NO SURPRISES IN CUP ROUND

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32620, 31 May 1971, Page 11

NO SURPRISES IN CUP ROUND

New Brighton, Technical, and University are through to join the national league team, Christchurch United, in the next round of the Gillette Chatham Cup contest after last Saturday’s matches.

There were no surprise results, although had it taken some of its earlier chances, Christchurch City might have eliminated New Brighton at English Park. Brighton scored its winning goal in the final minutes.

Rangers led the Southern League leader Technical, for nearly all of the first half before its defence collapsed in the second, and University’s strength proved too much for a game Riccarton side. The four Christchurch clubs will next play off in the local semi-finals on June 19, but the draw for these matches will hot be made until after June 7, and it will be done in Wellington. When the Canterbury finalist is found, it will go into an open draw for the quarterfinals. The Gillette Chatham Cup results In Christchurch were:— New Brighton S, Christchurch City 2; Rangers 1, Technical I; University 3, Riccarton 1. .

DCSCRVID VICTORY Christchurch City’s first-time tackling and passing and its speed on the ball upset New Brighton and very nearly caused a surprise. But Brighton deserved its victory for its midfield control and good build-up. There was no standing on ceremony by City. Hight from the start the tackling was swift, hard, and sure and the side looked dangerous with its firsttime tactics on the counter attack. Time and again Brighton attacks, well set up, were broken down and City hit back very quickly, using the long ball well. It was s very testing time for the Brighton defence. Had Clly had any luck with chances in the very early stages, when low centres went begging across the face of the goal, then Brighton would have been even more rattled. The midfield player, S. Cully who had a good match for Brighton picking up the loose ball and distributing It very well, put his aide ahead when he took a good return ball, controlled It well and beat L. Wilson, the City goalkeeper. The Brighton players were finding their colleagues better with their passes, but there was still too much possession given away by both sides and much of the play in the first half was tightened up in defence and sharpened their attack after half-time. G. Storer put it 2-9 ahead with a hard drive from the left flank, but earlier D. Phillips in the Brighton goal had saved very well to a header by R. Taylor who was causing the Brighton defence great trouble. It was Taylor’s striking power that brought City back on level scores. He headed In from an

acute angle, Phillips turned another away, and then Taylor headed his second when S. Cameron headed across to him In the goalmouth after a fine move.

Phillips narrowed the angle well to force Taylor to shoot wide when Taylor was through on his own again and this would have put City in the lead. Phillips gave an almost flawless display. At the other end Brighton started to pile on the pressure, and the City goalie, Wilson, who had a good match too, did well to push a shot from F. Regan round the post. The game had come alive In the second half and reached a good climax when W. Quirke moved through the City defence unmarked to score the winner with a good shot.

ROBBID THIMMLVEfI Although it is unrealistic for a side on the losing end of a 1-3 scoreline to clsim, "We wuz robbed,” supporters of Rangers might be excused for doing so. But the "thieves” were their own players for this was another match in the category of these Rangers might have won, but have lost comprehensively. Rangers took the lead in the twenty-seventh minutes and deserved to be ahead—surrendered It In the thirty-eighth, but before Technical scored again, five minutes after the interval. Rangers should have taken a 3-1 lead. Afterwards, when the tide turned completely Technical’s way. Rangers still had enough goalscoring opportunities to stay on terms with the Southern League leader but continued to fritter them away.

Every Rangers forward had at least one scoring chance, some had two and more, but either the Technical goal-keeper, W. Weir, brought off incredible saves or the ball was placed anywhere but in the right spot. At the other end, the difference was between chalk and cheese. The goal-hungry P. Kay turned base metal into gold as he completed a fine opportunist bat trick and the Technical wings, R. Provan and C. Cawley, took a goal apiece at either end of Kay’s three. In the second half, Rangers lost sli semblance of control in mid-field, and throughout the game they gave away possession as monotonously as they wasted scoring chances. Finally, a defence that had looked reasonably I ecure in the first half, reeled under constant pressure, and th<» Rangers cup hopes came tumbling down.

TOO SLOW Rlcewtoa tried to play neat, constructive football in the third cup match of the day, but the buildup was far too slow and the lacked penetration. Time and again, when It bad posswsion on attack, Riccarton University defence plenty of time to sort Itself out, *“ University on the other hand combined well and Its big strong attack was too much for the Riccarton defence in the first

half. Play was even and uninspiring for the first quarter hour but once University settled down it began to put the pressure on. The former Rangers player. R. Williams, put University ahead with one of the fiercest, besttaken goals seen at English Park this season. B. Telfer put them two up. and D. Brandon added the third before half time. Riccarton improved considerably in the second half with much better use of the ball, look-

- Ing sounder In defence and a| : little more penetrative on ati tack, but it was still giving . the University defence too much' . time to assemble. I University did not add to Its • score, D. Doublet pulled one : goal back after a cross by L. : Vickers, and the side almost rel duced the leeway further, but University, with S. Carruthers ■ doing some fine work in the mid i field, was worth Its two-goal ad- ■ vantage.