REPRESENTATIVE SOCCER Weak Nelson Team No Test For Canterbury

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 19

REPRESENTATIVE SOCCER Weak Nelson Team No Test For Canterbury

(By Our Soccer Reporter) Canterbury had no cause to feel satisfied or complacent about its 7-1 victory over Nelson in the senior representative soccer match at English Park on Saturday. As a Nelson official said after the match: “If we had known we were going to have such a weak side, we would have cancelled the fixture.”

The major cause of Nelson’s discomfort was the fact that it could call on none of the United

team which plays in the central league competition.

At least seven of the United team would have been in the Nelson representative side had they been available; instead, the team put out against Canterbury was the weakest Nelson has fielded for many years. In the circumstances, the match served neither as a hard team practice for Canterbury before its fixture later this month against the English F.A. side, nor as a useful opportunity for the North Island selector, Mr D. Wallace, who was present, to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of candidates for next week’s national trial in Wellington. PROBABLE TRIAUSTS However, he was able to see enough, probably, to ensure that Canterbury will have at the least four players in the trial; and possibly another four. Those who did their chances no harm were the Canterbury captain, K. France, the goal* keeper. D. Phillips, the rightback, G. Davis, and the linkman, A. Gowans. Those on the fringe were the centre-forward, W. Quirke, who scored twice in his debut for the Canterbury senior team, the left-wing, F. Madrussan, the linkman, T. Conley, and the left-back, W. McKenna.

One who should be added *o this list, but probably will not be, is B. Wilkinson, for' no-one worked harder, to better purpose, from start to finish. In the eyes of some selectors

Wilkinson seems to suffer - because of his slightness of build, which is surprising, for he rarely loses the ball in a tackle and bounces back faster than a yo-yo.

NUTTRIDGE UNLUCKY Also, it was unfortunate tha 0. Nuttridge had to spend the whole of the game on the touchline. By half-time Phillips ha’d already done enough to ensure his selection, and with Canterbury then leading 5-0 and in ino danger of defeat, it should have been possible to switch goal-keepers for the second half, to give Nuttridge his opportunity. The Canterbury selectorcoach, Mr R. C. Carter, said afterwards it was unfortunate that the match was counted as a representative game and not as a trial, and was played under the international rules allowing only two substitutes throughout. The only change made was G. Marshall for Quirke at halftime; had Nuttridge replaced Phillips at the same time, as expected, Canterbury would not have been able to bring on a substitute for an injured player in the second half. For Uuttridge’s—and the spectators’—sake, it was a pity the risk was not taken. If Canterbury had been forced to play with 10 men for even the whole of the second spell it might have given ,the match some extra spice—there was little enough during the boring final 45 minutes. SELECTION POSSIBLE

However, there is still a good chance that Nuttridge will be selected for the trials, dependent on the form shown yesterday by the central and northern league goal-keepers and the de-, cision to have three 'keepers in Wellington next Sunday. One save by Phillips early in the first half must have been enough to convince Mr Wallace that the New Brighton player is still of international class. Nelson’s best forward. R. Balcolmbe, broke through and seemed certain to score, but Phillips quickly narrowed the angle and then made a fingertip save that was all superb reflex action. Thereafter, Phillips did all that was necessary efficiently and well. Gowans, for most of the match, was a tower of strength in mid-fie’.d and his two goals were splendidly taken—a header to start the scoring in the eighth minute and a powerful shot from 18 yards 14 minutes after the restart. Quirke added the second and third goals, both opportunist efforts smartly taken. The other goals were netted by Madrussan. from the penalty spot after T. Conley was brought down heavily on his way to

the goal, C. Cawley and Conley.

France and Davis were both strong and assured in defence, but neither did more than McKenna, who played Nelson s right-wing out of the game, intercepted brilliantly and time after time joined in the attacks speedily and effectively. Conley, as usual, played with intelligence in mid-field, made the goals scored by Quirke and Cawley and scored a very neat one himself. In addition, he had a header and two shots go very close. Cawley had a fine debut on the right-wing, filling this position in the Canterbury team better than anyone has done for several years. His only mistake was a failure to get away from his back when seeking the ball; had he done so he must have had a field day. Madrussan was an enigma; he had enough of the ball to make a feast of openings for his colleagues but never found the easy way to get round P. Grainger. by using a colleague. Yet there was always danger when Madrussan had the ball and he was a little unlucky not to get more than his one goal. MIDDLE BLOCKED Griffiths was very effective tn the middle of the defence, forming a good understanding with France and solidly blocking Nelson’s progress through the middle. But over-all. and despite the score, this was not a good match for Canterbury. Its p:ay in the first half had colour and life and swift movement, but in the second half was very sluggish, almost as if the players had set themselves too fast an opening pace and could not maintain it. Probably this was accentuated by the fact that the competitive spirit had gone out of the game, but should it have been a lack of real match fitness they will be in a sorry plight against the English F.A. side on May 28. J

The under-18 curtain-raiser was even more one-sided as Canterbury swamped Nelson. 13-0. The centre-forward, M. Ellis, got five of the goals—all in the first 45 minutes; he was replaced at half-time. The other scorers were S. Cameron (2). £• P obs ?, n ( 2), L. Clark, P. Whelan, C. Attridge and P. Sargison.