Close soccer clash likely

Press, 24 February 1978, Page 20

Close soccer clash likely

By

DAVID LEGGAT

On paper, the two Air New Zealand soccer semifinal matches on Sunday at Queen Elizabeth II Park should be won by Christchurch’s two Rothmans National League teams, Woolston Working Men’s Club and Trans Tours United.

However, their opponents, New Brighton and Rangers respectively, will not be pushovers. Each has a point to make and these two matches are as good a time as any to make them. New Brighton was relegated from the national league last season to be replaced by Woolston. It has a young, energetic side which undoubtedly wishes to impress. Its main desire should be to prove that it is at least as good as the team which replaced it. The New Brighton coach (Martin Stewart) has, along with the other four coaches, held off naming a team until tomorrow morning.

He has two injured players, Keith Granger, with a bruised heel, and Paul Bradshaw.

“We will be viewing the game as a cup tie,” he said. “We are looking forward to the match very much.”

Woolston seems to be recovering slowly from the bad run of injuries suffered in the early part of the season. Only three players are not fully fit. Andy Goudswaard, one of the club’s latest signings, has a bad leg injury and will definitely not be playing on Sunday. Fred Simpson is in training and seems to be coming right, with the possibility not totally discounted that he will be in the team against Brighton. However, Jan Flyvbjerc is still not fit enough to warrant consideration for Sunday. The Woolston coach (Terry Mann) is looking for-

ward with considerable interest to the match. “I expect it to be a very good game,” he said. “I am quite impressed with Brighton for although he (Mr Stewart) has lost a lot of players, he is getting together some good younger players.” The Ranger s-United match, which will follow the Brighton-Woolston game, should be another close, hard encounter. Earlier in the season, the teams played a friendly match resulting in a 2-1 win to Rangers. A win on Sunday would go a considerable way towards showing that the first win was not a lucky one. The Rangers coach (lan Marshall) holds no fears of United. “We are not afraid of them,” he said. “However, we will be treating them with respect. United is definitely one of the strongest teams in the country and we will be trying to take the game to them.” John Oliver is injured but seems likely to take his place in the team. The United coach (Terry Conley) appears to be the only one of the four coaches to be without injury problems.