Soccer marksmen on target this season

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32613, 22 May 1971, Page 44

Soccer marksmen on target this season

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. Rothmans National League soccer has produced a goal rush in the first seven games of the second year of the competition, but the supply is due soon to dry up, according to one of Auckland’s leading coaches, Mr K. Armstrong.

Seven rounds so far this year, a total of 35 games, have produced 139 goals—an average Of 3.97 a match. At the same stage last ypar, 109 goals had been scored in 28 games. There are two more teams in this year's championship but this is offset by the higher goal rate. Asked for his version of the reason for the increased scoring, Mr Armstrong said: "The players are fitter, teams are switching more quickly from defence to attack, and there is more emphasis qn of-

fensive than defensive play. “Also, there have been many changes in national league defences and goals have been scored while coaches have been looking for the right blend at the back. “Things are getting tighter now and the rate will slow up. There are a lot of tough games to come and strikers are going to find it harder to score goals.” The Blockhouse Bay marksman, C. Shaw —the man Christchurch United defenders will have to subdue at English Park today—was top scorer in 1970 with 15 goals. This season, he already has 12 and again leads the league sharp-shooters. After seven matches in the 1970 campaign, Shaw’s tally was six, so that this season he has exactly doubled the figure in the same number of games. The Mount Wellington striker, E. Thomas, scored 12 in 1970, getting six of these goals in his first seven games. Today, he has a total of 10, and eight of them have come in a surge in his last two matches.

The three players sharing third position among the leading individual scorers—M. i Bland (Eastern Suburbs), I. > Ormond (Blockhouse) and G. ; Brand (Stop Out) —have also i contributed to the 1971 increase in goals. Each has netted six times ’ this season; last year Bland i totalled five, Ormond also got i five, and Brand scored nine, i but only three in his first seven games. While the Christchurch i United defensive record is the best of the league—only four : goals conceded—its attack i has not kept pace with the . other leading clubs. K. Doornenbal and G. Da- : combe top the United individual tallies, with three each, . while V. Pollard has two.