N.B. delighted with cup draw

Press, 26 July 1976, Page 28

N.B. delighted with cup draw

Bv

BARNEY ZWARTZ

Cheers of delight echoed through the Nelson United soccer clubrooms late on Saturday afternoon, which surprised supporters because their team had just been ' ocked out of the Lion Chatham Cup. The delight was expressed

,by the New Brighton players, ithe victors, who had just 1 heard they have been drawn 1 against Eastern Suburbs at i Christchurch in the semii finals of the cup. ; Fate had been unkind until i then—the team has consisi tently been away in both the cup and Air New Zealand I tournament this season. There must have been gloomy faces in the Trans Tours United camp, because United has been cast against Blockhouse Bay at Auckland in the other match. Doubly bitter for United must be the fact that it was drawn at home to the Bay, but Brighton’s home fixture icame out of the hat first and. i under cup rules, the venue Tor the United game had to jbe reversed. ny cheer for their supi porters must be the thought that the first ever all-Christ-church final is now a distinct possibility. , Blockhouse Bay in Auck- 1 • land would probably be the [draw United's manager, Terry I Conley, would have chosen last. The Bay is another exnerienced cup fighter—as is United, the holder — and an extremely tough team. If the match is a repeat of last year’s final, however, when United beat the Bay, 4-2. after extra time, few supporters will be disappointed because that match was one of the best showpieces for the sport this country has seen in recent years. Martin Stewart, Brighton’s coach, has every right to lie happv because his side has • struggled dismally in the last two rounds against regional league opponents. At last some of the pressure will be off. and Brighton is certain to have a little more room to play than the .traditional cup pressure formula allowed against DuneIdin City and Nelson.