NATIONAL LEAGUE SOCCER United again pays for bad mistake

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33515, 22 April 1974, Page 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SOCCER United again pays for bad mistake

(By

D. P. MANSBRIDGE)

I his has not been a season—so far at least—of much comfort and joy for the Rothmans National Soccer League champion, Christchurch Linked. Another bad mistake in defence cost the club a point in its 1-1 draw with Eastern Suburbs at English Park yesterday and left United wallowing in the bottom half of the table after the second round.

As in the first match against Stop Out a fortnight ago—perhaps even more so this time— United seemed to be doing more than enough to finish a clear-cut winner.

I But once again a first-half superiority was not transformed into enough goals for the team to feel comfortable and it took only one blunder when Suburbs began to exert (pressure to nullify all that I had gone before. MUD AND WATER - After last week’s soaking; and a Southern League imatch played on it on Sat-! :urday, English Park was a ;mud-patch in the centre, wet; !and slippery elsewhere. In spite of these conditions, United produced some sparkling football in the first half and Suburbs appeared a clumsy, unimaginative side. A brave header by J. Park from a cross by W. Arney in the twenty-eighth minute finally proved not enough for-

two well-deserved points be-, j cause Suburbs’ newcomer! 'from English football, P. i Nimmo, was given a gift goal! 18 minutes from the end. In the second half, the con-1 ditions proved a great leveller' when both teams became wearvl of leg and short of wind after! ploughing through the glue for! an hour. Without looking particularly dangerous — except when United panicked itself into confusion—Suburbs nevertheless showed up better on attack and began to share the mid-field control. The authority United had 1 stamped in mid-field, and the' combination between the de! fence, linkmen and forwards, in the first half, continually hhd Suburbs in trouble. A stream! of corners were conceded to I [United as, at one stage, the' [only means Suburbs seemed toi ■ have of keeping the home team i dt ba ' DIVING HEADER Twice goals were inches away I from being scored. F. Madrussan ran on to one pass from; B. Hardman and his first-time! shot smashed against the bar. I Later, Park had P. Jeram at! full stretch finger-tipping awav a. fierce shot. Park got his goal when he| threw himself full length, headed' the ball past Jeram. and took! a boot on the side of his head j in the process. The sparkle went out of the! I play in the second half, and much of United’s aggression and deter-! mination, too. Even then Jeram [ was under considerably more pressure than P. Dando in the United goal, and was allowed one reprieve when Hardman, from a good position after a 'defence-splitting move, shot over' I the bar. I■

Suburbs' goal came not so i much as a surprise, but from

! the least likelv of attacking : movements. The ball might have ; been cleared bv a couple of de ; fenders; it might have been comi fortably passed back to Dando. LIKE TAKING CANDY I Instead, for a reason lie will never know, R. Drinkwater, whe ! had played another very solid game, flicked it no more than a yard or two straight to the feet of Nimmo. And all Nimmo had to do was roll It into an empty net. Taking candy from a sleeping baby would not have been an easier task.

Both teams played their full number of substitutes. Suburbs; ! to replace injured players.: ! United in a desperate attempt to I bring in fresh men to force a I win in the last 12 minutes. It 'was all to no avail. The victory (that had been forged earlier ; had been cast away. Hardman, with T. Handles and Arney, worked hard and well (to weld United’s mid-field play ! into a potent force, and took the. j club's Trans Tours “player-of-' (the match” award. K. FranceI played more valiant football in. -defence and L. Blyth .only! blotted an otherwise perfect; icopybook bv disputing a decision | given against him and having his (name taken. His only defence was that he was in the right. Park. Madrussan, and N. Moran worked well together, particularly in the first half, and Moran was unlucky to be twice brought down from behind on the “wrong” edge of the penalty area when going through. Outstanding for Suburbs was 1 J. Legg in an unfamiliar role. of sweeper-up: without him, and Jeram in goal. Suburbs would never have been able to with-, stand United’s early pressure.