Full-Strength Teams For Soccer Clash

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31771, 30 August 1968, Page 13

Full-Strength Teams For Soccer Clash

Christchurch City and Rangers will be at full strength for the soccer match at English Park tomorrow, to decide the southern league, first division, championship.

The Rangers goal-t keeper, D. Spraggs, will return from his honeymoon today and will go straight into the side in place of G. Chellew, who has been a capable replacement while Spraggs has been away. The Rangers player-coach, T. Haydon, reported yesterday that one or two players had suffered slight knocks’ in Wednesday’s match against Western, but that none of these was serious.

The City players have been having normal training sessions this week. “There has been no need for me to say anything special to them,” the playercoach, G. Evans, said. “They know the position and will be keyed up. “Although a draw will be enough for us to take the championship it is a win we want most of all. Rangers have beaten us once and drew the other game. We will go all out for a victory to even the score.” However, it is unlikely that the match will end in a stalemate. Such will be the pressure both teams will exert that one or other is likely to crack under the strain.

Both will be strongest where the greatest pressure can be brought to bear—in midfield—and victory will probably go to the team with the strongest attacking wingforwards.

This may be the vital test —the World Cup squad member, F. Madrussan, and D.

Watson, of City, versus the former international representative, D. Torkington, and W. Robinson, of Rangers. The match will be controlled by the F.I.F.A. referee, Mr R. McDonald, who travelled with the New Zealand team to New Caledonia last year. The teams are:—

Rangers.— D Spraggs: T. Platt. C. Plckrlll; V. Pollard, D. Simmonds, M. Blight; w. Robinson, T. Haydon. B. Hammond, G. Adam. D. Torkington. City — O. Nuttridge; W. McKenna, A. Westwood, A. Gowans. G. Evans, B. Gowans. D. Watson. J. Logue. R. Taylor. T. Ward. F. Madrussan. TEAM CAN RELAX ’ Assured now of third place. Technical (Christchurch) will be able to play relaxed football against Technical (Dunedin) at Riccarton Domain, holding itself in reserve for the national Chatham Cup final the following week. In the early game at English Park, Western should improve its position by beat, ing Queen’s Park, but only if Shamrock is defeated by Northern in Dunedin.