Brighton too good for the Mount

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 18

Brighton too good for the Mount

PSS Auckland New Brighton fully deserved the 3-1 win it scored over Mount Wellington at Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday and showed that it is far from being out of the running for a place in the top three — a position the club took two years ago before its bad trot last season. Mount Wellington, after a long, unbeaten run, was expected, at least on the showings of Brighton in Auckland In recent weeks, to romp home on Saturday and keep up their desperate bid for the league title. But poor finishing, some indifferent play from a normally sound midfield, and the encouraging return to form by the Brighton stars, counted against the Aucklanders.

To a man, Brighton played well and gave the Mount little or no chance to settle down and get into the game. Mike Glubb scored his seventh goal of the season, in the thirty-seventh minute, and once in command Brighton never slackened off. The Brighton defence, well controlled by the skipper, Andy Lower, gave as good as it got and refused to let established stars such as Brian Tanner, Clive Campbell, and Earle Thomas

dictate things, as they have done] in a number of recent games. Up front, Brighton welcomed the return of the wily Franck I Madrussan, who kept the left-1 wing open all day. His added! thrust was a perfect complement I to Glubb and the others who | were not afraid to take on, and !1 often beat, the hesitant Mount I defence. The heavy field, and seemingly i heavier ball, gave both goal- 1 keepers, Kevin Curtin and , Richard Wilson, a few anxious I moments, but in the second half i a bad head injury forced Wilson I to go off. Graham Dacombe, a former representative junior i 'keeper, took his place, and he i proceeded to produce as good a ( display as has been seen on the I: ground by many far more f 1 recognised goal-keepers. For the last 20 minutes, the ' Brighton goal came in for a fair 1 amount of pressure as Mount > Wellington strove desperately to ' break back and get the goals ] that would have at least stirred ■ It on to better things. But * Dacombe stood firm, played his part, as did the woodwork, in 1 keeping the raiders out, and i Brighton w-as able virtually to ( coast home. Glubb’s was the only first half 1 goal, but shortly after the i

interval he wasted little time In setting up Madrussan for num ber two. And to rub more salt in Mount Wellington's dented pride. Lower added a third goal 11 minutes later, and the Brigh ton underdogs, who had lost. 0-2, to Blockhouse Bay Just six davs earlier, were making no race of It. Dave Taylor got one back 20 minutes from time but that was Mount Wellington's lot as the Aucklanders bumbled their way to the finish. They forced many corners but all to no avail as Brighton stood firm. For the first time in a long while there were definite signs of panic in the Mount Wellington camp as the coach. Ken Armstrong, pulled off Turner and the midfield man, John l-eijh. While the replacements, Kevin W eymouth and Nigel A.hurst, did their job well enough, they did not match the good work done in the Brighton midfield by Fred Roest, who slotted in nicely to fill the gap left by Dacombe's dropping back to the goal. It was an encouraging performance from Brighton, and one which should give it renewed confidence for next Ssturday’s Lion Chatham Cup semi-final against Eastern Suburbs.