ROTHMANS NATIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE United’s three-goal burst beat Caversham

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32893, 17 April 1972, Page 15

ROTHMANS NATIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE United’s three-goal burst beat Caversham

( By

D. P. MANSBRIDGE)

There was much of the “’beauty’’ and the “beast” about the play of Christchurch United as it toppled Caversham off the top perch of the Rothmans National Soccer League, with a 4-2 ’ victory at English Park on Saturday.

The "beast” had hold of United for most of the first half and the latter part of the second. "Beauty” took over in a 20-minute spell after half-time, and long enough for United to clinch its win. The difficulty was trying! to understand why the team took so long to put right; what it had been doing! wrong, and then after reap-! ing a rich reward for its best football of the match, suddenly drifted back to its old faults. Perhaps the tongue-lashing given the players at half-: time by their coach, Mr T. C i Conley, sent United out with: a new determination. "We sat I their like naughty little boys) and just took it.” one player said. THREE GOALS Down 0-I—and this might. well have been 0-3—United.: sent Caversham reeling in those hectic 20 minutes after the interval, G. Griffiths. G.; Dalcombe and K. Doornenbal' all getting goals from thei eight to the fourteenth min-. utes. and V. Pollard and A. Marley going close.

| Although Caversham fought 1 back through a magnificent solo goal by its little left-winger, B. Duncan. United managed to put the lid on the tussle when Pollard scored with an inswinging free-kick from near the corner post with three minutes remaining. And even Caversham gave up after that. In its 20-minute.. matchi winning spell, United produced the simple, defence-splitting football of which it is capable The ball was moved quickly, space was found and used, and chances ! were taken. Griffiths was up in a crowded! goalmouth to hammer home the) ;ball after Dacombe’s shot was (blocked. Then Dacombe, from? a pass by Doornenbal. swung a' left boot and scored a inagnifi-l cent goal. Finally. Dacombe’sl header from Pollard’s centre! rebounded off the bar, and Door-' nenbal waj, on the spot to finish it off. HALF OF A TUG This was fast, slick, crushing! plax to which Caversham had' little answer. While it lasted. ! United looked good enough to run up a cricket score. How-' ever, it did not last, and Unitedl went back to its play of the first i half, players running with the; ball, crowding each other into, tight spots, relying on long passes and hard running. The I rapier was discarded, the bludgeon again taken up. In fact. United took on Caver-1 sham at its own game, and was not the Dunedin club’s equal al! it. This was probably becausej Caversham used it as team; tactics. United had some playing-, one wax. others in another' fashion It was as if a tug-of-i war team had one half of it pulling for the opposition TWO NEAR MISSES The opening 10 minutes of the 1

first half saw United at its best.; For the rest of the period United: bustled and hustled but did* everything but score, and Caver-, sham had two very near misses and finally took the lead seconds, before half-time. Earlier, Duncan had headed down a cross, and the ball bounced up. on to the bar and over the top. The goal was scored by J. Flyvbjerg after G. Davis and Griffiths should have cleared. Then followed Uniteds 20! minutes of crushing football; the replv bv Duncan, who moved into the middle for a long pass, beat Davis, and scored from a narrow angle, the ball first hitting the far post; and finally! Pollard’s inswinging free-kick? which also rebounded into the net off a post. PERSONAL DUEL The highlight of the match; was the battle of the two Scots,! Duncan and Davis, which Dun-; can won. but only narrowly. Doornenbal had a better game, although he had to leave the field before the end. Marley had not fully recovered from his shoulder injury, aggravated it twice, but still gave the game all be had. T, Randles, B. Hardman and Pollard worked hard in mid-field, but Pollard was far from being fullv fit. as he was suffering from Influenza. I. Park was a strong defender, closing the! right wing to Caversham, but he,, too, lessened his impact by' running with the ball when it was not necessary, and once when it was positively dangerous. When United play the game! simply and easily, it was both; fluent and dangerous. When it was otherwise, mistakes were made in every department