Soccer win boosts Woolston’s chances

Press, 22 May 1978, Page 3

Soccer win boosts Woolston’s chances

Special correspondent Wellington

After promising much, Woolston finally showed its form at the Basin Reserve, Wellington, on Saturday, beating Columbus Waterside, 4-1. Its third consecutive win moved it above the relegation zone in the Rothmans Soccer League.

“We’ve begun to learn,” said a satisfied Terry Mann after the win. His calm understatement could not disguise his delight after his young team had produced flair, imagination, and confident invention to beat its former, fellow struggler by a flattering margin.

“We won the game in the first half, playing into the strong southerly. I thought at half-time, when we led 2-1, that we’d got it won. “It’s always difficult to play good football on the Basin and a couple of in-

juries cut down our effec-I tiveness late in the game so I I was certainly pleased.” . Waterside was often desperately unlucky and the players did well to keep their heads up in spite of the frustration, especially after being a goal up after II minutes.

But Woolston deserved to; win and the Basin crowd i found its willingness to at-; tack the defenders direct and try to reach the by-line both refreshing and unusual. The Francis brothers, Neil and Keith, had solid games and orchestrated the Woolston style well. They were supported well i by Robbie Larter, who I scored two of the goals,; Stan McGaffin, Stu Chalmers, and Colin Chisholm, who secured the sometimes tentative defence.

The Waterside goalkeeper, David Gollan, who had a wretched game, perhaps helped most of all. Bad

! errors on his part led to i three of the goals and the . fourth was inspired by his defence’s distrust of him. Jim Richardson put Waterside in front with a well taken goal but Neil Francis equalised 7min later when he wrong-footed Gollan by deflecting his broth-

iler's shot. Gollan made no atlitempt to save. Gollan totally misjudged a I Keith Francis cross deep beyond the far post just before half-time and Larter timed his late run perfectly to volley just inside the post. The third goal was bunidled into the net by McGaffin when Gollan could not I hold Neil Francis’ cross. I Larter hit the fourth 3min later, after 72min, when he seized the loose ball after a corner. Tired and depleted, Wool-

ston endured a spirited fight by Waterside in the last 15min but by then was never in danger of losing.