Nelson’s fort stormed

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 30

Nelson’s fort stormed

By

BARNEY ZWARTZ

A King Edward cigar was all Kevin Fallon, the Nelson United coach, got from soccer over the week-end, although he was offered a Trans Tours United celebration dinner menu. Both Fallon and United’s manager (Terry Conley) coached in the school holiday course in Christchurch last week, and the by-play was strong. It culminated on Friday night in a farewell drink before the two sides met yesterday. Conley gave Fallon his last, and valued, King Edward cigar and promised it was all Fallon would get from United. He was right — United won, 3-0.

Conley also told Fallon the menus had been printed for United’s celebration dinner at a Nelson hotel and offered him one, but the gesture was refused. In an excellent week-end for away teams — not one lost, and five won — United became the first team to return from Nelson with both points., Tom Sermanni, playing his second game for the club, scored twice in the first half as United’s professional

efficiency overcame Nelson’s enthusiasm.

North Shore was toppled from the head of the national league table when it lost, 3-1, at home to Stop Out. Stop Out joined Shore on 13 points, but Hamilton moved into first place on goal average. Two weeks ago Shore was three points clear, but it has taken only one point from its last three games, after winning six in a row. Derek Gibson-Smith and Sam Malcolmsen each scored for Stop Out, and Keith Barton, in scoring the Hutt side’s eighteenth league goal of the season, became the first to break their monopoly. Gibson-Smith has now scored nine and Malcolmsen eight. Wellington Diamond United was the only home team to get a point, and it only scored half-way through the second spell after trailing nearly 60 minutes, despite having much the better of the game. Alf Stamp scored a typical solo effort for Hamilton after 15 minutes, but W.D.U. could not break through until 72 minutes, when Dave Farron scored his eighth league goal of the season. New Brighton’s chances slumped badly when it lost

a key match to another relegation candidate, Eastern Suburbs, by 5-1. Graham Dacombe, however, scored his seventh goal of the season for the seasiders.

Dunedin City notched up its first win of the season in beating Blockhouse Bay, 1-0, in Auckland, but remains bottom of the table. Caversham suffered its fourth home loss of the season, to Mount Wellington, which moved two points behind the leaders with three games in hand. Results.— Blockhouse Bay 0, Dunedin City 1 (R. Kolk) — half-time 0-1. Caversham 1 (Jack Scholten), Mount Wellington 2 (B. Turner, D. Selkirk) — half-time O-l. Nelson United 0, Trans Tours United 3 (T. Sermanni 2, K. Doornenbal) — half-time O-2. New Brighton 1 (G. Dacombe), Eastern Suburbs 5 (B. de Graaf, G. Jenkins 2, P. Henry, R. Mears) — half-time 0-2. North Shore 1 (K. Hobbs), Stop Out 3 (D. Gibson-Smith, S. Malcolmsen, K. Barton) — half-time 0-1. . Wellington Diamond United 1 (D. Farron), Hamilton 1 (A. Stamp) — half-time 0-1.

stamp) — ii a P x-u W me D uL. F A Pts Hamilton 10 5 3 2 19 10 13 Stop Out 9 5 3 1 18 11 13 Nth Shore 10 8 1 3 20 14 13 Mt Wgtn 7 S 1 1 15 4 11 T.T.U. 8 4 3 1 14 8 11 Nelson 10 3 5 2 10 11 11 W.D.U. 8 4 2 2 22 13 10 Bl’house 11 3 3 5 10 20 9 Hast. Suhs 9 3 1 5 14 13 7 Brighton 10 3 1 6 15 24 7 Cav’sham 11 1 3 7 10 22 5 Dn City 11 1 2 8 4 21 4