One Point For $500 Victory

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32073, 22 August 1969, Page 13

One Point For $500 Victory

(Bu Our Soccer Reporter)

The southern league soccer championship, and the first prize of $5OO, might be decided tomorrow, in one of the crucial matches of the season.

Technical, leading by three points, needs only to draw with Christchurch City in the main match at English Park to be virtually certain of the championship. Although the Dunedin club, St Kilda, could then narrow the gap to second place to two points by beating Queen’s Park at Invercargill, Technical’s greatly superior goal average would assure the club of winning the championship despite the fact there is one more series of matches to play. But if Technical were beaten by City, and St Kilda wins at Invercargill, the championship would be wide open for decision the following week, when Technical and St Kilda clash at Dunedin and City is at home to ftoslyn-Wakari.

The clubs would then go into the final matches with Technical on 23 points. City and St Kilda on 22 each. However, it will be a surprise if Technical falls to get a point from its match with City, in spite of the fact City easily won their Chatham Cup semi-final, 3-0, last month. This is the only match Technical has lost in its last 15, a magnificent run that has taken the club from a pointless, goal-less last place after three matches to the verge Of the southern league championship. And, perhaps, because of this record, Technical cannot afford to lose tomorrow, for it would travel to Dunedin the following week with its confidence badly dented and a great deal too much at stake.

Mid-field Struggle In the Chatham Cup tie, City won domination in midfield, crushed Technical’s attacks at their source, and was rampant in attack. Technical will have learned much from this defeat, but it will have to meet and match City in mid-field to gain the point it needs to carry off the championship. A battle of another sort will be fought out in the early game, when Shamrock attempts to gain the point against Western it requires to evade the relegation playoff series.

Unfortunately, Shamrock will be without its playercoach, T. Conley, who goes into hospital today for a cartilage operation, and will be at full stretch to avoid defeat.