Woolston goes down, 0-2

Press, 1 May 1978, Page 6

Woolston goes down, 0-2

Special correspondent Auckland

Auckland is proving anything but a happy hunting ground for Woolston W.M.C. in its first Rothmans Soccer League season. The Christchurch side lost, 0-2, to Blockhouse Bay, at Newmarket Park yesterday and could have gone down by a much bigger margin. Goals by the striker, Peter Mazany, and the defender, Kevin Stratful —both headers—put paid to Wooiston’s faint chances of salvaging a point. But it could have been a different story if Neil Francis, for Woolston, had had the touch of luck any successful side needs with a second-half scoring chance. He raced on a through bail, and left the substitute, Jim Hogg, behind but pushed the ball past the Bay goal-keeper, John Morris, and on to the post. The Bay captain, Gary Lake, covering belatedly, pushed the bail away, with the rest of the defence in tatters.

Mazany and Mike Farac worked the double-striker ploy against an exposed Allan Boath to perfection but could not turn territorial advantage into the goals it deserved. Neville Petrie, the Woolston

goal-keeper, could do little abuu. Mazany’s header after two minutes but he must take some of the blame for the second goal. He let a cross sail over his hands, and the centre-back, Stratiul, made sure of winning with about 15 minutes to go. Bay's New Zealand full-back, Glen Dods, left the field with food poisoning at half-time but in general the Auckland team made hard work of what should have been two easy points.

The substitute, Robbie Larter, showed deft touches on the left wing In the second half. The Bay coach, Wally’ Hughes, brought Stu Clark on to close him out after seve-al promising runs past the full-back. By that stage the Christchurch coach (Mr T. Mann) had been shown yet again that youth wit flout experience is not enough In this strong 12-team competition, where the highly organised teams constantly look for points The big disappointment of the day from tlie Woolston point of view was the striker, Graham Dacombe. Stratful and Alan Hagan had him in a firm grip which dampened down the Woolston attack, apart from Francis’s lone effort in the second half which could have turned the tide.