Involvement pays T.T.U.

Press, 29 May 1978, Page 28

Involvement pays T.T.U.

Special correspondent

Total involvement was what Mr Terry Conley asked from his Trans Tours United players against Stop Out in Wellington yesterday. He got it and the result was a two-goal victory and the best Rothmans Soccer League performance produced in Wellington this season. Only poor finishing, the traditional United malaise, and Barry Pickering, the Stop-Out goal-keeper, prevented a bigger win as United made amends in fine style for its ineptitude in Nelson last week.

Mr Conley had been away from his team three weeks

then, and he admitted yesterday that he told them in uncertain terms after that how they would have to improve. “I’m delighted. We played really well. I’m not worried that we didn’t score as many as we should have — the time to worry is when you’re creating nothing, as we did against Nelson.

“I wanted total involvement this time. I wanted every player to keep touching the ball, even if it was only five yards, and they soon got their confidence back,” said Conley. United gave Stop Out, which fought bravely, a striking lesson in purpose, vigour, commitment, invention and superb use of

skill. Only its finishing was poor, allied with a magnificient display by Pickering, who produced a series of outstanding saves. For a long time a Stop Out win from a breakaway goal seemed possible, if unjust, and United was a little unsettled at times in the first half. But Mark McNaughton, who had a magnificent game full of courage, skill and character, opened the scoring 16 minutes into the second half when he thunderously headed lan Marshall’s corner home. Steve Sumner, relatively quiet in the first half, capped a superb second-half display with the second goal four minutes from time. He i took the ball in his own

half, controlled it immaculately and raced away to draw Pickering and chip over him in copybook fashion. Bob Almond marshalled his defence with his customary incisiveness, freeing lan Park and Trevor Reece to make dangerous depredations down the flanks, while Frank McKay, Kevin Mulgrew and Kees Doornenbal all had excellent games. McNaughton, Mulgrew, Doornenbal, Marshall, Park, Sumner and McKay all had good chances which were either thwarted by the inspired Pickering or misused. In the first half, especially, the finishing lacked fire. For the rest, though, the showing could barely be faulted.