T.T.U. wins in extra time

Press, 14 March 1977, Page 30

T.T.U. wins in extra time

By

BARNEY ZWARTZ

Trans Tours United twice came from behind, its second goal coining in the dying seconds of ordinary time, to heat Rangers 3-2 after extra time in the Christchurch Air New Zealand soccer final vesterdav.

A strong wind wreaked havoc with the ball and turned many promising moves from both sides into a lottery, but the final margin of one goal in five was probably a true reflection of the game. United now meets Dunedin City in the South Island final at English Park next Sunday, with the winner moving on to the national semi-finals early next month. In the end, perhaps, it boiled down to United’s superior fitness and technique.' but Rangers fought well and were desperately unlucky ini the final minutes of extra! time when Angus Neaves hit I the post with Peter Moot,! under the United bar, well beaten. The teams were:— United: Moot, Ross Du- | rant, Glen Adam. Bobby Almond, Trevor Reece, Kees Doornenbal, Lawrie Blyth, Roy Drinkwater, Bill Arney, I Richard Mulligan, Mark I McNaughton, Kevin Mui-I grew. Rangers: Mike Fulham, I Steve Welford, Colin At-1 tridge, Trevor Blake, Robbie Norster, John Souter, Neil Francis (Paul Welford), David Carter (Neaves), Chris Cawley, Malcolm Parker, Gordon Faichnie. Whatever advantage the strong wind could afford was with United in the first half, but the Rothmans | League side could not take! full advantage from it.! United was mainly in com-i mand, but Rangers had! enough play to make! frequent raids. McNaughton, after three minutes, and Arney, after 31, had good chances, but McNaughton just could not reach a cross from Mulligan, and Arney’s volley brought forth an excellent "save from Fulham, who played extremely well apart from the odd small lapse. The best chance of the half fell to Mulgrew just be-

fore half-time after Mulligan beat several defenders, but he volleyed the awkwardly bobbing ball into Fulham’s face from a couple of yards. Francis, meanwhile, directed Rangers admirably. When their counter attacks involved him they were purposeful and dangerous, especially one delightful piece of skill in juggling the ball back from the by-line that Parker just could not reach. It was a tragedy for Rangers when he had to leave the field with an injury midway | through the second half. Francis earned the first Rangers goal when Blyth pushed him in the back in the penalty area, and John Souter hit the penalty into] the bottom right corner of the net.

Five minutes later, 19 minutes into the second half, United equalised with the best goal of the match, a

copvbook effort involving Mulligan and McNaughton. Mulligan, who twisted tbi Rangers defenders inside ou virtually at whim, took th i ball at the edge of the area | beat two men on his way to the by-line and laid it back (hard and low for McNaughI ton, racing in. to sidefoot into the net.

I Faichnie put the ball in I the net after 35 minutes t lend another period of United [domination, but the flag for otfide was up long before Jand it was disallowed.

I Two minutes later Cawley | scored the simplest of goals when Mulgrew gave the ball [away on attack. Two lon.--passes caught the defence [off balance and square, and [Cawley had only the fast advancing Moot to beat. I United’s second goal prob- | ably has the Rangers [defence still shaking their heads — it came from [nearly the blunder to end all blunders when Blake completely miskicked an easy clearance and it ran through [to give Arney an easy shot and force extra-time.

Fatigue affected both sides in extra time, and Mulligan sealed the game half-way through the first spell when an intercepted pass-back to Fulham bounced kindly for him, and his shot entered the net unimpeded. Two events were notab'e in the second spell. The first was an injury to Lawrie Blyth that brought Rov Drinkwater on the field. ' Blvt.li was forced info midfield by Sumner’s absence with the New Zealand Squad, and did . superb job as a glorified centre-half in front of the defence. He was hard and sound, and entered the attack with immediate [impact. Arney’s influence, however, was even more strongly felt.

The second was Neaves peice of misfortune from ye' another defensive error — the game was riddled with them — when Amev and Durant got confused and allowed him to intercept a pass-back.