Superb soccer in T.T.U. walk-over

Press, 17 August 1978, Page 30

Superb soccer in T.T.U. walk-over

By

DAVID LEGGAT

Trans Tours United gave one of its superb team performances to crush Blockhouse Bay, 5-0, in a Rothmans Soccer League match at English Park last evening. Blockhouse Bay was in third place before the match but, judging on this showing. it is difficult to image how it got there. It was comprehensively outplayed in every aspect of the game. United’s attack was sharper and more purposeful, its mid-field showed an urgency lacking in its Adidas Chatham Cup semi-final against Nelson United last Saturday, and its defence blocked out the potentially dnagerous threat of Peter Mazany and Mike Farac in fine style. It was a bruising encounter at times but the bustling tactis of the Aucklanders did not work against a team which showed all its skill. Kevin Mulgrew gave a non-stop display of running and set up the first and third goals. The first one was excellent. Mulgrew printed down the left wing md his deep cross was specacularly headed-in by Mark McNaughton. The second goal seemed to stun the Blockhouse players. A penalty was awarded for a push on Frank McKay in the penalty area. It seemed a slightly harsh decision but lan Park scored from the spot and the Blockhouse players started arguing i amongst themselves, something they persisted with for the rest of the match.

Mulgrew's hard, low shot was pushed out by John Morris but only as far as lan Marshall, whose rightfoot shot beat Morris. A tow-goal burst near the end of the second half capped the game for United. McNaughton scrambled the ball in from a goal-mouth melee and Kees Doomenbal

blasted a right-foot shot past Morris from a sharp angle. Morris aquitted himself well. In the space of 2min just before United’s final goals, he brilliantly saved a McKay shot, pushed a fierce McNaughton drive wide, and then tipped the resulting corner, a dangerous one, over the cross-bar. Towards the end of the match United was in complete control. Apart from Morris only one Blockhouse player stood out: Kevin Hagan, who worked hard

throughout the match. But his rather vigorous play eventually earned him a booking. United did not have a weak link. It would be unfair to single out any one player for praise although the front three played exceptionally well and Steve Sumner directed play in commanding style. It was the sort of performance United displays maybe twice a season but already it has given three such displays this year.