4-0 Boost To England Hopes

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32303, 22 May 1970, Page 15

4-0 Boost To England Hopes

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

BOGOTA. England boosted its World Cup morale by outplaying Colombia in a warm-up match before a 35,000 crowd at the El Campin Stadium last night.

M. Peters headed England into a 2-0 lead at half-time, R. Charlton scored his forty-ninth international goal, and A. Ball added a fourth, to make it a night of triple success for the team manager (Sir Alf Ramsey) and his world champions.

Two hours earlier, the second team squad had beaten Colombia, 1-0, in a curtain-raiser to the major match.

And not only did England twice conquer Colombia, it also overcame Bogota’s altitude barrier. Playing at 7300 ft above sea-level when it defends the World Cup in Mexico next month will seem tame after overcoming the 8500 ft altitude of Bogota, capital of Colombia.

Peters’s two simply-execu-

ted goals, both following corners from Charlton, showed why his recent transfer between two London clubs brought a British record of £200,000 ($428,000). The first came after only two minutes when Charlton’s cross was helped on by G. Hurst and Peters raced through on the blind side to nod the ball in. Seven minutes before half-time Peters struck again, this time heading in direct from Charlton’s kick. Charlton’s goal, which gave England a 3-0 lead in the fifty-fifth minute, was the result of copybook soccer, the ball switching among several men before he added the final touch.

F. Lee began the move, passing to Peters who switched it on to K. Newton, and from there the ball travelled to Hurst and then to Peters before Charlton drove it into the net from 25 yards.