum, and mistakes crept into their play. However, there is considerable talent in the side, which may need a season or two to bring into top gear. The two backs, C. Pickrill and R. Binns, were always solid: D. Simmonds, at centre-half against his old club, effectively blocked the path through the middle, and V. Pollard was a power-house of strength to Haydon in midfield. The later deterioration of Rangers’ play stemmed from its young forwards starting to hold the ball too long and failing to find gaps in which to move. Linesman Gave Goal Rangers netted their second goal in the thiry-fifth minute through a fine opportunist overhead kick by Robinson, and com pleted the scoring near the end when a 35-yard drive by G Adam, which hit the underside of the bar, was judged a goal by a linesman. Although more generally on the receiving end, Shirley had two great chances to get right back into the game. The first was from an indirect free-kick eight yards from the Rangers goal when it was 0-1, and the second from a penalty when Rangers led 2-0. Both were harsh refereeing decisions; both were missed. K. Ouwerkerk failing to get pace and direction from the free-kick and then driving wide from the penalty spot. 1 Tn the early game, Cashmere

Wanderers weathered some anxious moments in the first ha;f to gain control over University and win, 4-0. University’s forwards lacked any real sting in front of goal during the period

when they were on top, and were given a lesson in completing movements when Cashmere took up the running. J. McGuinness (2), D. Jury and G. Petrovic scored for Cashmere. The remaining two first-round matches will be played at English Park under lights tomorrow evening: Shamrock v. R;ccarton, 6.30 p.m., and Old Boys v. Watersiders, 8 p.m.