T.T.U. loses chance

Press, 3 September 1977, Page 6

T.T.U. loses chance

By DAVID LEGGAT Trans Tours United can do its fellow Christchurch Rothmans National League soccer team, New Brighton, a favour by beating Eastern Suburbs !in Auckland tomorrow. [ At the same time, New Brighton can, in effect, make it a four-point week-end by beating Dunedin City at Dunbeing Dunedin City at Dunedin tomorrow. City has proved itself a difficult side to beat in Dunedin and in George Donaldson it also has an efficient striker, adept at picking up-inost halfchances. If City can beat Brighton and then beat Stop Out in its last match of the season, it would have a chance of staying in the national league next season — depending on its goal average. Trans Tours United’s revived challenge took a tumble in Auckland yesterday when it was beaten, 2-1, by North Shore United. There now seems little chance of T.T.U. winning the title. It has three matches, in-

eluding Eastern Suburbs tomorrow, remaining and is four points behind Stop Out. which also has three matches left. T.T.U. looked as if it was going to have a runaway victory like last week’s 4-0 annihilation of Mt Wellington when M. McNaughton scored in only the fourth minute of play. North Shore snatched a last-minute goal to beat. T.T.U. and improve to second position in the national; league. However, coming out behind to start the second spell North Shore looked a different team and put considerable pressure on the young replacement keeper for T.T.U., P. Moot. The pressure eventually told when 16 minutes into the half T. Edwards sent an immaculate cross into' the goalmouth for D. Cole to head home past the luckless Moot. The game looked certain to be a draw with full-time approaching but K. Hobbs got up to head home a long cor-’ ner for the last-minute goal.

■ I In other matches tomorrow, s North Shore takes on Block- . house Bay and should be caps able of winning both points. It is the Bay’s last match of > the season. Hamilton plays Nelson ■ United in Hamilton; the i; match will also be Nelson s ll final for this season. The I much-vaunted striking power iof Hamilton, with Keith Nelson. who has rarely produced tithe goods over the latter part Lof the season, and the lankv II Alf Stamp has only managed 27 goals in 19 matches. Wellington Diamond United I meets Mount Wellington in ■ Wellington. These teams are ■ now in with a chance of only ; a minor portion of the prize ■ money. Mount Wellington's challenge took a nosedive last j week-end and it’s main aim ! for the season must now be * the Lion Chatham Cup final ■ next Saturday. I The former T.T.U. striker. . Tom Sermanni, who returned > to play for the Scottish sec- ■ ond division side, Albion : Rovers, scored one of th ■ side’s goals in a division match recently.