Mediocre soccer

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 20

Mediocre soccer

By

r David Leggat

In what was unquestionably the worst Rothmans Soccer League match in Christchurch this season, Woolston W.M.C. was beaten 1-0 by Columbus Waterside at Garrick Park yesterday.

Woolston has given three displays of dubious quality earlier in the season, but this one was absolutely awful. What made things even worse was that the opposition was the worst Rothmans League side seen in Christchurch this season, by far. On this showing both sides thoroughly deserve to be relegated. Woolston created enough chances to have scored five goals in the first half alone. Waterside had four chances in the entire match. The Waterside defence was solid in the air though; and Brian Field and Martin Jordan gave impressive displays and Field was “player of the match.” But it took Woolston about 70 minutes to realise that high balls pumped into the Waterside penalty area would not succeed. On the flanks, Waterside was especially weak. but Neil [Francis. Woolston’s most potent attacker, did not get 1 enough ball to do much ■ damage. Indeed, his brother, [Keith, when brought on early in the second half, proved how dangerous he could be with a couple of

good, weaving runs down the left wing. Woolston’s complete dominance in the second half should have brought goals. Instead Woolston remains the lowest scoring side in the league, its last goal, a penalty, was three games ago.

The first half was a succession of near misses and the match was not a dull one, despite the terrible standard of play. Graham Dacombe fluffed a great chance in the fifth minute. He had to beat only the goal-keeper, Roger Blake, but he shot straight at the advancing Blake. Soon after, Neil Francis exposed the defence with a neat chip from the right flank which was desperately cleared for a corner.

After 12 minutes, Maurice Batey, an industrious worker in the midfield for Waterside, drove a low shot just wide of the upright from 20 metres.

Two minutes later he put a superb through pass for Colin McDonald. McDonald had his shot blocked by Neville Petrie, the Woolston goal-keeper, who had one of his quietest days of the seaison.

In the seventeenth minute, Neil Francis ' beat two defenders on the left wing but his well-judged cross • was completely missed by Dacombe from two metres and Stan McGaffin forced Blake to bring off . a good save soon after.

Mick Ede, the Waterside full-back was cautioned for a bad foul on Stuart Chalmers, who in turn was cautioned for arguing. Neil Francis intercepted a weak pass, flicked the ball square to McGaffin, whose shot was saved by Blake. At the other end, two minutes later, a goalmouth muddle resulted in McDonald’s volleying the ball over the bar with Petrie out of position. Just before half-time Colin Currie, one of Woolston’s poorest players, almost scored an own goal when Petrie slipped in moving to pick up a back pass. In the second-half the inevitable happened. Jimmy Richardson, who had been fairly quiet in the first spell, latched on to a through ball, rounded Petrie and put the ball into the goal. The goal showed Richardson’s value to Waterside. He has scored 10 of its 22 goals this season.

Batey had a weak shot from 10 metres easily stopped and Neil Francis, Laurie Blyth and Currie all had long shots. The Woolston coach (Mr Terry Mann) pushed Allan Boath, Woolston’s best player, forward near the end but nothing worked. As the second half progressed, Woolston became even worse. Jorn Flyvbjerc toiled determinedly in the midfield and Steve Smith was safe at left full-back.