Manurewa soccer finalist

Press, 14 August 1978, Page 28

Manurewa soccer finalist

Manurewa became the first non-Rothmans Soccer League team since North Shore in 1973 to reach the Adidas Challenge Trophy final when it deservedly beat Mount Wellington, 2-1, in Auckland yesterday. In the final, Manurewa will meet Nelson United, the 3-1 winner over Trans Tours United at Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday. The match will be one between two teams of youngsters, Nelson having an average age of about 20. Manurewa has players who have been together for several seasons. Not long ago half of its under-18 team was also in its senior side.

Manurewa fully earned its win but was helped by a surprise substitution by the Mount Wellington coach

(John Houghton), Eight minutes into tiie second half he took off Bill de Graaf, who appeared to be one of the teams most dangerous players, and brought on Dave Sneddon.

The match was generally scrappy. The winning goal came in the seventy-eighth minute when Dave Fifield, a former Mount Wellington player, crossed the ball into the goalmouth for Mark Armstrong to head the goal off the cross-bar.

Nelson gave a determined, bustling display against United and nothing could be taken away from its performance. United frittered away several fine scoring opportunities which proved to be costly. Two Rothmans league matches were played, Hamilton taking two important

points from a lethargic, unimaginative Stop Out and Woolston Working Mens Club picking up a point in a generally drab, goal less draw with Wellington Diamond United in Wellington. Results:

Adidas Challenge Trophy, semi-finals: Trans Tours United 1 (Kevin Mulgrew), Nelson United 3 (Roger Fitzgerald, Ron Kolk 2). Halftime: 1-1. Mount Wellington 1 (Brian Turner penalty), Manurewa 2 (David Bright, Mark Armstrong). Half-time: 1-0. Rothmans League: Hamilton 2 (Keith Nelson 2), Stop Out 0. Half-time: 1-0. Wellington Diamond United 0, Woolston Working Mens Club 0. National Youth Cup final: Christchurch United 3 (Brent Simpson, Graeme

Thompson, Graham Archer), Glenfield Rovers 0. Half time: 1-0.

ROTHMANS SOCCER LEAGUE P W D L F A Pts East. Subs 18 12 1 5 41 15 25 Mt Wgtn 17 11 2 4 31 20 24 B’house B 15 7 6 2 26 17 20 Nelson 17 6 7 4 20 28 19 T.T.U. 13 7 4 2 24 10 18 Courier 17 7 4 6 18 13 18 N. Shore 17 5 6 6 25 26 16 Stop Out 17 4 5 8 22 28 13 W.D.U. 17 4 5 8 20 33 13 Hamilton 18 5 2 11 25 36 12 Woolston 17 4 4 9 18 31 12 Waterside 17 4 2 11 19 32 10