NATIONAL LEAGUE SOCCER Shore was no match for New Brighton

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33520, 29 April 1974, Page 15

NATIONAL LEAGUE SOCCER Shore was no match for New Brighton

' By

D. P. MANSBRIDGE)

“Queen Elizabeth II Park is worth half an hour of football to New Brighton. It takes that long for an opposing team to get used to its pace.” And Brighton went on to prove this pre-match comment of its coach, Alan Vest, by overwhelming North Shore United, 4-1, in the Rothmans National Soccer League match at the Commonwealth Games stadium yesterday.

In fact, the seasiders virtually had the match won in the first 17 minutes, their tearaway striker, K. Mulgrew, [snapping in two goals and undermining the ; confidence of the Auckland club.

But the Shore players never did come to terms either with the pitch or themselves, and it was finally their own deficiencies, not the pace, that left them a street or two behind Brighton’s.

Not once in the 90 minutes did Shore manage to string together a worthwhile movement. Its passing was pathetically weak, its running off the ball almost nonexistant, and its mid-field control of the play a shambles of poor positional play and even worse tactical sense. EASING OFF

It was surprising only that Brighton did not win by a greater margin than 4-1. It would have done so undoubtedly but for an easing off midway through the second half that allowed Shore more of the ball — and more opportunities to waste it.

Mulgrew made himself acres of space merely by keeping himself wide, linking with his midfield men and using his speed to break away. Superb passing between G. Storer and W. Quirke that burst a gaping hole in Shore’s shaky defensive structure, led to Muigrew's first goal. He took a through pass in his stride, took the ball past the goal-keeper, D. Turner, and slid it into the open net from the angle. This was in the tenth minute. Seven minutes later Mulgrew did it again. Vest made the punishing pass this time, the Shore defenders got themselves into a terrible muddle, and the cool Mulgrew hammered the ball home. POSSESSION WASTED At this stage Shore was giving almost every ball it won back to a Brighton player with the next pass, and a minute after Mulgrew made it 2-0, J. Morton should have added the third. D. Gerrard gave him the ball in front of the goal but Morton slipped on the greasy ground and Turner was reprieved. Brighton’s third goal came

five minutes after the interval, and Turner, who had proved a most unsafe goal-keeper, was at fault again. He blocked, but could not hold, a shot from Storer, and Morton was allowed to squeeze the ball into the net from the acutest of angles.

Brighton now went into a shell for 25 minutes, conceded a goal to A. Elrick from a penalty, and might have been under greater pressure had Shore known what to do with the ample ball it was now getting. The final drama came in the 77th minute when Vest was fortunate not to be sent off and Brighton immediately scored its fourth goal from the sweetest of set-play pieces. NAME TAKEN Vest and the burly Shore centre-back. K. McNair, tussled heavily and McNair was penalised. But Vest struck out with a foot, brought McNair down, and there were a few seconds while Vest received treatment, necessary or not, before the referee, Mr C. Houston, would make his intentions known. In the event, he took Vest's name: on another day Vest might well have been walking to the pavilion. Mulgrew took the free-kick,

.chipped the ball on to A. Smith's I head, from where it was transferred quickly into the middle for Morton to head into the net off the underside of the bar. Smith, back in the side for the first time since Brighton played Caversham in Dunedin in preseason, and out of tune with his club at this stage, had a fine game in mid-field and behind his attack. Storer, too. was in great form, and with Vest prodding and pushing on his team, Brighton had strength and variety in mid-field.

This trio kept a powerful grip on the game, shielding their defenders and supporting their forwards. But this Shore side was a great disappointment It was a measure of its inability that the penalty Elrick scored was the only direct shot Shore had throughout the game. Notwithstanding Shore’s failure, Brighton played well, individually and as a team. Its confidence is growing and has reached such a stage that it will take a very good side to knock it over. And the 1974 national league competition has not vet shown many very good sides around.