Late sport England B wins soccer, 4-0

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 6

Late sport England B wins soccer, 4-0

p A Auckland A superb exhibition of controlled football carried, the visiting English F.A. side to a 4-0 win over the New Zealand soccer team in the last of their three internationals at New market Park last night. England, determined to widen the gap between the two sides which New Zealand had closed in Wellington on Sunday, was in almost total command throughout and never in any danger of defeat. Keith Nelson came close to

giving the local side a fairytale start when in only the second minute of the game he ran on to a loose bail and snapped in a shot which had the big English goalkeeper, Joe Corrigon. at full stretch to touch behind for a corner. England quickly hit back and from the third of three corners in quick succession Brian Talbot opened the scoring in the sixteenth minute. England gave New' Zealand litle room to manoeuvre and made retention of possession a virtual impossibility with keen tackling and speed on to any loose ball. With the full-back, Viv Anderson, and lan Kennedy overlapping, the English attack was given an added dimension and this only served to make life at the back even harder for the local side.

The New Zealand captain for the night, Tony Sibley, had the unenviable task of marking Paul Mariner. That the much-vaunted Ipswich Town striker scored only one goal was a reflection on the quality of Sibley’s work, and he was later named ‘ man

1 of the match” for New Zealam . while David Needham took th . honour for the visiting side. I Kevin Weymouth, in only h . second game since a lay-o . through injury, ran well initial!' . but achieved little against tli tall English defence. Towarc , the end he lost his zip and cos . New Zealand a couple of chance i by getting offside. It was not until 2min froi half-time that England added t , Talbot’s opening goal. Anderso broke down the right, lired rocket-like cross towards th New Zealand goal and Mie Speight, diving, headed in a sin which gave the New Zealan ’keeper, Sandy Davie, no chanet England began the second ha! as it had ended the first whe after just 2Jmin Mariner pushe the ball to Talbot, who was ut marked on the edge of the bo; He was untroubled to turn an ram home a hard low shot. England scored its fourth an final goal in the seventy-fift minute when Kennedy, froi deep on the left of Davie steered the ball to Mariner’s fee and the ace striker hooked i into the net. “We went out there to crus them,” said the English eoad Mr Bobby Robson, later. “Al though the New Zealand teas tried very hard We never reall let them into the game. Hoi ever, they have done reasonabt well and at no time was thef any question of annihilalin them.” The game was watched in fin conditions by a crowd of abou 10,000, which should ensure healthy profit from the tour fo the New Zealand Football Asse elation.