Joy, despair in soccer

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 26

Joy, despair in soccer

By

BARNEY ZWARTZ

Rapture and dejection might have been the varying emotions felt by the two Christchurch Rothmans League soccer teams as each travelled home from matches in Auckland over the week-end.

The triumph belonged to New Brighton, which convincingly beat Mount Wellington on Saturday to end the Mount's seven-game unbeaten run, despite injuries to players that might cripple the seasiders’ efforts for the remainder of the season.

The gloom and despondency ought to belong to Trans Tours United, 1-0 losers to North Shore, which plummeted the club to seventh position in the league — its fifth successive league loss and its worst season ever.

The action did not belong entirely to Christchurch — on the relegation and league leadership fronts interesting and important results took place.

Stop Out rebounded vigorously from the shambling side that lost 6-0 to North Shore last week to beat Caversham, the side that has made all the running this season until the last couple of weeks.

Its 2-1 victory has improved vastly the'chances of its nearest neighbour, Wellington Diamond United, without a game this weekend, which is now two points clear with a game in hand.

Gisborne City 0, Eastern Suburbs 0.

The result took Stop Out off bottom place, but Gisborne City drew 0-0 with Eastern Suburbs to stay a point behind and highlight the importance of the meeting between the two on September 19. Before this week-end Mount Wellington seemed the only club likely to challenge Caversham and W.D.U.’s dominance, but its chances have largely evaporated — like Brighton, it is six points behind with a game in hand.

The result is one of the biggest upsets of the season, but Brighton will pay for it. Richard Wilson, its exciting goal-keeper, left the field before half-time after bruising his neck — he is now wearing a collar — then his replacement, Graham Dacombe, broke a finger and dislocated another, while playing superbly in the unfamiliar role.

Just before the match ended Rab Brown, the centre-back, injured a knee. In addition, Alan Smith is still recovering from a cracked rib. Trans Tours had the better of its match with Shore, but could not gain any tangible

proof in the form of goals The malaise under whicn tht side is suffering is a frustrating one — often it seems tt be breaking into the football of which it is capable, but il fails at the last hurdle. It has not won a league game since May, or ever achieved a draw since early June. Two Tommy Winter goal* gave Stop Out victory, in a scrappy match where the Caversham players were more concerned with complaining to the referee about the Hutt side's aggression than playing football. Jimmy Wilson pulled a goal back for the Dunedin side 10 minutes from time. Results:— Mt Wellington 1 (D. Teylor), New Brighton 3 (M. Glubb, F. Msdrussen, A. Lower)—halftime 0-1. North Shore 1 (K. Hales), Trans Tours United o—halftime 0-0. Stop Out 1 (T. Winter 3), Caversham 1 (J. Wilson) —halftime 1-0.

W.D.U. 14 10 1 3 27 25 21 C'sham 15 7 5 3 37 23 19 Mt Wgtn 13 6 3 4 19 14 15 Brighton 13 7 1 5 24 19 15 E. Subs 14 5 4 5 23 22 M N. Shore 14 6 2 6 24 23 14 T.T. Utd 13 5 2 6 18 n 12 Bl "house 13 4 3 8 17 17 11 Stop Out 12 3 1 8 18 30 7 Gisborne 12 2 2 0 15 28 8