Confident, 4-1 Soccer Win By Canterbury

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31785, 16 September 1968, Page 17

Confident, 4-1 Soccer Win By Canterbury

In near-perfect conditions at Dunedin on Saturday, Canterbury confidently played its way to a fine, 4-1, victory over Otago in the annual inter-provincial soccer series.

The second leg will be played at English Park next Saturday. With four players from the New Zealand cup squad to play Fiji on Tuesday, and two others who are members of the World Cup squad, Canterbury had been expected to put on a good display. The spectators, disappointingly few, were not let down. The Canterbury coach, Mr R. C. Carter, said afterwards that it was one of the best matches this series had produced during the last five seasons. Otago Gains Lead Otago has never been a side easily beaten on its own ground and this season was no exception. After only seven minutes, and before either side had found a rhythm, the Canterbury captain, G. Evans, misjudged a clearance and was beaten by the outside-left, K. Neilson. The ball was driven hard across the goalmouth where the out-side-right, G. McLean, connected first time to drive a ferocious half volley into the roof of the net.

The confidence this first goal gave the home side was easy to see and it rose to the occasion. Above all others, the goal-keeper, D. Frame, established himself as his side’s man of the match, and only his performance prevented the eager Canterbury attackers from

gaining a five-goal lead by halftime.

As it was, it took until the forty-third minute before Frame was beaten—and a spectacular shot by T. Haydon to do it. A. Gowans drove a good corner kick out toward the edge of the penalty area where Haydon had moved, but as the ball passed outside him he performed a magnificent overhead kick which sent the ball fiercely into the back of the net.

As the half-time whistle sounded justice had been done, as so often the clever Canterbury approach work and the accurate shooting of V. Pollard, Gowans, Haydon and F. Madrussen had fully deserved the goal that had been denied them by the hard-tackling Otago defence. and the agility of Frame.

After the interval Canterbury sensed that its continued pressure must eventually break the stubborn Otago rearguard, and after 23 minutes of the half the second goal was scored. Gowans, moving in from the right-wing position, picked up a rebound off the post from a Pollard shot, and hammered the ball past the helpless ’keeper. The third goal came when S. Smith, playing his first game for Canterbury and suffering the disadvantage of a recurring nose bleed after suffering a hard blow in the face, moved on to the loose ball inside the penalty area and lifted it over the advancing goal-keeper. Within a minute of this goal Gowans scored his second and his side’s fourth. Pollard set him up for a solo run which Gowans finished with a fierce low drive into the far corner of the net.

Otago had seldom matched Canterbury in its mid-field play or accurate approach work, but its breakaway efforts out of defence and the intelligent use of the elusive and determined B.

Duncan, who found good understanding with McLean, was only checked by good covering and positional play from Canterbury’s last-line defenders and the confident handling of the goal-keeper, D. Phillips. P. Kay, a last-minute substitute for this fixture, fell heavily during a goai-scoring attempt and suffered a very painful wrist injury. A decision on next week's team for the second leg will not be made until a report on Kay’s Injury has been received by the selectorcoach, Mr Carter.

In the Ruddiman Cup game for the under-20 teams, Canterbury beat Otago, 3-1. Canterbury’s goals came from D. Duffy (20minX, A. Smythe (25min), and P. Hyland (75min). P. Dirks netted for the home side.

Lower Grade Results Jones Cup.—First leg: Otago 1, Canterbury 4. Ruddiman Cup.—First leg: Otago under-20 1, Canterbury under-20 3. First Division.—Knock-out semi-finals: City 3, University 1 (after extra time); Technical 5, Waterside 1. Second Division.—Halswell 2, H. 1; Shamrock 6, Riccarton 1; Rangers 4, Shirley-No-mads 2; Burndale 4, Lincoln College 0. Third Division.—Section A: Western beat Ashburton by default: City 3, Shirley-Nomads 1; Rangers 5, Shamrock 0; Technical 9, University 1. Section B: New Brighton 2, Watersiders 1; Western 4, Halswell 4; Cash-mere-Wanderers 3, Shamrock 0. Fourth Division. —Knock-out final: Technical 3, Shirley-No-mads 1. Knock-out Finals Fourth Grade.—Shamrock A 9, Western 0. Fifth Grade.—City A 2, Technical A 1. Sixth Grade.—Western A 1, City A 0. Seventh Grade.—Western 2, City 0. Eighth Grade.— Rangers 1, Technical 0. Ninth Grade.—Shamrock 4, Burndale A 0. Tenth Grade.—Western A 1, Shamrock A 0. Eleventh Grade.—Brighton A I, Rangers A 0. Twelfth Grade.—Rangers A 2, Rangiora 0.