University has ninth championship win

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33960, 29 September 1975, Page 11

University has ninth championship win

University won its ninth successive senior club championship when it heat Linwood I nited 2-1 in the final of the Trans Tours 400 at Porritt Park on Saturday, hut it was not a yamc University will cherish with fond memories.

[sometimes a little vigor-1 • ously. The closeness of the game [maintained the interest, even more So when a Selwyn ! Maister penalty-stroke was • saved neatly by Bruce Dun-; ning. the Linwood goal-! keeper, after seven minutes I of the second half. John Whitford (Linwood) blocked the ball with his foot near the goal-line, but Dunning saved, lunging to his right and stopping the pball with his hip-high stick. The second half was 25 . minutes old before Univer’;sity finally clinched the title I [ when Barry Maister picked up a rebound four yards out J from the goal and scored. NO URGENCY ! | University’s greatest trouble was a lack of ur- ' gency in its attacks com•pounded b\ poor trapping Hand passing. The forwards missed many traps, and Tone Borren on the rightwing was probabL the worst affected. .I The inside-forward trio of! [John Christensen. Barry (Maister and Thur Borren; (were heavily marked and ‘ consequently their j effectiveness was reduced. ' Chris Maister on the left-; [wing dribbled craftily and made considerable (ground several times. Had lhe and Tone Borren been used more, it might have spread the Linwood defence ‘wider and created more • gaps. Selwyn Maister's best, work was in the circle' where he trapped and j cleared several times when Linwood attacks looked dangerous. Paul Ackerley at I right-half passed intelligently but on defence tended to rush tackles. Jim Cahill at left-half missed few tackles I and controlled the Linwood!

University started with a flurry of attacks and was a goal ahead after two minutes, Chris plaister having converted a penalty-corner. But there University's domination ended, and for the rest of the game it struggled to find a semblance of its old form. ■ Close marking by Linwood ! forced University into many (errors and the game was •very dull until half-time. The champions were still dominating possession but their build-up play was too pedestrian, allowing the Linwood defence plenty of time to reorganise. ! Linwood looked the more [dangerous team on attack because it moved forward with authority, whereas University relied too much on lateral passing to find holes in the Linwood rear-guard. The game suddenly burst i into life two minutes after! half-time when Roy Parry, j the Linwood inside-left, j scored with a powerful push! (from the edge of the circle,; • after a desperate University! • defence had been only partly. able to clear the ball. PANIC The goal instilled more! confidence in Linwood and although the champions • tried to raise their standard; it was in vain. For a while • there was a hint of panic in • the University ranks. The team settled down again, but in spite of having! the greater share of possession it could make no im- ( pression on the Linwood; defence which was helped by the three inside-forwards • who back-tackled and harassed relentlessly, and

right-flank combination of Parsot and Balvant Bhana The full-backs. Greg Murray and Neil Coster, were caught out of position several times, but their cov ering was very good and extracted them from a number of difficult situations Rodger McHarg played well in the University goal, cleat ■ ing and blocking with confidence. His counterpati. Dunning was prominent with several towering clearing kicks, but the best defensive work came from the full-backs, Kanti Budhia and Whitford Time and again they whipped the ball off the sticks of the University forwards as thet entered the circle. The halves were solid on defence and thoughtful when

passing to the forwards Bhiku Bhana at left-half tackled particularly well, while Ray Budhia at centrehalf and Bruce Trethewey, i the right-half, covered large amounts of ground between [ attack and defence. 1 Balvant Bhana made some outstanding dribbles but they [ usually ended without sup■port. He did find his nghtwing, Parsot Bhana. a few ‘times and these occasions produced the most dangerous Linwood attacks. Has Dullabh and Roy ! Parry played semi-defensive roles marking the University inside-forwards, but still popped up on attack Graeme Williams made ground on the left-wing a • number of times but his • efforts were usually wasted through lack of support Selwyn-Hillmorton took third place in the championship when it beat High School Old Boys. 4 2, in a surprise win. and Redclift* took fifth place beating Woolston Working Men’s I Club. 1-0