Deciding soccer matches

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34089, 28 February 1976, Page 52

Deciding soccer matches

The three clubs to join Christchurch United in the Canterbury area semi-finals of the Air New Zealand soccer tournament will be decided tomorrow.

Two of the outstanding; matches will be played at! English Park, when unbeaten teams clash — New Brighton v. Nomads United, in the curtain-raiser, and Shamrock v. Rangers. The third qualifier will'! come from the South Canterbury group, with Ti- : maru City, the favourite. Brighton and Rangers have a definite edge on their rivals in the English Park matches. Their superior goal averages mean that both need only to draw to qualify.

Nomads, one of Canterbury’s major soccer forces a decade ago, but now’ slowly recovering after a lean period, caused an upset last week-end by beating Wool-! ston WM.C, 3-2. Brighton had managed, only a 2-1 win over Wool-! ston the previous week. Matches between Rangers

[ and Shamrock have always been tough contests, and or j the same ground last yeai i Shamrock scored a great, ;4-l, victory. The draw for the semii finals will be made on Sunday evening. The tournament entry in the Otago-Southland area has been a great disappointment. Only two clubs — Caversham and Dunedin . City — applied, and they ! will play off for the right to ; meet the Canterbury area champion in the zone final lat Dunedin on March 21.

Floodlight

soccer draw

The draw for the annual Rangers floodlight soccer tournament, which will start at Rangers Park next Wednesday, has been made.

The opening matches are: Rangers v. Cashmere Wanderers (6.30 p.m.); New Brighton v. Shamrock. The outstanding fixture on i the second night, March 10, 1 will be between Christ- ! church United and Technical. These two clubs drew 1-1 in j the Air New Zealand tourna,'mem The curtain-raiser will ! be Woolston W.M.C. v. I Western.