Soccer Title Still Open

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31770, 29 August 1968, Page 14

Soccer Title Still Open

The New Zealand test cricketer, V. Pollard, made the cost of his air ticket from Palmerston North worth every cent of the money spent when he crashed home the winning goal for Rangers in a floodlit southern league soccer match against Western, at English Parklast evening.

Pollard’s goal—a fierce half volley from the edge of the penalty area three minutes inside the second half enabled Rangers to win, l-Oi and

draw level on points with Christchurch City at the top of th 4 first division.

The two clubs will meet in the championshipdeciding match on Saturday, and Rangers must win it to take the $5OO first prize. A draw would not be enough for City with 6.307 to Rangers’ 5.272, has the superior goal average. Fog-Shrouded

Shrouded in fog for the whole of the first half and part of the second, the match seldom rose above the murk. Western fought tremendously hard in defence, spearheaded by the centre-half, P. Frost and backed by the goalkeeper, D. Smith, but was devoid of ideas and penetration in attack.

Rangers, with Pollard and T Haydon pushing through a stream of passes, tried hard to break down a solid barrier, but their attacking lines were limited and their combination weak. Smith Tested B. Hammond tested Smith with two shots and a header and Pollard had an in-swing-ing comer kick plucked from under the bar, but outside of these and Pollard’s great shot that broke the stalemate —there was little real excitement at either end. The Rangers’ defence, built round the centre-half, D. Simmonds, was equal to all that Western tried. Third Place The Chatham Cup finalist Technical, assured itself of third place in the first division and the $l5O prize by beating Shamrock, 3-0, in the late match. All three were spectacular goals a close range shot by A. Caine, a half volley on the run by A. Dawe, and a flying header a foot from the ground by K. France. The first and third were brilliantly laid on by B. Wilkinson, the second by J. Chalmers.

FIRST DIVISION TABLE Goals A Pts P W D F City 17 14 1 2 82 13 29 Rangers 17 13 3 1 58 11 29 Tech (Ch) 17 11 1 5 39 21 23 Northern 17 9 2 6 47 35 20 Roslyn 17 7 4 6 46 36 18 St Kilda 16 8 1 7 41 37 17 Shamrock 16 6 1 9 31 53 13 Western 17 6 0 11 24 31 12 Queens Park 17 3 0 14 29 93 6 Tech (Dn) ,. 17 0 1 16 21 87 1